Ms. Dideolu's Pov-- 10:10 am

Ms. Dideolu clutched desperately at the steering wheel, so hard she knew it would leave a pink mark on her palm. She tried staying focused, but she couldn't help but scan the streets as she took the sharp corner leading home.

Where could Lola be? If only she had been closer to her daughter, like other mothers do – keeping their daughters close, knowing their secrets, finding out who's crushing on them, having the sex and abstinence talk – but she had pushed Lola away. Then, her neck and face burned, and her lips trembled. She had feared that at any moment, she would fall apart. She had heard the news of girls getting sexually assaulted, killed, kidnapped, and trafficked. What if something had happened to Lola?

No, Lola was fine.

The principal had called forty-five minutes ago, saying Lola had ditched school, and Ayo had complained he was feeling sick before leaving, so Ms. Dideolu assumed they were together. But did they even get along?

Lola never disrespected people older than her, nor did she walk out on them. Okay, she had walked out on her yesterday, but that was different. You don't know Lola. The voice… the one that kept reminding her of failing as a mother.

The warm morning wind had caressed Ms. Dideolu's cheek, and when she touched her face, she realized it was wet from tears. She wiped them away, but more came, and she sniffed and nodded, trying to be strong. Lola might have returned home and found the birthday card. Maybe they could talk, start over.

Lola's room was almost empty, with things packed neatly in boxes. The sight of the nearly bare room sent a pang of fear through Ms. Dideolu. She had feared that Lola would not come home. What if telling Lola to call her father was the last straw, and she had decided to run away? Ms. Dideolu's head pounded, making it difficult for her to think straight. The constant worry and lack of sleep had taken a toll on her body. She tried to push through the pain, but it was getting harder to focus on anything else.

Ms. Dideolu had hoped to wish her daughter a happy birthday and encourage Lola to talk to her father. But now, everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. Lola was somewhere out there, not picking up her calls. Lekan, Ms. Dideolu's husband was back in Nigeria and bedridden with a kidney problem. Ms. Dideolu held on to the hope that this day might offer an opportunity to bring the family back together, no matter how far they were from home.

Ms. Dideolu pressed the gas pedal, urging more speed as she raced towards Carter's house, the white mansion where she both lived and worked. The imposing structure was situated on a large, sprawling property with a perfectly manicured lawn and a row of trees leading up to the front entrance. As she pulled up to the circular driveway, Ms. Dideolu noticed the intricately carved wooden door that led into the house.

Despite the grandeur of the house, Ms. Dideolu's heart was heavy with worry. She knew that finding Lola at home was unlikely. The fact that Lola had cleaned up her room without being asked was a bad sign, and it only added to Ms. Dideolu's sense of dread. It was as if Lola was trying to erase any trace of herself from their home.

The memory of Demola, Ms. Dideolu's son who she had lost when he was younger, added another layer of sadness to the situation. It had been two years since he passed away, but the pain of losing him still felt fresh. In many ways, Lola's disappearance felt like a repeat of the trauma they had gone through with Demola.

As Ms. Dideolu pulled up to the house, she couldn't help but wonder what secrets Lola might have been keeping. It was clear that Lola had a tendency to keep things to herself, even when something was bothering her. Ms. Dideolu wished that she could just shake the truth out of Lola, but she knew it wasn't that simple.