I watched her as she ran towards me, her tiny arms spread wide. Her smile reached me before she did, warming up my heart instantly.

I crouched just in time to pick her up as she threw herself into my arms.

Her laughter, as I lifted her up and spun her around, filled my soul with so much joy.

“Again, again. Daddy, again” she said, giggling.

Daddy. It still felt so surreal. This beautiful girl was mine to love for the rest of my life.

I tossed her gently into the air and caught her before she reached the ground.

She wrapped her hands tightly around my neck.

“I love you daddy” She whispered in my ear.

“I love you even more Anuoluwa, never ever forget that.”

Hand in hand, laughing heartily, we made our way to the car.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************

“Good morning, Layi”

“Good morning Jarret, how was your weekend?”

He took my laptop bag from me while I struggled to balance my lunch bag and the books in my hands.

“Not bad, how was yours?”

“I’m sure you already know, you planned most of it , remember?”

We both laughed as we walked into the office building.

It was a familiar space, one that felt like home to my soul.

Every wall, every light fitting, every piece of artwork and furniture had once existed only in my imagination.

I had obsessed over every detail, right down to the scents that would welcome my clients.

I knew an office space couldn’t heal anyone, but it could make them feel at ease and safe.

It was Monday morning and what I really wanted to ask Alexa to play was Hehehe by Rema.

“Alexa, shuffle and play my worship playlist from Spotify” I heard myself say instead.

Instantly the room was filled with soft worship music. 

Jarret was only about 3 months into his job. He was young, enthusiastic and genuinely enjoyed his job, but I wasn’t ready to introduce him to the other side of my professional life.

Besides, I needed my mind settled and in a place of zen before my first session.

I spent the next 30 minutes reviewing my itinerary with Jarret, we made some adjustments and I gave him some tasks I wanted completed before the close of business.

Playing softly from the speakers of my Echo show 10 as Jarret left the office was God will work it out by Maverick city music.

It was one of my favourite songs from the playlist, Zola and I curated it 6 years ago.

My eyes drifted to the picture in the bronze frame on my table. I picked it up and ran my finger slowly across the glass display. It stopped when it got to her image.

The familiar ache settled quietly in my chest

My eyes welled up with tears. The tears dropped as I closed my eyes. The lump growing in my throat threatened to choke me. 

I walked into the restroom and let the tears fall freely. I cried till the man staring back at me looked so pitiful, and then I began to make funny faces at the image of myself in the bathroom mirror.

I washed and dried my face, and took deep breaths.

My first meeting was due in 12 minutes. I went back to my desk, opened my laptop and reviewed my client’s profile.

Every session was a new experience for me. Every client was different from the other.

Five years earlier, I started Room 88 with one goal in mind.

To create a safe space where people could unburden themselves of the heavy emotions they carried around.

A movement on the CCTV monitor caught my attention.

My client was outside at the entrance of the reception.

She adjusted the strap of her handbag, took a slow breath and reached for the door.

Without realising it, I took a slow breath too.