Women Visitors

The four sisters stood shoulder to shoulder, left to right like they’d arranged themselves out of instinct: Ashi, Bahati, Candace, and Dayo (Right to Left) Beautiful ebony women with rain glistening against deep brown skin, each carrying exhaustion differently. Ashi, the oldest, wore strength like armor even though her eyes were bloodshot from crying. Bahati stood stiff beside her, jaw clenched, protective anger simmering beneath silence. Candace hugged herself tightly, mascara faintly smeared, trying not to shake apart. And Dayo — the youngest — looked barely held together at all, clutching a duffel bag against her chest like it contained the last pieces of her life.