Bruised But Still Burning

Nina Ojo grew up in a family that once felt whole — laughter in the living room, Sunday hair-braiding, love that filled every corner. But all of that faded. Her brother drowned in addiction. Her father became a stranger. Her mother, a woman hardened by grief and exhaustion.



Now nineteen and starting college in the U.S., Nina carries the weight of it all — the bruises no one sees, the silence she’s learned to live with. But even in the ache, she holds on to hope. Hope that her family might still find its way back. Hope that peace is possible.



What she doesn’t expect is him.

A boy whose words feel like truth and whose presence threatens to break past her guard. She didn’t come looking for love. But love… might have found her.