Ire was the first to reach the door. She barely waited to turn the handle before pulling it open.

“Uncle Emmanuel!”

The tall man standing on the doorstep laughed as she threw her arms around him.

"Easy, easy," he said, hugging her back. “I've only just arrived.”

“You've been gone forever!”

“It only feels that way because you enjoy exaggerating.”

“I do not!”

“You most certainly do.”

She grinned and stepped aside. “Come in, Uncle.”

Mrs. Bisi smiled as he walked into the house.

“Welcome back.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bisi. It's good to see you.”

Chief met him in the sitting room, and the two brothers embraced warmly. “It's been a while.”

“It has.”

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke. Some reunions needed no speeches.

The familiar voices drew the others downstairs. Gbemi appeared first. Without hesitation, she wrapped Uncle Emmanuel in a hug.

“I've missed you.”

“I've missed you too.”

"So..." she said with a mischievous smile, “did you bring anything for us?”

He laughed.

“Is that how you welcome people now?”

“I'm just making sure you travelled responsibly.”

“You sound exactly like your father.”

“I'll take that as a compliment.”

Irawo came next.

“Welcome home, Uncle.”

"My writer," he said warmly. “Still filling notebooks?”

“I'm trying.”

“Good. Don't stop.”

Then came Derin.

She smiled.

“Welcome, Uncle.”

He hugged her before she could say anything else. When he stepped back, he studied her face for a brief moment.

“You look tired.”

She shrugged lightly. "It's been a long week." He nodded.

The house quickly slipped back into its familiar rhythm.

Mrs. Bisi disappeared into the kitchen to finish preparing lunch.

A moment later, her voice echoed through the house.

“Ireoluwa! What are you doing near that pot?”

Ire slowly turned around. “I was only checking something.”

Mrs. Bisi folded her arms.

“Checking what?”

“Whether the chicken was ready.”

“With your fingers?”

A sheepish smile spread across Ire's face.

“I wanted to be sure.”

Just then, Uncle Emmanuel walked in, having left his bag in the guest room. He looked from Mrs. Bisi to Ire.

“Should I be worried?”

Chief chuckled.

“No, stay.”

“You've arrived just in time for today's investigation.”

"I call it quality control," Ire protested.

Mrs. Bisi shook her head.

“You call it quality control.”

"The rest of us call it stealing," Gbemi said as she entered the kitchen.

“I haven't stolen anything!”

"Because I caught you first," Mrs. Bisi replied, pointing the wooden spoon at her.

Laughter filled the kitchen.

Uncle Emmanuel laughed softly. Some things, he thought, never changed.

Lunch was every bit as lively as the kitchen had promised.

Stories travelled from one end of the table to the other. Most of them began with Ire.

“...and then the dog started chasing me, so I jumped onto the nearest car!”

"The dog wasn't chasing her," Gbemi interrupted. “It was on a leash.”

“It looked like it wanted freedom.”

“It wanted a walk.”

“In my version, it wanted me.”

“Your version needs help.”

Chief smiled over the rim of his glass.

“Truth has always been a minor inconvenience to Ire's stories.”

Then Ire can reply immediately:

“Daddy!”

“I'm only saying what everyone is thinking.”

Another round of laughter followed.

By evening, the compound had grown quiet.

The girls had gone inside, and Mrs. Bisi was putting away the last of the dishes. Derin sat beneath the mango tree, absent-mindedly scrolling through her phone.

"Mind if I join you?" Uncle Emmanuel asked.

Derin looked up and smiled.

“Not at all, Uncle.”

He settled onto the bench beside her.

“You've grown.”

A small laugh escaped Derin.

“I hope that's a compliment.”

"It is," he replied with a smile. “Sometimes I wonder when all of you stopped being children.”

Derin looked ahead.

“I've been wondering the same thing.”

For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, listening to the rustle of the leaves overhead.

Then Uncle Emmanuel spoke again.

“Your father mentioned your project.”

Derin sighed softly. “It'll take more work than I expected.”

“But it's still possible?”

She looked down for a moment before answering.

“It won't be easy... but it's possible.”

A smile spread across his face. “I like that answer.”

She turned to him. “Really?”

He nodded. “When I was about your age, I thought every setback meant I'd chosen the wrong path.”

"And now?" Derin asked.

“Now I know setbacks are part of the journey.”

She smiled thoughtfully.

“I think I'm beginning to learn that too.”

Uncle Emmanuel rose to his feet.

“You'll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

“You will.”

He gave her shoulder a gentle pat before making his way back toward the house. Derin remained beneath the mango tree for a little while longer. The breeze stirred the leaves above her.

She slipped her phone into her pocket, stood, brushed the dust from her skirt, and walked back inside.