Zikora is like every other woman that has felt the pangs of a man that has abandoned her. However, this agony is amplified once she finds out she is carrying his child. Adichie is able to capture the ambivalence and pain we experience when we put so much of ourselves into others that don't give us back what we pour into them. Zikora's lover leaves and abandons her when she needs him most. However, Zikora will not be the first nor the last woman that must continue forward with her life and be the best mother she can be. Adichie crafts a fine short story here with a great big message: she will survive even in the midst of her troubles.