This Time, We Stay

By Anthony O. Ikubuwaje

What if the hardest part of love isn't letting go-but staying?

Five years after walking away from everything, Femi Bond returns to Brixton and collides headfirst with the one person he never stopped loving-Funmi Silver. She's a rising mental health advocate, he's the creative lead on her new campaign, and neither of them is ready to face the truth: some ghosts don't stay buried. Their unresolved feelings and past traumas create a tension that threatens to unravel their lives.

As they navigate the high-stakes world of community organizing, viral fame, and unhealed trauma, Femi and Funmi demonstrate their resilience. They must reckon with the scars of their past-and the possibility of a future neither dared to imagine. Alongside them are vibrant, unforgettable voices: Dami, Funmi's unapologetically queer sister; Ayo, a revolutionary poet; and a host of characters redefining what it means to show up for yourself and each other.

This Time, We Stay is a tender, sharp, and deeply emotional novel that delves into the complexities of mental health, chosen family, vulnerability, and the radical act of choosing love-even when it's uncomfortable, inconvenient, and painfully honest. Navigating identity, chosen family, and personal growth, highlighting the importance of showing up for oneself and others.

For anyone who's ever left, returned, broken, or tried again-this story is for you.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1918162034
• ISBN13: 9781918162035
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Anthony O. Ikubuwaje
• Length: 54 Pages
• Weight: 0.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 5.5" x 8.5"