Chapter 9 - The Arrival of Light
Two years later.
The morning sun cast a warm, golden glow across the quiet gardens of the foundation.
I sat on a wooden bench under a large oak tree, holding a cup of warm tea, watching the butterflies dance over a bed of blooming lavender. The air smelled of clean earth and fresh rain.
A dark sedan pulled up to the driveway, and Sarah Jenkins stepped out, holding a thick Manila envelope and wearing a wide, joyful smile.
“Maya!” she called out, walking across the grass toward me. “The final paperwork just came through from the Department of Homeland Security!”
I stood up, my heart fluttering with anticipation. “Is it approved?”
Sarah pulled out an official document embossed with a gold seal and handed it to me.
“Your U-visa has been converted to permanent legal residency,” Sarah beamed. “And your petition for family reunification has been fully granted. Your two daughters’ entry visas were issued by the American Embassy in New Delhi this morning.”
I stared at the paper, tears filling my eyes, tracing the names written in black ink: Aarya Patel and Ananya Patel.
My two sweet daughters, whom Devki had sent away to distant relatives in India years ago to keep me isolated and heartbroken. My girls, whom I had cried for every single night on that cold bedroom floor.
May you like
“They’re coming home, Maya,” Sarah whispered softly, wrapping her arms around me in a warm embrace. “They’re coming home to their mother.”
I looked up at the sky, tears streaming freely down my face, feeling the warmth of the sun wash over me, burning away every lingering shadow of my past.
