Chapter 9

• Maya stared out of the airplane window as the plane descended, the familiar skyline of Country Z coming into view. Her heart thudded in her chest as memories flooded back—both the good and the painful. She had stayed away for five long years, avoiding this place, this chapter of her life that she had left behind. But now, life had brought her full circle, and here she was, returning to the country she had once called home.
• As the wheels touched the ground and the plane taxied to the terminal, Maya took a deep breath. She tried to calm her racing thoughts, reminding herself that she wasn’t the same person who had left. She was stronger now, wiser, and she had four beautiful children who were her world. This wasn’t a return to the past—it was a step forward.
• Walking through the airport, Maya couldn’t help but glance around, taking everything in. The layout of the terminal, the people rushing past her, the announcements echoing over the speakers—it all felt so familiar yet so distant, like stepping into an old photograph. Nothing much had changed, yet everything felt different.