On Monday December 9th of this year, I was asked by my daughter Karen’s history teacher to address his class on my experience with the Immigration/Naturalization process. Normally I turn down such requests because for the last 40 years I have seen myself as an American. This year though is different for a few reasons, and I agreed. The biggest reason is this year marks the 40th anniversary the beginning of not only my journey to becoming the woman I am today but my path of becoming an American citizen. When my daughter Karen heard my story during her class she informed me that I should share my story here at BC.

Chapter 17 – Epilogue

I didn’t recognise the place. I mean they’d had a chance to clean up, sure, but what they’d achieved was close to miraculous.

Someone had carried me to a bed after Stuart had delivered us back to the barracks. Someone had done the same for all of slayer squad and Laurel, and we’d all slept through the next twenty-four hours.

Which meant when we woke it was to a very different world.

A slender figure walked out onto the wide bridge. The sun descending in the western sky cast a wide shadow from the west side of the canyon and bathed the east side in a reddish glow.

Helena and Alex stood side by side in the dim corridor of the mag-train, the low hum of its engines reverberating beneath their feet. They had just received word that the warning had come through in time. Morgan’s message, decoded by the Empress Consort, confirmed that an attempt to harm Alex was imminent. Connor’s plot had been laid bare.

Now, it was their turn to respond, a testament to their unwavering courage in the face of danger, their determination shining through every action they took.

Chapter 16

I opened my eyes to see Mark gazing down at me. The expression on his face made me feel all soft and squooshy.

Was that a word? I was going to make it a word. Squooshy. The way you feel when someone you like looks at you like that.

“Hello handsome. What time is it.”

“Eight o’clock.”

“Right on time. What do you have to say to me?”

“Well, your instincts were right for one thing.”

“What?”

Chapter One: The Sixteenth Birthday

The warm June sun streamed through the windows of the Allen’s home, bathing the living room in golden light. David sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by his two best friends, Eric and Ryan, controllers in hand as they raced each other in the latest Mario Kart game. Laughter and friendly jeers filled the room as their characters collided in-game, sending one kart careening off the track.

"Come on, Eric, you’re supposed to be good at this!" Ryan teased, nudging his friend with an elbow.

Akari's frustration had been building for days, a relentless storm in her heart that she could no longer contain. As she sat alone in her dorm room, the weight of everything—the rumors, the fear, the isolation—crashed down on her. She slammed her fist against the desk, her breath quickening with anger, her eyes brimming with tears of helplessness.

Barbie Bride