Chapter 23 — Hopeful Timeskip: Older Nivaan & Family
The park smelled of fresh grass and warm sunlight.
Nivaan, now seven, ran ahead with a small kite in his hands, laughter spilling into the air.
"Careful!" Arin called after him, smiling.
Meira held his hand, laughing softly.
"He's all you, you know," she teased.
Arin glanced at her, eyes soft.
"Maybe. But he's also his own person. That's the important part."
Neel and their parents sat on a nearby bench, watching quietly.
Nivaan ran up to them, holding the kite string tightly.
"Grandma! Grandpa! Look!"
Arin observed, arms crossed loosely, a small smile tugging at his lips.
His parents approached slowly, tentative, but their faces were lighter than he'd seen in years.
"Can I help you with it?" his father asked, voice gentle.
"Of course!" Nivaan beamed, handing him the string.
Arin studied them, measuring, assessing—but then… he exhaled.
The bridge had held. Fragile, yes. But it held.
"Come on," Arin said to Meira, squeezing her hand.
"Let's enjoy this day."
For the first time in decades, the past felt like just that—the past.
The present was bright, and the future… full of possibilities.
And as Nivaan's laughter filled the air, Arin realized something he had thought impossible:
He was home.
All of them—together, healing, and alive—finally home.