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March 18, 2018
Ahja Brown was eighteen when she received a letter that changed her life.
"Mother. I'm home," she muttered not loud enough to be heard. She dropped her backpack to the floor before walking to the coffee table that was decorated with a stack of mail. It was spring and that meant college letters of acceptance and declination were rolling in. At the top of the heap, was a letter addressed to her.
She stared down at the envelope in her hands. The top right corner read THE NEW SCHOOL PARSONS. Her heart seemed to pound out of her chest as she shakily tore the sealed flap.
Dear Ahja,
Congratulations! On behalf of the Admissions Committee, I am pleased to offer you a place at Parsons Sch–
That was as far as she got before she let out an ear-piercing scream, "MOM!" The screech was soon followed by light sobs.
"What? What's happened?" Ariana, Ahja's mother, became alert at the sound of a shriek. To her knowledge, she and her husband were the only people in the house. Quickly, she scurried out of the kitchen where she was washing dishes and into the living room. Ahja's step-father, Kayden, was also worried by the sudden scream and rushed to meet the two.
"I got in!"
"You got in. Great! Where this time?" It had been a really good spring for Ahja. Every week more and more envelopes piled in — each with a different college letterhead and each offering Ahja a spot in their educational institution.
Throughout high school she maintained a 3.8 grade point average. Currently, she ranked within the top five percent of her graduating class.
"Parsons, Mama, Parsons!" She then realized she was crying happily. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. "Wow."
"What? Oh my god! Is this the letter?" Her mom snatched the paper from her fingertips and began reading it for herself. "That's amazing."
"I'm proud of you, Ahja," her step-father added. Kayden strolled forward and gathered her into a hug. His embrace was snug and sincere. He had been in her life since her birth and the two had a real father-daughter relationship.
