You earned it.

It’s yours.” “You’re not mad?” “Not even a little.” And months later, when she bought a book at a bookstore and did not show me the receipt at all, did not feel she needed to justify it, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

When Maya turned eighteen, she earned a full merit scholarship to study industrial engineering, and the day the acceptance letter came, she ran into the living room exactly the way she used to when she was small.

“Dad!