All Chapters of Selene: A Journey from Shadow to Light: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The morning light spilled into Selene’s apartment, warm and golden, signaling the start of another day. Jonah was already awake, giggling as he crawled toward her with his tiny arms outstretched. Selene scooped him up and hugged him close. “Good morning, little man. Did you sleep well?”He giggled again, clapping his hands. “Mama!”Selene smiled, feeling a soft swell of gratitude. Life had not been easy, but Jonah’s laughter reminded her of the simple joys she had fought so hard to protect.After breakfast, Selene checked her emails and messages, preparing for a part-time shift at the community center. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it offered stability, and she liked helping the kids there, some of whom reminded her of her own childhood—resilient yet burdened, finding joy in small victories.Before leaving, Adrian arrived to help get Jonah ready. “Ready for the day?” he asked, lifting Jonah into the air, making him squeal with laughter.“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Selene replied, tyin

Selene woke up before the alarm, her body still heavy with exhaustion. Jonah had been restless during the night, and though she cherished his little murmurs and sleepy hugs, she longed for just one uninterrupted stretch of sleep. She lay there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, gathering the will to rise.Her phone buzzed. A message from Mariah lit the screen: Don’t forget—job fair today. I’ll pick you up at 10.Selene rubbed her eyes. The job fair. She had nearly forgotten. She had been debating whether to go—whether she was ready to take that next step. Working part-time at the community center was fulfilling, but it didn’t pay enough to build the future she wanted for herself and Jonah. Maybe today could be the start of something new.After breakfast, she dressed Jonah in a bright yellow shirt and dropped him off at her aunt’s house. On the way, she whispered encouragement to herself. “You’ve got this. One step at a time.”At the convention center, Selene felt small at first, su

The following week felt unbearably long. Every time her phone buzzed, Selene’s heart leapt, only to fall again when it was just a routine message. She tried to keep herself busy—caring for Jonah, working her shifts at the community center, journaling—but the anticipation gnawed at her.On Thursday morning, as she poured cereal into Jonah’s bowl, her phone rang. The caller ID flashed: Mrs. Albright.Her hands trembled as she answered. “Hello?”“Selene, good morning,” Mrs. Albright’s voice was cheerful. “I wanted to thank you again for coming in last week. After reviewing your application and interview, I’m happy to tell you we’d like to offer you the position.”Selene’s knees nearly buckled. She leaned against the counter, tears springing to her eyes. “Really? I—thank you. Thank you so much.”“We believe you’ll make a real difference here,” Mrs. Albright continued. “We’ll send the onboarding paperwork today. Welcome aboard, Selene.”When she hung up, she scooped Jonah into her arms, sp

The tutoring program had barely been running for two weeks when Selene realized leadership wasn’t as simple as motivating children. It meant dealing with personalities, expectations, and conflicts among her coworkers too.On a rainy Tuesday afternoon, she walked into the staff lounge to find two of her team members—Angela and Darius—arguing heatedly.“I told you I needed the resource binder!” Angela snapped. “How am I supposed to run math group without it?”“You don’t own it, Angela,” Darius shot back. “I needed it for my session too.”Selene froze in the doorway. They hadn’t noticed her yet, but the tension was palpable.Taking a steadying breath, she stepped forward. “Hey, what’s going on?”Both turned toward her, voices overlapping as they tried to defend themselves. Selene held up her hand. “One at a time.”Angela crossed her arms. “He’s hoarding the materials.”Darius rolled his eyes. “She acts like she’s the only one teaching.”Selene thought back to her grandfather’s advice—lis

The call from Jonah’s preschool came in the middle of Selene’s afternoon tutoring session. She stepped into the hallway to answer, her stomach tightening.“Ms. Graham,” the teacher’s voice was gentle, “Jonah had a bit of an incident today. He got upset during group time and pushed another child. He’s not hurt, and neither is the other student, but he was very emotional. We think it might help if you came early today.”Selene’s chest clenched. Jonah had never lashed out like that before. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” she said, already gathering her things.She explained quickly to her team that she had to leave. As she rushed out into the gray afternoon, guilt gnawed at her. She had been so focused on managing her staff and proving herself at work—had she missed signs that Jonah was struggling more deeply?⸻When she arrived at the preschool, Jonah was sitting in the corner with his stuffed dinosaur, tears streaking his cheeks. Selene knelt beside him.“Hey, baby,” she said softly