Lead With Your Heart

Hope

The following week, kids from other schools keep the cause alive, posting signs like “I Stand with Immigrants” and “Families Belong Together” at school and the Riverfront Community Center. Makena and Evette report the World by Us page keeps gaining likes and follows, proof the campaign opened hearts.

On Wednesday, after soccer practice, the coach calls Ainsley, Violeta, and Maritza into her office: both D.C. Premiere and Elite Athletica have picked all three of them to play. They break into a silly victory dance. Violeta heads home to babysit her cousins while her mom and aunt work. So Maritza and Sierra plan to celebrate with her later at a local ice cream shop.

The next day, in current-events class, Violeta doesn’t show. Mr. Bernstein waits ten minutes, then starts anyway, playing Maritza’s TV interview from the Soccer Showcase. Sierra and Raheem lead a cheer, chanting “Maritza’s gonna defeat-cha!” It’s a line borrowed from Makena and Evette. Mid-cheer, the door opens and Violeta pokes her head in. Mr. Bernstein’s face lights up. He steps into the hallway with her, shutting the door behind them and leaving the class buzzing with confused murmurs.

A few minutes later, the door swings open again. Mr. Bernstein returns with a huge grin, announcing someone wants to meet everyone. Violeta walks in beside her uncle Andrés, followed by a woman in a green dress. The whole class leaps up, cheering.

Mr. Moreno thanks everyone through tears, overwhelmed that the kids worked so hard for his family. Face to face with them, he finally feels hope. Violeta pulls Maritza to the front amid handshakes and hugs, introducing her to her uncle.

The woman in green, Ms. Cantu, is Abuela’s acquaintance. She was so moved by Maritza’s words at the showcase that she made a few calls, which helped secure Andrés’s release. Raheem asks if he’ll get citizenship now. Andrés gently says not yet, but it’s one step at a time, and for now, he gets to go home.

Violeta throws an arm around Maritza’s shoulders. “You did it, Maritza!”

“We did it!” Maritza says, soaking in the fist bumps, high fives, and laughter. This is what America looks like when everyone leads with their hearts.