The curtains finally came down on a chapter of our lives that spanned over fifteen years. When we moved to Atlanta, we had taken a jump of faith and started a life of rural living. Dirt roads, septic tank, water from a well, internet on DSL, no neighbors and all that. The very first memory I have is the kids waiting outside for the fireflies to come out every night.

Looking back, it was a good decision to raise the daughters in such a sylvan, expansive setting. Yes, there was the occasional fallen tree that would block our road and the curious snake here and there making the girls scream and flee but that pales in comparison to the moments spent sipping on a cocktail on a hot summer afternoon watching the daughters jump into the pool after a barbecue lunch or listening to qawaalis with Sharmila by the outside fireplace on a cold winter night or playing volleyball and soccer with Nikita in the lawn or simply trying to outwit the hummingbirds, cardinals and other birds to let me take pictures of them surreptitiously.

But all good things have to come to an end. We are on the verge of empty nesting and have now put this house in our past. Leaving a lot of memories and the mortal remains of the family’s first pet dog in the property.

The new owners are a young couple and they plan to raise their kids here. I think the house will serve them in a much better stead than us now.

Meanwhile, we turn a new leaf in the chapters of our life.