Laura mustered a smile as she placed a cheese sandwich in front of her 10-year-old son, Adam. “Here’s dinner,” she said, trying to hide the weariness in her voice.
Adam lifted the top slice of bread and frowned. “No mayo?”
“We’ve run out of mayo, sweetie,” Laura replied, joining him at the table. She gingerly sat on the wobbly chair, mindful of its instability. Their tiny apartment was filled with damaged furniture that seemed on the verge of collapsing.
Adam’s blue eyes widened with hope as he looked at Laura. “Can we buy more soon?”
Laura sighed and took a bite of her sandwich. “I’ll do my best.”
Ever since Laura divorced Adam’s father, Eric, money had been tight. Their lives had taken a stark turn from a lovely suburban house to a cramped apartment plagued by roaches and mice.
Lately, Laura had been grappling with the challenge of providing enough food for her family. Despite her efforts to secure a better job and improve their living conditions, she faced a hurdle—she lacked the formal qualifications.
A thunderous knock on the door startled them mid-dinner. Laura rose from her seat, maneuvering between the worn-out couch and the table to reach the front door. As she opened it, the hallway stretched out empty before her, but a sealed envelope lay on the floor.
Her jaw dropped as she read the letter enclosed within. The landlord was raising the rent! Their current financial strain made it difficult enough to stay there, and this increase would push them into an even more precarious situation.
“Mom, are you okay?” Adam’s concerned voice broke through her thoughts from his spot at the table.
“I’m fine,” she replied, concealing her distress.
“Why don’t you finish up your homework, sweetie?”
Adam frowned, his dark hair falling into his eyes. A haircut was long overdue, but Laura couldn’t afford it, especially not now.
“Okay, Mom.” Adam stood and made his way to his bedroom.
As Adam closed the door to his bedroom, Laura slumped onto the couch, overwhelmed. Retrieving her phone, she began scouring the internet for rental apartments, but their prices proved far beyond her reach.
An hour passed, and with tears streaming down her cheeks, Laura reluctantly set her phone aside. The reality sank in—she couldn’t find any affordable and suitable place for her and Adam to live.
Her gaze lifted as a cockroach scurried across the table. The sight only emphasized her helplessness. In just a few weeks, they would be left without a home.
Days went by, with Laura devoting every spare moment to the search for a solution. She even pleaded with her landlord, hoping to dissuade him from raising the rent, but her efforts were in vain.
Desperation reached its peak, and Laura could no longer shield her son from the dire circumstances. On that Friday, after Adam returned from school, she mustered the courage to have a heartfelt conversation with him.
“Adam, you might have to stay with your dad for a while,” she began.
“Why?” Adam questioned, confusion etched on his face.
Laura sighed, her voice trembling. “Because we can’t afford to stay here anymore, sweetie. I’ve been searching everywhere, but we don’t have a place to go. It might be best if you stay with your dad until I can figure things out.”
“No!” Adam exclaimed, launching himself at Laura, wrapping his arms tightly around her. “I want to stay with you, Mom.”
Laura embraced Adam, holding him close and fighting back her own tears.
“I’ve been trying my best to find a new home for us, but the apartments I find are too expensive,” she explained.
“There has to be a way for us to stay together,” Adam pleaded.
“Please, Mom, don’t give up.”
Laura gently tousled Adam’s soft hair, her voice filled with determination. “Okay, sweetie. I won’t give up. I’ll keep searching, I promise.”
After an extensive search, Laura finally found a homeless shelter where she and Adam could find temporary accommodation. The day before their scheduled move, an unexpected call came in from the landlord.
“Hi, Nick,” she greeted, a touch of weariness in her voice. “We’ll be out in the morning, just as I promised.”
“You won’t,” Nick responded gruffly. “Your rent and utilities have been paid for the next year.”
Laura couldn’t believe her ears. “What did you say?”
“Your bills have been paid in advance for the next year. Are you deaf or something?”
“But who paid them for me?” Laura questioned, her mind reeling.
“Someone named Eric Herne. Is he a friend or a boyfriend of yours?”
Laura found herself staring at the wall, stunned by the revelation that her cheating ex-husband, Eric, had taken care of her rent for an entire year.
After bidding farewell to Nick, Laura immediately dialed Eric’s number.
“Laura, hi,” he answered.
“Don’t ‘Laura, hi’ me,” she retorted.
“Why did you pay my rent?” she demanded.
“Because I want to help. Can I come over? I’d rather discuss this face to face,” Eric suggested.
Laura clenched her teeth, still hurt by Eric’s betrayal. She didn’t want to see him, but she reluctantly agreed to let him visit.
Half an hour later, Eric stood sheepishly on her doorstep. Laura invited him inside.
“Adam told me about your situation when he came to visit for the weekend earlier this month,” Eric began, sounding earnest. “He… he wanted me to help him find a job so he could contribute to paying the rent.”
Laura covered her mouth in astonishment. Beside her on the couch, Eric appeared sincere and remorseful as he continued.
“I know it’s my fault that you’re in this situation,” he acknowledged. “We were once happily married until I betrayed your trust. I don’t blame you for divorcing me, but you and Adam are still my family.”
Laura fixed him with a stern gaze. “Adam is your son, but I’m no longer your family, Eric.”
Eric raised his hands in a conciliatory gesture. “I understand that, Laura, but you’re Adam’s mother, and you’ve supported him through our divorce in ways I never could have.”
A deep sigh escaped Eric’s lips as he continued.
“I’m trying to be a better father to him. I’m attempting to make amends for what I did to our family. I paid your bills for the year as a token of gratitude for being such a wonderful mother to Adam.”
Laura nodded, processing his words. “In that case, I’ll accept this gesture.”
In the ensuing months, Laura reduced her working hours and enrolled in an accounting diploma course. She devoted herself to studying diligently, and at the end of the year, she secured a new job with a better salary.
