After divorcing her son’s father, Laura finds it difficult to provide for herself and her child. Her landlord’s increase in rent has her on the verge of giving up, but a mysterious benefactor is willing to assist.
“Dinner is here.” As she handed her son Adam, 10, a cheese sandwich, Laura had to fight back a smile.
The top slice of bread was raised by Adam. “No mayo? “
Sweetie, we’re out of mayonnaise. Laura joined him at the table and sat carefully on the shaky chair. It was broken and at risk of collapse, like all the furniture in their small flat.
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“Can you get more for us soon?” Adam turned to face her, his piercing blue eyes full of hope.
Laura shook her head and dug into her sandwich.
I’ll make an effort.
Ever since she split from Adam’s father, Eric, money had been a concern. She and Adam had relocated from a gorgeous suburban home to a tiny apartment that was full of mice and bugs.
She had been struggling recently to put food on the table. Laura had made a lot of effort to land a better position so she could pay for a better place to reside, but she lacked any official qualifications.
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Their dinner was cut short by a loud knock at the door. To get to the front door, Laura stood and wriggled between the worn couch and the table. Although there was no one in the hallway, a sealed package was on the floor.
Laura read the note in the envelope, and her mouth dropped open. Rent was going up thanks to the landlord! Even now, they were struggling to make ends meet. She and Adam would perish because of this rise.
Are you okay, Mom?
Adam, who was seated at the table, was eyeing Laura with anxiety as she turned to face him.
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“I’m fine,” she lied.
“Why don’t you finish up your homework, sweetie?”
With his dark hair dangling in his eyes, Adam scowled and hung his head. She couldn’t afford it, especially now, and he needed a haircut.
“Okay, Mom.” Adam got up and headed for his bedroom.
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Laura fell on the sofa after Adam closed the door to his room. She started looking for rental apartments on her phone, but all were too pricey.
Laura put her phone aside after an hour of looking. Her cheeks began to tear up. She was unable to locate an affordable place for her and Adam to live that met their needs.
A bug crawled across the table as she turned to face it. She was unable to change anything. She and Adam would be homeless at the end of that month.
“But who paid the bill for me?”
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Laura devoted all of her free time to finding a location to stay for days. She even begged her landlord to hold off on raising the cost, but he refused.
Due to her desperation, Laura was unable to continue to keep her son from knowing the truth. That Friday, she sat down with Adam after he got home from school.
“Adam, you might need to stay with your dad for a while,” she said.
“Why?”
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Laura sighed. “Because we can’t afford to stay here anymore, sweetie. There’s nowhere for us to go and I think it will be best if you stay with your dad until I figure things out.”
“No.” Adam lunged at Laura and hugged her fiercely. “I want to stay with you, Mom.”
Laura attempted to control her tears as she gave Adam a second hug and kissed the top of his head.
“I’ve been trying to find a new place for us to stay, but every apartment I see is too expensive.”
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“There must be a way we can stay together,” Adam whined.
“Please, don’t give up, Mom.”
Laura ruffled his soft hair. “Okay, sweetie. I’ll carry on looking.”
Laura eventually located a homeless shelter where she and Adam could reside temporarily. Laura received a call from the landlord the day before she and Adam were supposed to leave.
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“Hi, Nick,” she said. “We’ll be out in the morning, just as I promised.”
“You won’t,” he replied in his gruff voice. “Your rent and utilities have been paid for the next year.”
Laura couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. “What did you say?”
“Your bills have been paid in advance for the next year. Are you hard of hearing or something?”
“But who paid the bill for me?”
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“Someone called Eric Herne. Is he a friend of yours, or a boyfriend?”’
Laura froze in disbelief and looked at the wall. Her unfaithful ex-husband Eric had supported her financially for a full year!
Following her landlord’s departure, Laura made a quick call to Eric.
“Laura, hi,” he answered.
“Don’t you ‘Laura, hi’ me,” she replied.
“Why did you pay my rent?”
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“Because I want to help. Can I come over? I’d rather discuss this face to face.”
Lauren clenched her teeth. She had been devastated by Eric’s infidelity. Even though she didn’t want to see him, she eventually consented to his visit.
Eric arrived on her doorstep a half-hour later, looking embarrassed. He entered thanks to Laura.
“Adam told me about your situation when he came to visit for the weekend earlier this month,” Eric told her. “He… he wanted me to help him find a job so he could help you pay the rent.”
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Laura covered her mouth with a palm. Eric continued as he sat next to her on the couch, wearing an earnest and depressed expression.
“I know it’s my fault you’re in this situation,” he said. “We were happily married until I cheated on you. I don’t blame you for divorcing me, but you and Adam are still my family.”
Laura gave him a stern look. “Adam is your son, but I’m not your family anymore, Eric.”
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Eric raised his hands in a placating gesture. “I know we’re over, Laura, but you’re Adam’s mother, and you’ve supported him through our divorce in ways I never could have.”
Eric sighed deeply.
“I’m trying to be a better father to him. I’m trying to make up for what I did to our family. I paid your bills for the year to thank you for being such a wonderful mother to Adam.”
Laura nodded. “In that case, I’ll accept this gift.”
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Laura reduced her hours in the months that followed and enrolled in an accounting diploma program. She put a lot of effort into her studies, and at the end of the year, she was employed in a new position with a higher income.
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