mediately enrolled Liam and Chloe in the local public school and took on two jobs-a day shift cleaning offices and a night shift at another diner

proper lighting, and all the books they needed. I spent my meager earnings not on m

way. Within months, they were at the top of their classes, their teachers sending home glowing re

asking questions, learning alongside them. They would explain complex math problems and historical events with a patience and clarity that amazed me. They weren' t just smart; the

my forties, trying to reteach myself the basics of algebra, biology, and literature. My mind was slow and unused to the strain. I' d read a single par

d a fire would ignite inside me. Their success was my motivation. I couldn't build a future fo

geometry proof. My head was heavy, my eyes gritty with lack of sleep. I must ha

, a look of soft understanding on her face. Her eyes went from my fac

re trying to solve for the hypotenuse.

with a mixture of

ne-me, flustered, and Chloe, gently correcting my work. He walked over, picke

e word so naturally that it made my he

oe, a natural wordsmith, would help me with my essays and reading comprehension. We would stay up late, the three of us huddled around the small table, our minds working together. The ro

as I opened the envelope. I had passed, with a score high e

all allowances and bought a small, lopsided cake from the corner

ng time, my tears were not of sorrow or regret, but of pure, unadulterated happiness. The