\nTeenage boy Charlie struggles to understand why his peers receive expensive presents while he is left listening to his mother’s excuses. He discovers that his mother has prepared 15 gifts for his future birthdays. But after learning the reason behind it, he finally realizes what he truly wants.\n
Charlie, a 15-year-old with a backpack slung lazily over one shoulder, trudged out of school alongside his classmate Mark.\n
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the parking lot, where students chattered and cars honked in a chaotic symphony.\n
\u201cDid you hear? We\u2019ve got another test on Friday,\u201d Mark said, breaking the silence.\n
Charlie groaned, his shoulders slumping.\n
\n
\u201cOh no, not again! Is this the fourth test this week? School is exhausting\u2026\u201d\n
Mark smirked. \u201cDon\u2019t be so dramatic. It\u2019s just studying. You always stress out before tests, but in the end, it all works out fine.\u201d\n
\u201cYeah, yeah, whatever,\u201d Charlie muttered, his eyes scanning the parking lot. His expression darkened as he frowned.\n
\u201cMy mom\u2019s late again! How much longer do I have to wait?\u201d\n
\u201cMaybe something came up. Don\u2019t be mad at her\u2014she\u2019s picking you up. You should be grateful,\u201d Mark said with a shrug.\n
Charlie shot him a sideways glare.\n
\u201cYeah? I don\u2019t see your mom\u2019s car either. Are you super grateful that she\u2019s late too?\u201d\n
Mark chuckled softly and shook his head. \u201cShe won\u2019t be picking me up anymore. My parents bought me a car for my birthday.\u201d\n
Charlie stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping.\n
\u201cWhat!? A car!? I\u2019d be grateful too if someone got me a car!\u201d he snapped, his voice laced with jealousy.\n
Mark shrugged again, calm as ever. \u201cYou should be grateful no matter what. She\u2019s your mom. Anyway, see you tomorrow.\u201d\n
\u201cYeah… bye,\u201d Charlie mumbled, watching Mark stroll off toward the student lot.\n
As he stood there, stewing in frustration, a car horn blared from across the lot. Charlie spun around and saw his mom\u2019s familiar car pulling up.\n
With a sigh, he slung his backpack higher on his shoulder and jogged toward it, muttering under his breath. He opened the car door and slid into the passenger seat, his face already setting in a frown.\n
Alice, his mom, glanced over at him, her hands gripping the steering wheel.\n
\n
\u201cSorry, sweetheart, I\u2019m late again. I had to finish up a few things,\u201d she said apologetically.\n
\u201cYou\u2019re always late these days…\u201d Charlie muttered, avoiding her gaze as he slumped further into his seat.\n
Alice sighed, keeping her voice calm.\n
\u201cI said I\u2019m sorry. Now, tell me\u2014how was your day?\u201d\n
\u201cNot great,\u201d he replied shortly, his eyes fixed on the cars passing outside.\n
She glanced at him again, concern flickering across her face. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d\n
\u201cMark\u2019s parents bought him a car for his birthday,\u201d Charlie said flatly.\n
Alice smiled slightly, trying to lighten the mood.\n
\u201cThat\u2019s wonderful! Did he give you a ride?\u201d\n
Charlie turned to her, his expression incredulous.\n
\u201cNo. Mom, my birthday\u2019s coming up soon. Can you get me a car?\u201d\n
Alice\u2019s hands tightened briefly on the wheel before she answered. \u201cSweetheart, I already have your gift planned. Maybe I can get you a car in a few years…\u201d\n
\u201cA few years!?\u201d Charlie\u2019s voice rose with frustration.\n
\u201cSo I have to wait while all my classmates drive around, and I look like an idiot?\u201d\n
Alice exhaled and tried to keep her tone gentle as she said, \u201cI know it\u2019s hard, but I just can\u2019t afford a gift like that right now.\u201d\n
\n
Charlie crossed his arms, his voice sharp. \u201cThen return whatever gift you got and buy me a car!\u201d\n
\u201cI can\u2019t do that, Charlie. I\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said firmly, though her voice was tinged with sadness.\n
He turned away, pressing his forehead against the window.\n
The hum of the engine filled the silence as Alice drove, glancing occasionally at her son, his disappointment weighing heavily on them both.\n
As she pulled into the driveway, the car came to a slow stop. She turned to Charlie, her face softening.\n
\u201cDinner\u2019s in the fridge if you\u2019re hungry. I have a few errands to run, but I won\u2019t be long. Love you, sweetheart!\u201d\n
\u201cYeah…\u201d Charlie mumbled without meeting her eyes. He swung the car door open and headed into the house.\n
The door clicked shut behind him, and the silence of the empty house wrapped around him.\n
\n
He dropped his backpack by the couch but didn\u2019t bother to sit down. Something gnawed at the back of his mind\u2014an itch he couldn\u2019t ignore.\n
His mom had seemed calm, too calm, especially after their earlier argument. Why couldn\u2019t she just tell him what she was up to?\n
His curiosity got the better of him. Quietly, he tiptoed into her bedroom, the air feeling heavier as if he were crossing an invisible line.\n
Sitting at her desk, he opened her laptop.\n
The screen glowed to life, and he hesitated for a moment before clicking on her email.\n
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\nMost of it was unimportant\u2014work notices, receipts, newsletters.\n
Then he spotted something unusual: an email confirming a delivery scheduled for his upcoming birthday.\n
His brow furrowed as he clicked it open.\n
His eyes widened. The delivery wasn\u2019t a one-time thing. There were 14 more planned\u2014one every year for the next 15 years.\n
\u201cWhat the…?\u201d he muttered, his heart racing.\n
Confused and uneasy, he dug deeper, scrolling through her emails until he found an address for a storage unit.\n
Beneath a pile of papers in her drawer, he found a small key labeled with the same address.\n
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\nHis pulse quickened as he grabbed the key and headed out the door.\n
The storage unit loomed ahead, its metal door glinting faintly under the dull light of the parking lot.\n
Charlie unlocked it with trembling hands. As the door creaked open, he froze.\n
\n
Inside, more than a dozen neatly wrapped gifts were arranged in a row.\n
They were all different sizes, some small enough to fit in his palm, others big enough to hold a bike.\n
Each was topped with a handwritten note in his mom\u2019s familiar, looping script.\n
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\nHe stepped inside, the scent of cardboard and faint perfume hanging in the air. He picked up one note and read:\n
\u201cHappy 17th birthday, sweetheart. I love you more than anything in the world. I hope you like this computer. Study hard!\u201d\n
His throat tightened as he set the note back. Why had she done this?\n
He moved to the first gift, a small box with two notes attached. Pulling off the first, his breath caught as he began to read:\n
\u201cMy dear son, if you\u2019re reading this, I may no longer be with you. For years, I\u2019ve known I had cancer, and no treatment has worked. My time is limited, but I didn\u2019t want your birthdays to feel empty after I\u2019m gone.\u201d\n
The words blurred as tears filled his eyes. He wiped his face, but the tears kept coming, spilling onto the paper.\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I prepared these gifts ahead of time. They may not always be exactly what you want, but please open one each birthday and know I love you. Always.\u201d\n
Charlie let out a shaky breath as he clutched the note. His chest ached in a way he\u2019d never felt before.\n
He looked around the storage unit, the gifts that suddenly felt so much more than just objects.\n
They were pieces of her love, her effort to stay with him even when she couldn\u2019t.\n
\n
He gently placed the note back, closed the door, and leaned against it for a moment.\n
His heart was heavy, but it was full of something else too\u2014a deeper understanding of what his mom had done for him.\n
The drive home was quiet. The world outside blurred, but his mind raced with emotions. He didn\u2019t care about a car anymore.\n
What mattered now was something far greater.\n
Charlie stepped quietly into the living room, his shoes scuffing softly against the wooden floor.\n
His mom, Alice, was perched on the couch, a book resting in her lap.\n
She was smiling faintly, her eyes scanning the pages, completely unaware of the emotional storm that had just swept over her son.\n
Charlie hesitated in the doorway, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. His eyes were red, swollen from crying, and his face held a mix of fear and heartbreak.\n
Alice looked up, her smile fading as she took in his expression. Alarm spread across her face.\n
\u201cCharlie! What\u2019s wrong? Where were you?\u201d she asked, setting the book aside and leaning forward.\n
\u201cMom!\u201d he choked out, his voice breaking as he rushed across the room. He threw his arms around her, clinging to her tightly.\n
\u201cSweetheart, tell me what\u2019s going on,\u201d she said, her voice soft but urgent. She stroked his back gently, trying to calm him. \u201cHow can I help?\u201d\n
Charlie pulled back slightly, his hands trembling as he wiped at his face.\n
\u201cI know, Mom. I went to the storage unit,\u201d he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.\n
Alice stiffened, her eyes widening.\n
\u201cWhat? Why? What were you doing there?\u201d she asked, a hint of panic creeping into her tone.\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d Charlie cried, his voice breaking again.\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t there anything we can do?\u201d\n
Alice took a deep breath, her lips quivering.\n
\u201cThere\u2019s nothing, Charlie. I\u2019m so sorry,\u201d she said, tears brimming in her eyes.\n
\u201cNo, Mom, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said quickly, shaking his head.\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been such a terrible son. I don\u2019t need a car or any gifts. None of that matters. I just want you to be with me.\u201d\n
\u201cCharlie…\u201d she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.\n
\n
\u201cPlease, Mom,\u201d he begged, his voice desperate.\n
\u201cI want to spend as much time with you as I can. I love you!\u201d\n
Alice pulled him close again, her own tears spilling over now.\n
\u201cI love you too, sweetheart,\u201d she said, her voice breaking as she held him tightly.\n
The room was quiet except for their soft cries, their embrace a fragile but powerful moment of love and understanding.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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