Chapter 1
916 Words
Bridget's POV
The email arrived at the worst possible moment; I had just dropped a tray of coffee cups. Hot coffee spread across the café counter, dripping onto the floor while three customers stared at me as though I had personally ruined their morning.
“Bridget!” my manager snapped from the register. “Careful!”
“I’m sorry,” I muttered quickly, grabbing a cloth and wiping the mess before it could drip onto the pastries.
My hands were shaking because my phone had just buzzed in my apron pocket, and I already knew who it was. I dried my hands and pulled it out.
Bryan’s School
My heart skipped. They never called during work unless something was wrong.
I answered immediately.
“Hello?”
“Mrs. Wins?” a polite female voice said. “This is Mrs. Carter from Bryan’s school.”
“Yes… is Bryan okay?”
“Oh, he’s fine,” she reassured me quickly. “Nothing like that.”
I exhaled slowly, but the relief didn’t last.
“We just wanted to remind you about today’s charity event,” she continued.
The words made my chest sink.
Of course.
The charity event Bryan had mentioned all week.
Parents were supposed to attend while the students presented their projects and participated in competitions. It was a big event for the school.
I glanced toward my manager, who was already watching me with a warning look.
“I’m actually at work,” I said carefully.
“Yes, I understand,” Mrs. Carter replied. “But Bryan specifically asked if you would come.”
My throat tightened.
Of course he did.
Bryan had always tried to pretend he didn’t mind that it was just the two of us, but sometimes the truth slipped out in small moments like this.
“Mom,” he had said last night while finishing his homework. “Most parents are coming tomorrow.”
Not all, just most. Because he never wanted to make me feel guilty.
Mrs. Carter continued gently, “The event starts in an hour. If you could come even briefly, it would mean a lot to him.”
I closed my eyes for a second.
An hour.
If I left now, my manager would absolutely lose his mind. As if sensing my hesitation, he called from across the café.
“Bridget! Phones are not part of the job description!”
“I have to go,” I whispered into the phone. “I’ll try.”
I hung up and slid the phone back into my pocket.
My manager crossed his arms.
“Are you planning on working today or not?”
“I just got a call from my son’s school,” I said carefully.
His expression didn’t soften.
“And?”
“There’s an event. Parents are supposed to attend.”
“And you’re telling me this now?”
Guilt twisted in my stomach.
“I forgot the exact time.”
He sighed heavily, as if my life choices were a personal inconvenience.
“Bridget, you’ve already left early twice this week.”
“I know.”
“And last month.”
“I know.”
“And every time it’s because of your kid.”
The words stung more than they should have, but I kept my voice calm.
“He’s seven.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that I run a business.”
My fingers tightened around the cloth in my hand for a moment. Neither of us spoke, then he said the words I had been quietly dreading for months.
“If you walk out right now, don’t bother coming back tomorrow.”
The café suddenly felt too small, too loud, too heavy. I needed this job, rent was due next week, Bryan needed new school shoes, and the electricity bill was already late.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“Understood.”
I turned back to the counter and continued wiping the spilled coffee. Behind my calm movements, my chest felt like it was slowly collapsing because I already knew what decision I had made. Bryan’s face flashed in my mind, his hopeful smile, the way he tried not to ask for too much. I pulled off my apron.
My manager stared at me.
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You’re serious?”
I nodded.
“I’ll send my final paycheck by email,” he said flatly.
“That’s fine.”
It wasn’t fine,not even close, but Bryan mattered more.
I grabbed my bag and walked out of the café before I could lose my courage. The cold air outside hit my face as I stepped onto the street. My heart was racing.
Unemployed, behind on bills, and still running toward a school event like it might fix everything. I reached Bryan’s school just as parents were gathering in the courtyard.
Bright banners hung across the entrance, and children laughed and ran between tables covered in puzzles, science projects, and games.
Bryan spotted me immediately.
“Mom!”
He ran toward me with a grin so wide it erased half my worries instantly.
“You came!”
I hugged him tightly.
“Of course I came.”
His small arms wrapped around my waist.
“I knew you would.”
The simple trust in his voice nearly broke my heart, then Bryan grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the courtyard.
“Come see the puzzle competition!”
I laughed softly and followed him.
- Writer
