We brought you some things!” my dad announced, already searching through the bags. “Look here, new shoes, some clothes, and this!” He pulled out a sleek tablet still in the box.
My eyes widened in surprise. “Wow… thank you so much,” I said, snatching it from him.
My mother smiled. “You’ve been working so hard at school. We thought you deserved something special.”
I bit my lip, guilt gradually building up in my chest. If only they knew how much I had been hiding and how far from “normal” my life had become.
We spent the afternoon together, laughing and chatting as they shared stories from their trip, and enjoying a home-cooked meal my mom insisted on making despite the long flight. For a little while, I let myself pretend like everything was fine and that I was just a regular teenager
