The Gift of Hope

Mary buried her head in her hands, fighting to push back the despair clawing at her chest and sinking into her stomach.

How could everything have changed so rapidly?

She ran her fingers through her hair, turning to look out the window. The neighbor’s children were laughing as they rode their bikes along the pavement as the last touches of light were still on the horizon. Anne, their mom, was sitting on the front porch watching them, her face serene.

Had that really been her only a few months ago?

Once more, she forced herself to stare at the papers piled on the table before her. The numbers were screaming from the pages. ‘How am I going to pay the bills… let alone put food on the table?’

Yes, it was up to her now.

She left the table and moved across the kitchen in a daze, going through the motions to make herself a cup of coffee.

Only one room over, her own babies, Joe and Chloe, were sleeping soundly. How nice to have not a care in the world… trusting that everything would be okay because mommy is there.

The accident had been so sudden. She quivered as she mentally replayed receiving the call.

“Mrs. Sanders. I’m so sorry… your husband, he didn’t make it.”

She closed her eyes. ‘How do I get by without you, Andy?’

The first few months, the savings had been enough for her to devote every bit of her time and attention to Joe and Chloe. They still didn’t quite understand that daddy wasn’t coming home.

She had managed to get a job doing data entry, but it wasn’t going to be enough.

The coffee’s aroma brought her back to the kitchen and she reached into the cabinet for one of her mugs. She had no choice. Tomorrow, she’d have to try to find a second job.

Mary poured the coffee into her mug with the last of the cream and returned to the table. Instead of looking at the pile of bills, she reached for her pen and journal. Writing was something she hadn’t done in a long time.

She looked up with a start, looking around to get her bearings. A zig-zagging line scrawled across her paper from where her hand had drooped along with her head. The house was too quiet.

She put down her pen and stood, moving toward the children’s room.

The light flipped on revealing their peaceful forms in their beds, their chests gently rising and falling. She breathed a soft sigh and turned the light off once more.

Despite the reassurance, she moved about the house both to tidy and check there weren’t any unwelcome guests in the shadows. Perhaps she was just feeling off having dozed off at the table and woken to the stark reminder that she was truly alone.

Finally, she closed the last curtains and sat on her bed. She couldn’t shake feeling the need to stay awake, but for all her best efforts, sleep overcame her once more.

-*-

“Momma, Joe had an accident.”

The little voice had a strange, warbled sound as Mary stirred, recognizing the first rays of light filtering in through the window. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and smiled at Chloe who was standing by the bed, staring up into her eyes. “Good morning, sweetie,” she murmured. “Let’s get Joe cleaned up, okay?”

Mary picked up her daughter, gently stroking back the golden curls from her small, round face. “Are you ready to meet some new friends today, Chloe?” she asked.

Despite her concerns, Mary was grateful to the kind older woman, Mrs. Adamson, who lived a few blocks away and had offered to help watch after Joe and Chloe until she could get back on her feet. Apparently, she had a small, in-home daycare and took care of three other children as well.

“Sure, Momma,” Chloe said with a full smile, showing off her dimples.

Mary set Chloe down and picked up Joe from his bed. She barely paid attention to the soiled blankets and clothes as she went about cleaning up and preparing the little ones for the day ahead.

It was time for her to move forward, focus on the future, and do what she had to do.

After breakfast and getting ready herself, Mary, at last, was walking out the door.

She stopped, blinking slowly.

“Er, hello, madam.” The older gentleman looked like he had been about to knock, and his face was like the peace you find when staying in a cabin in the woods. Such a warm smile. There was even a twinkle in his brown eyes.

“Hi,” she said, trying not to seem so startled. “Can I help you, sir?” she asked.

He chuckled. “Pardon me,” he said, chuckling. “Are you Mary Sanders?”

“Yes,” she said slowly, enunciating each letter.

“Good,” he said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a small black notebook. “Do you recognize this?” he asked.

She pursed her lips, shaking her head slowly. “Not at all,” she said, brows furrowing as she studied it.

“Well, I have a note here for you that might clear it up.” He opened the cover of the notebook and pulled out a folded white paper, handing it to her.

Mary glanced at her watch, then sighed and took the paper. She opened it, the paper rustling like the whisper of a loving friend.

Dearest Mary,

I can only imagine the last months have been more than anything you could bear. Andy was a good man.

I suppose things between us could’ve been much better over the years, but I’ll always remember Andy for who he really was. He was my best mate.

Mary stopped, placing a hand over her mouth to cover the soft gasp. This whole time, she felt as though not one person had understood or tried to help. Her family was halfway across the country, and so was Andy’s. They had been somewhat isolated. At first, some local friends had tried to stop by, offer kind words. But after a few weeks that had faded away.

What had changed?

She kept reading.

As you know, the last time we saw each other was the wedding. I could’ve been a better friend. He always told me I was the brother he never had.

You may not know, but I promised him should anything ever happen to him, I’d do something to help. Maybe you’re wondering why I’ve waited, why it took me so long. To be honest, I felt guilty for not being there more before it was too late.

Anyway, I want to change that. I hope you’ll accept this gift. Andy always believed you had the whole world before you, but that you just needed the opportunity to get your work out there. Consider it an investment in you. One that will give back to you and your babies your whole lives.

And maybe, you’ll let me be there for them where I wasn’t before.

Humbly,

Dan

Mary’s hands were shaking as she folded the paper. ‘What gift? What does he mean?’ The letter was right. Andy and Dan had drifted apart after the wedding. They’d moved pretty far for Andy’s job, and she knew Andy hadn’t kept up much with his friends.

She blinked, trying to prevent tears from falling.

The older gentleman had stood, kindly waiting with that same warm smile on his face. She hadn’t noticed him present the white envelope while she had been absorbed in the letter.

She gulped, taking the envelope and opening it. She staggered, trying to gain her breath as her back hit the door to her home. It was a check. A check for $20,000. Was this even real?

Mary just stared at it. She had no idea how much time passed. The world seemed to slowly come back into focus as she became aware of a tiny hand tapping on her leg. “Momma. Momma. Momma, what is it?”

“Um,” she said finally, meeting the older man’s face. “Did you know this?”

The older gentleman just chuckled. “I was specially entrusted for this delivery,” he said. He then handed her the black notebook.

As she took it in her hands, perhaps she imagined it, but a surge of energy seemed to pass through her fingertips. She took in the soft cover, and her eyes traced over the beautiful interior pages.

Yes. She understood.

“But, how can I repay him?” she asked softly.

The older gentleman shook his head. “Accept the gift, Mrs. Sanders.”

She nodded, watching as he then turned and began to walk away. Words caught in her throat. “I’ll call him,” she said.

The older man turned and nodded at her in response with a smile, then continued on his way.

She didn’t wait. “Come on, children,” she said, grasping their small hands after tucking the envelope, letter, and notebook into her large purse.

She buckled them into their seats and drove the car first to Mrs. Adamson’s house down the street.

“Why, dear, you’re beaming. What is it?” the kind older woman kept asking.

“I simply can’t explain it,” she said, “but I will soon.” She thanked the old woman over and over before returning to her car. From there, she went to the bank, those turns in her stomach of disbelief reoccurring when the check cleared.

‘I’m really not dreaming?’ Today she was off work from the data entry job, but instead of searching for a second job, she went back home.

For the first time since she could remember, true hope was shining in her heart. She sat down in the kitchen, opened the black notebook she’d been given, and she wrote.

All her life, Mary had known there was potential for her to become a writer. Now, she had the means to make it her reality.

For the next few weeks, Mary fell into a routine. The time seemed to fly by. On her working days, she drudged through the data entry. The other days, Mrs. Adamson looked after her babies while she wrote. At last, the book was complete.

She had called Dan and poured out her gratitude, but he had insisted she not say another word about it and make sure it gave her infinite return. She had promised.

Dan’s first visit came shortly after she finished the book.

Apparently, he had made himself a fortune as an entrepreneur, and now he wanted to help her succeed. For Andy. For her babies. For herself.

She invested in her book, and following Dan’s advice, began to grow her very own business from home. She wept tears of joy and gratitude every moment it sank in that she was free.

Now, instead of staring out the window, wondering how she would pay the bills, she eagerly sought to help those around her. She could be the mother her babies needed, and most of all, she believed Andy was also at peace.