An orphan, now successful, decided to visit his foster family a decade after leaving to express his gratitude for everything they had done. But when he arrived at their crumbling house, he couldn’t help but ask how things had fallen apart.
Chuck scanned the room with a nostalgic smile, cherishing the memories he had with his foster family. He had just turned 18 and was about to head off to college. He recalled the warmth of his foster mom singing him happy birthday, clapping her hands with joy, while his dad placed a hand on her shoulder, joining in the song.
But then his gaze fell on his foster brother, Ivan, who sat slumped at the table, clearly uninterested, his head resting on his arms as he refused to join in the celebration. Chuck loved his family dearly because they never treated him as an outcast. Although he and Ivan did not get along, he knew that his parents loved him because they spent their own money raising him.
“I will miss you guys so much. Thank you for this birthday celebration,” he told them before blowing out the candles on his cake. “We will miss you too, son.
I hope you come back and visit us once you’re done with university,” his foster dad Chase told him. Chuck blew out his candles and made a wish. They enjoyed one last meal together before he was off to college.
“Oh, sweetheart,” his mom sighed. “I can still remember the day we got you and took you home. I can’t believe you’re all grown up and going to college,” she said, tears forming in her eyes.
“I know, mom. I am the luckiest boy. I am so thankful that you took me in.
Without you, I am nothing,” Chuck said, holding his mom’s hand. “Thank you for all the love and care you gave me.”
At this point, Ivan had enough. “Oh, please,” he rolled his eyes.
“Can we just eat in silence? Your sentimentality is making me sick!”
Instead of fighting back, Chuck smiled. “I know you’ll enjoy not having me around anymore, Ivan, but I’ll miss you too.”
That night, Chuck couldn’t sleep in excitement.
His bags were all packed and he was ready to take the bus to the university the following day. “It’s time to go, honey,” his mom called out to him the next morning. Chuck looked around his room one last time, knowing it was the last time he would be seeing it in a long time.
The story doesn’t end here –
it continues on the next page.
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