After Jess forgets to leave lunch money for her son, Caleb, he reveals that there’s a secret stash of money in a cereal box. How? Why? The family has been struggling with their finances, so why would her husband hide this from her? Jess tries to uncover the truth…
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The morning had already gone sideways before I set foot outside the house.
I mean, I’d been up before the sun, my head still heavy from lack of sleep. Running the morning shift as head baker was exhausting enough, but with my second job later that day, I was barely holding it together.
A woman in a bakery | Source: Midjourney
All I could think about was the massive checklist ahead of the day: bills, groceries, laundry, breakfast, and more. But it wasn’t until I was halfway through shaping dough that it hit me.
I’d forgotten to leave lunch money for my son, Caleb.
I swore under my breath and wiped the flour off my hands, fumbling for my phone. Of course, just as I grabbed it, the screen lit up with a text from Caleb.
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A woman baking | Source: Midjourney
Mom, no lunch money?
My stomach sank immediately. Instead of replying to his text, I called him. I needed to hear his voice and know that I had made a mistake.
“Hey, Mom,” Caleb’s voice was soft, too soft for a twelve-year-old who should be worrying about his favorite video game, not lunch money. “I did text you. There’s no money for lunch today.”
I leaned against the counter, guilt hitting me. I already felt so bad that I didn’t get a chance to make Caleb homemade meals for lunch, making him get cafeteria food instead. I’d been forgetting things more and more lately, barely keeping up with everything.
