
It’s always been just Malik and me — no partner, no family to lean on, just the two of us scraping by.
I had Malik when I was 22. His dad vanished before I even processed the pregnancy. Thirteen years later, I’m still juggling two jobs, exhausted but trying.
Malik’s been struggling — skipping school, getting into fights, even shoving another kid down the stairs. The police warned me: “You’ve got to get your son on track.”
I broke down, but Malik sat beside me, whispering, “I want to do better. I want you to be proud.”
Slowly, he started changing — doing chores, helping neighbors, saving money to surprise me on my birthday.
Then one morning, three men in suits knocked, led by a blind elderly man who told me Malik had quietly paid for his groceries, saying, “We don’t walk past people who need help.”
He handed me a card, offering to support Malik’s education.
Malik asked, “Did I mess up?” I hugged him tight. “No, baby. You did everything right.”
Weeks later, Malik’s art was in an exhibit — a fractured portrait with golden veins, capturing beauty in brokenness.
On my birthday, he gave me handmade earrings, and I told him, “I love them. But not as much as I love you.”
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