Rebecca loved her son Matthew more than anything in her life and worked day and night to make him happy. But she couldn’t buy the one toy he asked for in time. However, a sudden encounter with a woman she barely remembered helped her understand what really matters.
Paperwork surrounded me, piled like tiny mountains on my desk. I was completely absorbed, filling out one form after another.
My eyes moved between the documents and my computer screen, checking every detail. I was so focused that I barely noticed the time passing.
Suddenly, my colleague Kate’s voice interrupted my concentration. “Hey, Rebecca, we’re all leaving now. Are you coming soon?”
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Without even looking up, I replied,
“Yes, I still have a few things to finish.”
“We’re thinking of stopping at the cafe after work. Do you want us to wait for you?”
I shook my head, finally glancing up.
“I can’t today. I promised Matthew I’d go get his favorite toy…”
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“Oh, but it’s Black Friday,” Kate reminded me, raising her eyebrows.
“There’s probably nothing left by now…”
“What?!” My heart dropped as I glanced at the clock, realizing how late it was. Time had flown by without me noticing.
“Oh no! I’ve completely lost track of time! I have to go!” I rushed over, gathered my things as quickly as possible, and turned off my computer with one hand while stuffing files into my bag with the other.
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Kate giggled as she watched my haphazard attempt to get out the door.
“Good luck shopping, you’re going to need it!” she called, her amused voice echoing behind me as I darted out of the office.
I knew she was right. The Black Friday sales had lasted all day, and by now, the stores would be packed, with shelves probably half empty.
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But I promised Matthew I would find that toy, and no matter what, I had to try.
As I rushed through the mall, my heart was pounding. I headed straight for the toy store Matthew loved, my mind racing with both excitement and worry.
Images of her hopeful little face filled my thoughts, and I couldn’t help but remember the last time we went there together, about a month ago.
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Matthew had asked me, “Mom, let’s walk a little longer. I want to spend more time with you…”
It was a simple request, but it hit me hard. At that moment, I realized that time spent with me had become a precious rarity for him.
Work had been taking up a lot of my attention lately. I told myself it was for Matthew’s future, for the security I wanted to give him.
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But by focusing on tomorrow, I had too often let today pass me by, forgetting the joy a little time and attention could bring it. This realization weighed on me, making this shopping trip even more urgent.
I had promised him, “I’ll buy you all the toys you want, and we’ll play with them together.” I couldn’t let him down. I had to keep my promise.
But as I sprinted into the store, my hope began to fade. The shelves were nearly empty, and customers were rushing past me in all directions.
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But when I finally found the shelf, my stomach dropped—it was almost completely empty. The robot wasn’t there.
Panicked, I scanned the aisles, hoping to spot another version or something similar. But nothing fit; it wouldn’t be the same. I knew that choosing anything else would mean breaking my promise.
I was about to give up when I noticed a young boy not far away holding his mother’s hand. And in his arm, I saw him—the robot. The one I’d promised Matthew.
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Without thinking, I rushed towards them, my desperation taking over. “Excuse me, please, can you listen to me?” I asked, my voice more urgent than I intended.
The woman looked at me, surprised.
“What’s going on? What do you need?”
I took a deep breath, trying to explain as quickly as possible.
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“This robot… I really need it. I promised my son I’d buy him this exact one, and it’s the last one left.”
She held the robot protectively, giving me a sympathetic but firm look.
“I’m sorry, but my son wants it too. You should have come sooner if it was so important,” she said, then turned back to her son.
“Let’s go, Robbie.”
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As I watched them prepare to leave, my despair only grew. I felt a surge of helplessness, and before I knew it, I reached out and grabbed the box.
“What are you doing? Drop the box! I’m going to call security!” she shouted, raising her voice.
I knew what it looked like, but I couldn’t help myself.
“You don’t understand,” I pleaded. “I really need that robot. I’ll pay you for it—please just choose something else!” My voice was shaking, and I could feel my heart racing.
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“Security! Help!” she shouted, her face a mixture of shock and anger.
At that moment, something caught my attention.
A familiar birthmark on her neck—it was the shape of Texas—and suddenly, a memory came flooding back to me. I froze, my hand dropping from the box as I realized.
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In the chaos, the robot slipped out of my grasp and hit the ground with a thud. I jumped in horror, kneeling down and surveying the damage.
Pieces of the robot were scattered, and the reality of what I had done dawned on me.
“Oh no! What have I done?” I whispered, my hands hovering over the broken pieces, feeling completely defeated.
The woman looked at me, shaking her head in disappointment, then turned and walked away with her son without another word.
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“Wait!” I called, my voice thick with regret. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
But she ignored me, and I couldn’t blame her. I’d lost control, and now the only toy I’d come looking for was broken.
A security guard approached, his face stern.
“Madam, you will have to pay for this toy,” he said.
I nodded, barely able to meet his gaze.
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“Yeah, sure… I’ll pay…” I mumble and grab my wallet, feeling completely defeated and more embarrassed than I’ve ever been.
After paying, I rushed outside and scanned the crowd until I spotted the woman and her son heading toward the parking lot. I waved, calling out as I trotted toward them.
“Wait! Please wait!” I shouted, hoping she would hear me over the sounds of the commotion around us.
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She glanced back, her expression a mixture of annoyance and curiosity, then quickened her pace. But I didn’t give up and kept running.
“Martha! It’s you, isn’t it?” I called again, breathless.
At that moment, she stopped and turned completely around to face me. I slowed down as I approached her, caught my breath, and gave her a nervous smile.
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“It’s me, Rebecca. Remember? We were in elementary school together!”
She blinked, then a look of recognition spread across her face. “Rebecca? The same Rebecca? Oh my God, it’s been years!”
I laughed, a little relieved. “I recognized you by your birthmark. Remember we used to joke that it looked like Texas?”
Martha lets out a small laugh.
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“Yes! I can’t believe you remember.”
“It’s hard to forget,” I replied, feeling a strange warmth in my chest. “It’s kind of a shame we had to meet like this. I’m really sorry about that robot.”
Martha gave me a sympathetic smile. “Yes, don’t worry. I understand. It seemed like you really needed it.”
I sighed, feeling some of the guilt I’d been holding back lift.
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“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I didn’t mean to ruin your day.” I looked down at her son, who was looking at us with wide, curious eyes. “What’s your son’s name?”
“This is Robbie,” Martha said, ruffling his hair.
I leaned down so I could look Robbie in the eyes.
“Robbie, I’m so sorry. I feel terrible that you missed the robot because of me.”
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Robbie just shrugged and smiled. “It’s okay! My mom and I have fun even without toys!”
Martha laughed. “That’s right! Last night, I used a mop as the villain in our game.”
“Master Mop!” Robbie shouted with a big smile, clearly proud of their creativity.
I giggled, touched by their playfulness.
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“I’ll have to try that someday,” I said, smiling warmly at Robbie. Then I turned back to Martha, feeling a surge of gratitude.
“I’m really sorry for my behavior earlier. Please let me make it up to you both. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? I’d love for you to meet my son, Matthew.”
Martha hesitated, then her face softened into a smile.
“Why not? We haven’t seen each other since school, and I think we have a lot of catching up to do.”
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At home, when I opened the door, Matthew rushed in with a huge smile on his face.
“Mom!” he cried, hugging me tightly.
“Hi, honey, I’ve missed you so much,” I said, hugging him back. I turned to our guests. “Matthew, this is my old friend, Martha, and her son, Robbie.”
Matthew gave them a shy but friendly smile. Then he turned to me, his excitement waning a little. “Did you get the robot?”
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I took a deep breath, feeling a pang of disappointment.
“No, darling. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t get it,” I said kindly.
Matthew’s shoulders slumped, and for a moment he looked down, visibly disappointed.
“But…” I added, hoping to brighten his mood. “I prepared something else for us to play with.”
His eyes lit up a little, curiosity crossing his face. “Really?”
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The evening turned out to be more fun than I expected. The boys played happily together, and after a while, Martha and I decided to join them.
I found an old vacuum cleaner in the closet, draped it in some old clothes, and gave it a silly makeover.
“And this is Professor Roboton!” I announced in my meanest voice, moving the “robot” dramatically and slowly.
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The boys burst out laughing and immersed themselves in the game, their excitement filling the room.
Martha and I couldn’t help but smile at their joy. Their laughter was contagious and reminded me that these weren’t toys or fancy things.
That night, I realized Matthew didn’t need an expensive robot to be happy. All he really needed was me, with him, sharing these moments together.
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