When I grew older, I got into the best high school in town with good grades.
I happily showed him the offer letter. He trembled and repeatedly wiped his hands on his shirt before taking the letter shakily.
“Aurora, you’re awesome! Look at your excellent grade!”
He looked around the house. He wanted to find something to celebrate the occasion. In the end, he went out with his money box. “Aurora, wait for me to return.”
I was stunned for a moment. My joy vanished within an instant.
The breeze moved the old wooden door, and it made a rattling sound. The window was covered with old clothes. Harry slept on the floor. We did not have any extra beds. He always slept on the floor.
High school education required a huge sum of money. Harry was already working so hard, but we could barely make ends meet.
I was practically a grown-up. I could work and share his burden.
Harry pushed the door open and entered. He brought in a colorful box and said, “Aurora, I told the boss that you earned good grades, so he gave me a fifty percent discount for this!”
He put the cake on the table. Then, he happily took out a candle and put it on top of the cake. “Aurora, quick! Blow the candle!”
My nose stung. “Harry, I want to quit school.”
His hands froze mid-air. “Aurora, what are you talking about?”
The table became shaky because of the weight of the cake on it.
“I’m serious.”
“Aurora, did someone mistreat you in school? If something happened, I can help you—”
I interrupted him. “No! I want to give up on school. I want to make money with you.”
His lips curved into a smile. “You’re still underage. How are you going to make money?”
“You were underage, too. If you can do it, why can’t I?”
“My case and yours are different!” he said. “Aurora Twilight, all you need to do is study hard!”
I felt as if something was stuck inside my throat. I held back my tears, but they streamed down anyway. “We can’t afford it. High school education requires a lot of money. I don’t want to burden you.”
Harry fell silent for a moment. Then, he clumsily wiped away my tears. “You don’t need to worry about all that. I’ll find a way. As long as I’m around, nothing is a big deal.”
My face stung when his rough hand rubbed against my skin.
The next afternoon, he took out a stack of hundred-dollar bills. “Use this for your school fees. I’ll give you extra money for your living expenses monthly.”
The white light inside the shabby house was blinding. Harry looked pale, but his eyes shone bright.
I gritted my teeth. I swore to excel in my life to provide him with a comfortable life in the future.
Later, I got into one of the world’s top ten universities. But that became a nightmare, and it haunted my days and nights.
I heard Harry breathing lightly.
I carefully moved out of his arms. He was a light sleeper. There was a crease between his eyebrows.
I touched his eyebrows. We had been through hardships. We should not end up like this.
Maybe we needed to talk.
