Chapter 94: The Gift

The elderly woman whom the sales attendant had addressed as Sharon extended a gentle hand toward Richard.

For a moment, he simply stared at it. No one had offered him a hand like that in a very long time.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, he reached out.

His small, calloused fingers slipped into her soft, wrinkled hand.

The instant their hands met, a comforting warmth spread through him. It was a simple touch, yet after years of hardship, it felt strangely unfamiliar—a kindness he had nearly forgotten.

The warmth seemed to travel from his hand to the rest of his body, easing the sting left by the sales attendant’s cruel words.

Richard couldn’t help but smile. It was a smile untouched by resentment or bitterness. Just gratitude.

Sharon smiled back before gently patting his head.

"You remind me of someone," she murmured.

Richard tilted his head.

"Who?"

The elderly woman’s gaze drifted into the distance, clouded by memories she had buried long ago.

"My younger self."

A bittersweet smile crossed her face before she quietly shook her head, as though trying to cast those painful memories away once more.

Richard blinked in surprise.

"Grandma... were you an orphan too?"

His curiosity escaped before he could stop himself.

Instead of taking offense, Sharon chuckled softly.

"Yes."

She nodded without hesitation.

"I was."

There was no shame in her voice. Only quiet acceptance.

Richard looked at her with newfound admiration.

He had never imagined someone who looked so elegant and respected could have once endured the same lonely childhood he did.

"Come."

Sharon gently guided him toward the display of plush toys.

"Let’s find something your little sister will treasure."

Richard’s eyes immediately found the pink bunny he had fallen in love with weeks ago.

Its long floppy ears, rosy cheeks, and embroidered smile were exactly as adorable as he remembered.

He carefully lifted it from the shelf as though afraid he might damage it.

His heart raced. Then his eyes drifted to the price tag.

His smile slowly disappeared.

Two thousand.

His fingers tightened around the toy.

He quietly counted the money in his pocket again, hoping he had somehow made a mistake.

One thousand. Exactly half.

His shoulders slumped.

For weeks he had collected discarded bottles, skipped buying snacks, and worked every spare moment he could just to save enough.

It still wasn’t enough.

A lump formed in his throat.

After a long silence, he gently hugged the bunny one last time before carefully placing it back on the shelf.

Instead, he reached for a much smaller version. It wasn’t the one he wanted to give Isobel... But at least she would still have a bunny.

Sharon had watched everything without interrupting. She saw the excitement in his eyes.

The disappointment when he read the price.

The quiet way he accepted reality without complaining.

Not once had he begged nor blamed anyone. He had simply chosen what he could afford.

A soft sigh escaped her lips.

"Don’t lose heart, young man."

Richard froze.

Young man...

No one had ever called him that before.

Most adults referred to him as "boy," "kid," or worse.

Although he was nearly eleven and had grown taller over the past year, he was still painfully thin from years of hardship.

Yet somehow...

The way Sharon addressed him made him feel respected.

Sharon’s eyes sparkled with quiet amusement.

"I’ll make you a deal."

She reached into a nearby drawer and produced a well-worn Rubik’s Cube.

"My husband has been trying to solve this for weeks."

She placed it in Richard’s hands.

"If you can solve it, I’ll give you a fifty-percent discount on that bunny."

Richard stared at the colorful puzzle. He slowly rotated it in his hands, studying every face with intense concentration.

The shop grew unusually quiet. Even the customers who had witnessed the earlier commotion found themselves watching.

Several seconds passed.

Then Richard began turning the cube. His fingers moved with surprising speed.

Twist.

Turn.

Rotate.

The colors shifted in a blur. Less than a minute later, he made one final turn.

Click.

Every side displayed a single, perfect color.

The cube was solved.

Sharon’s eyes widened. For a heartbeat, she simply stared.

Then she burst into delighted laughter.

"Wonderful!"

She clapped her hands together, genuinely impressed.

"My husband is going to lose his mind when he finds out you solved the puzzle that has been driving him crazy."

She turned toward one of the sales attendants.

"You there."

Her gentle expression vanished, replaced by the quiet authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed.

"Bring this young man the large pink bunny."

Her voice left no room for argument.

"You there."

Her calm voice carried across the shop with unquestionable authority.

"Bring this young man the large pink bunny."

The sales attendant froze.

"But... Ma’am Sharon..."

"I believe I gave you an instruction."

The woman’s smile remained gentle, yet an unmistakable pressure settled over the room.

The attendant swallowed hard.

"Y-Yes, Ma’am."

She hurried to retrieve the plush bunny, her movements stiff and reluctant. Moments later, she returned and held it out toward Richard without meeting his eyes.

Richard carefully accepted the toy with both hands, afraid he might accidentally drop it.

The soft pink bunny felt almost weightless.

Yet to him...

It was heavier than all the months of sacrifice it had taken to earn it.

His eyes slowly reddened.

"Thank you..."

His voice cracked.

"Thank you very much, Grandma."

Sharon smiled and lightly patted his shoulder.

"Happy birthday to your little sister."

Richard bowed deeply.

"I’ll treasure your kindness for the rest of my life."

With the bunny hugged tightly against his chest, he happily walked toward the exit.

The moment the shop door closed behind him, the smile disappeared from Sharon’s face.

She slowly turned to the trembling sales attendant.

"So..."

Her voice was no longer warm.

"Would you care to explain why you thought it acceptable to publicly humiliate a child?"

The attendant’s face turned deathly pale.

"I... I..."

She couldn’t utter another word. Every employee lowered their heads.

The shop fell into complete silence.

Sharon’s gaze swept across the room.

"Our store sells toys."

She paused.

"It exists to bring joy to children."

Her eyes settled on the frightened attendant.

"If a child leaves here in tears because of you..."

"...then you have no place working here."

The attendant’s knees nearly gave way.

Outside, completely unaware of what was happening behind him, Richard skipped down the street with the pink bunny held close to his heart.

For the first time since losing his parents...

The world didn’t seem quite so cold.

Far behind him, Sharon stood by the shop window, quietly watching the boy disappear into the crowd.

A strange feeling stirred in her chest.

She had a feeling...

This would not be the last time their paths crossed.