For a mont, silence reigned over the table.
Aurora felt her chest tighten.
Mary’s eyes widened in shock. "What?"
"They fired ," Adam continued, his voice calm but hollow. "Effective imdiately."
Theodore dropped his spoon into his bowl, the clatter echoing in the silence.
"But why?" Mary pressed, disbelief written all over her face. "You’ve been with the repair shop for years. You’re one of their most experienced employees—why would they fire you just like that?"
A glint flashed in Adam’s eyes and he lowered his eyes,
"Downsizing. They said they had to let people go, and unfortunately, I was one of them."
Mary’s lips parted in protest, but she didn’t speak right away. Her fingers clenched the tablecloth as if trying to steady herself.
Aurora swallowed hard.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
Just this morning, she had been giddy with the thought of surprising her father with an actual Rolex, sothing that would make him proud, sothing that would make him feel successful.
But now?
"I’ll find sothing else," Adam added, forcing a small, reassuring smile. "We’ll be fine."
But even as he said it, Aurora could hear the uncertainty in his voice.
Mary inhaled sharply, trying to collect herself. "We’ll manage," she said, though her voice trembled slightly. "We always do."
For a long mont, no one spoke.
Then, Adriana—who had remained conspicuously quiet until now—lifted her head, her voice breaking the fragile stillness.
"But how are we supposed to get by?" she asked, her tone sharp with barely contained frustration.
Mary turned to her daughter, straightening her posture. "We’ll cut back on so expenses," she said, trying to sound reassuring.
Adriana scoffed, shaking her head.
"What expenses, Mom? We already are cutting back. We’ve been adjusting for years—stretching every dollar, reusing old things, pretending it’s all fine. What else is left to sacrifice?"
Her voice wavered slightly, but she pressed on, the floodgates of her frustration opening.
"And what about university? How are we going to afford tuition for Lucas and ? The bills? The groceries? Rent?"
Adam opened his mouth to respond, but no words ca out.
For the first ti that night, the reality of their situation seed to truly sink in.
Adriana looked at her parents, waiting—pleading—for an answer, but none ca.
"Exactly," she muttered bitterly, pushing back her chair.
"Adriana—" Mary began, her voice weary, but Adriana had already risen to her feet.
"I’m tired," she said, her voice raw with emotion.
"I’m tired of struggling. Tired of making do. Tired of never having enough."
She turned away, her fingers tightening into fists. "For once, I just want to live a good life. A normal life."
And with that, she stord off, disappearing down the hall.
A heavy silence followed her departure.
The food on the table, once steaming with warmth, had gone cold.
Mary exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples. Theodore stared down at his plate, suddenly losing his appetite. Adam clenched his jaw, his gaze fixed on the tablecloth.
Lucas closed his eyes and tried to steady his breath.
Then, just as the weight of Adriana’s words settled over them, the doorbell rang.
The sudden sound jolted them back to reality.
Aurora exchanged glances with her mother before rising to her feet and making her way to the front door.
When she opened it, she was t with the sight of a neatly dressed delivery man holding a package.
"Delivery for Adam Waters," the man announced, holding out the box.
Aurora’s breath hitched for a second. Right on ti.
She quickly composed herself and called out, "Dad, there’s sothing for you."
Adam, still lost in thought, blinked and pushed himself up from his chair. He walked to the door, hesitating for only a second before accepting the package.
"Sign here, please," the delivery man said.
Adam signed absentmindedly, his mind still preoccupied with Adriana’s outburst. As soon as he handed the clipboard back, the man gave him a courteous nod and left.
Aurora and Mary watched as Adam carried the box to the dining table, his brow furrowing slightly.
With slow, cautious movents, he lifted the lid.
And then—he froze.
Nestled inside the velvet-lined box was a gleaming, pristine Rolex watch.
His breath caught in his throat.
His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for the tipiece, the weight of it solid and unmistakable in his palm.
"This... this is a Rolex," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Aurora feigned curiosity. "A Rolex?"
Adam swallowed hard, his mind racing.
This couldn’t be real. Soone had sent this? To him?
He repeatedly checked the model and after ensuring it was a real one, he couldn’t speak for a long ti.
After a while, he strode over to the desktop computer in the corner of the room, sat down, and began typing feverishly.
As the webpage loaded, his pulse quickened.
There it was—an identical model, the sa shimring dial, the sa craftsmanship, the sa prestige.
Price: $45,000.
Adam inhaled sharply. His fingers hovered over the keyboard as disbelief warred with cautious hope.
This had to be a mistake.
He turned back to the package, his hands moving quickly as he searched for an invoice, a sender’s note—anything that would explain this mystery.
But there was nothing. Only the na on the delivery slip.
Adam Waters.
His.
His na.
His watch.
He turned toward the door, calling out to the delivery man, who was just about to leave.
"Wait!"
The man paused and turned.
"This... this Rolex. Are you sure it’s for ?" Adam asked, his voice laced with uncertainty.
The man glanced at his tablet and nodded.
"Yes, sir. It was purchased under your na and address. Everything checks out."
Adam stood there, the watch still clutched in his hands, as relief—sweet, overwhelming relief—washed over him.
It was only short-lived because he soon rembered the main problem.
His smile slowly vanished replaced by a lancholic look.
Gazing at the Rolex watch he fell into deep thought.
Aurora cautiously tugged on his sleeves, "Dad, what happened?"
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