C37 I Will Come Right Away

My day had gone better than expected. When I got home that evening, I could not hide my excitement.

“Mom, Dad,” I said proudly, “today I managed to save a major system threat at work. Everyone congratulated me. Even my manager took the whole team out for lunch. For once… I felt like a hero.”

I smiled and I continued. “In the future, I will work even harder so that I can take care of you both… and maybe one day, you won’t have to work for Ben’s family anymore.”

My parents exchanged warm smiles. My mother let out a small laugh, clearly proud of me. My father nodded slowly. “Very good, son. Keep working hard.” We sat down for dinner together and for a short moment, everything felt normal.

But that peace did not last long. Just as we were finishing our meal, my father’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, stood up immediately and stepped away from the table. “Hello, Madam… yes, don’t worry, I will come right away.”

A strange silence filled the room. I exchanged a look with my mother. When my father returned, his expression had changed slightly. “I might have to leave, son,” he said calmly. “The boss’s garden has a problem, and I need to go fix it tonight.”

I frowned. “Dad… it’s already late. Why not go tomorrow?” My mother also looked worried. “Quinton, what’s going on? It’s too late to be going out for gardening.” Something about it didn’t feel right.