“Hey,” he said. “I have something to tell you.”
Her mother, Karen, appeared in the hallway, drying her hands on a dish towel.
Caleb explained what he had done. I filled in the details about the guitar and the payment, making it clear that we still needed to coordinate with the family and the equipment service. PlanFamily Trips
Sophie stared at him.
“You sold your guitar?”
Caleb shrugged, suddenly fascinated by his shoes. “You needed help.”
“But you love that guitar.”
“I can get another one someday.”
Her eyes filled with tears. Karen pressed a hand to her mouth, visibly moved.
Before anyone could say more, Sophie’s father, Marcus, came in from the garage. He was still wearing his work trousers, and his tired expression changed when Karen explained what had happened.
He looked at Caleb for a long moment.
“You sold something you loved to help my daughter?”
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“Yes, sir.”
Marcus rubbed a hand across his face.
“Son, you shouldn’t have had to carry this on your own. But I want you to know that what you did means a great deal to us.”
Caleb shifted uncomfortably. “I just didn’t want her to keep struggling.”
Sophie reached for his hand.
“Thank you,” she said.
He squeezed her fingers gently, his ears turning bright red.
I thought that was where the story ended.
I was wrong.
Chapter 2: The Knock That Changed Everything
The following morning, someone knocked firmly on our front door.
I hadn’t finished tying the belt of my robe when I opened it and found two uniformed police officers on the porch.
“Ma’am, are you Rachel?” one asked.
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“Yes. Is something wrong?”
“My name is Officer Reyes. This is Officer Turner. Is your son home?”
My stomach tightened.
“Why? Has something happened?”
Caleb appeared behind me in the hallway. The moment he saw the uniforms, he stopped.
Officer Reyes noticed his expression and spoke calmly.
“Your son isn’t under arrest, and he’s not in trouble.”
That reassurance should have helped. Instead, it left me even more confused.
“Then why are you here?” I asked.
Officer Turner exchanged a glance with his colleague.
“We’re here with Marcus. He asked us to accompany him because he wanted to thank your son properly.”
I looked past them.
Marcus stood beside the patrol car, holding a small envelope in one hand. He looked as if he’d spent most of the night awake.
I stepped slightly in front of Caleb without thinking.
“Marcus, if this is about the guitar, I know Caleb should have spoken to me first. But he was trying to help Sophie.”
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