Widowed Mom Learns Her Son Escapes Home Every Night, He Returns One Day with Bag Full of Cash – Story of the Day

A widowed mom discovers her son had been sneaking out of the house every night. One day, he returned with a bag full of cash, and the reason caught her off guard.

One day, Mary woke up to the sound of a window creaking in her son's room. She tried to enter, but his room was locked. Instead, she looked out the window from her room, and she saw her 16-year-old Ivan walking on the sidewalk.

Mary was disappointed, thinking Evan was sneaking out to meet up with friends. She's been having a hard time getting through to her teenager. She felt as if he never listened to her.

Their family dynamic changed six months ago when Mary's husband, Dave, passed away. He had a rare disease that needed emergency surgery, but no hospital wanted to take him in without them depositing a down payment.

They didn't have enough money to pay during that time, as Dave had been jobless for months because of his health issues. Mary did not have any money left either. They had just finished paying a loan for their house.

Evan tried his best to raise money alongside his best friend, Edward. They sold baked goods in school and sold a couple of their things through a yard sale, hoping they could make enough. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough to pay for the surgery.

In the end, all their efforts were in vain. Dave had succumbed to his illness and died before ever getting to the surgery room. Mary and Evan were devastated and, at one point, blamed themselves for not being able to save him.

Dave's death took a toll on Evan, and it caused a strain on his relationship with his mother. He kept to himself and always just confided in Edward.

Although Evan was kind and responsible, he kept his distance and rarely made an effort to start a conversation with Mary. She never knew why, and it saddened her, especially since the loss of her husband was tough on her too.

Despite this, Evan tried to support his mother as much as possible, knowing she struggled to work while making sure everything was running smoothly at home. After school, he went straight to work as a cashier in a local cafe.

He would come home in time for dinner before heading to bed and doing the same routine again the following day. His job as a cashier allowed him to save up for himself and for small things that he could contribute at home.

Evan would buy groceries for them and sometimes pay for the bills as well. While Mary hated that she had to accept her son's money instead of having him keep it for his future, she had no choice, as she was struggling to get by.

The day after Mary caught him sneaking out, she decided to see whether or not he'd do it again. She pretended to go to bed but actually waited by her window to see if Evan would leave. True enough, he did leave and only returned early in the morning.

The next morning, Mary decided to confront Evan about it. "Where do you go so late at night, Evan? Why do you have to sneak out?" she asked him.

Evan refused to tell the truth, simply saying, "There are just some things I need to do, mom. I'm not in any trouble, but please just trust me on this."

"You must assure me. You're not in any trouble, right? Your grades might get affected. You're not getting enough sleep every night," she told him.

"I'm not in any trouble, mom. Please, trust me. I promise I'm not doing anything wrong," Evan assured her.

Although she was hesitant to continue letting Evan go out at night, Mary always had a soft spot for her son. When he tells her to trust him, she does. So, since that day, she no longer questioned him and allowed him to leave at night using the front door and not his window.

One day, Evan returned home with his backpack filled with money. He emptied the bag onto his bed, and his mother was surprised when she passed by and saw it.

"Evan!" she exclaimed. "Where did you get all of that money?!"

"Mom, come sit before you jump to conclusions and think I did something illegal. I'm ready to tell you the whole story," he said, pulling his study chair closer to his bed so his mom could sit.

Once Mary sat, Evan began to explain. "You know Edward, right? My best friend," he asked, and Mary nodded.

"His dad is sick and needs surgery. Mom, you know how hard it was for me to see dad go through something, yet we couldn't help him. I didn't want Edward to go through the same thing," he admitted.

At this point, Mary had her hand over her mouth as she was about to cry. Evan continued to speak. "I decided to take double shifts at the cafe to help them raise money. I didn't tell anyone about it; I wanted to have the money with me first before I handed it over."

"You've earned this much from working at the cafe?" Mary asked her son.

"Yes, mom. I worked eight hours a day, seven days a week these past two months. Of course, I've been working at the cafe even before doing double shifts. I had to get some money from my previous earnings to raise $10,000 for Edward's dad," Evan revealed.

"Don't worry, mom. I still have some savings left for whenever we need to pay for. I won't leave us with nothing," he assured her.

At this rate, Mary was crying. She could not believe how selfless her son was and how strong he'd been in the past months. "I'm so proud of you, Evan. Your dad is, too. He is looking at you from heaven and is so proud of the man you've become," she told him.

Mary decided to accompany Evan to Edward's house that same day. However, before leaving, she sat him down at the dining table.

"Evan, sweetheart," she told him. "I want you to promise me that beginning today, there will be no more secrets and lies between us, alright? I'm your mom, but I want you to know that I can also be your friend. You can trust me with anything – your problems, your worries, and of course, your happy memories, too," Mary said.

Evan nodded. "I'm sorry I hid things from you, mom. I kept my distance because losing one parent was so hard. I couldn't imagine losing another, so I decided to put up my walls. Now I know that I don't need to. I have you, and I want to be able to share everything with you," he admitted.

With that, Evan and Mary hugged. When they were both ready to go, they walked towards Edward's house, where the teenager handed his best friend the bag of money. "I hope this helps pay for your dad's operation, bud," he said, hugging his friend.

Edward was in shock, as he knew Evan wasn't wealthy. In fact, he knew that their family was struggling, so it must have taken a lot of work for Evan to have earned that much money.

"I can't take this from you, Evan," Edward said, refusing to get the bag.

Evan, however, wouldn't take no for an answer. He insisted, saying it was something he needed to do, not just for Edward but for Evan's late dad. "I'm doing something I couldn't do for my own dad. I owe it to him. Please, accept it, and I hope your dad's surgery goes well," he said before taking his mom's hand and walking home.

Two days later, Evan and Mary were awakened early in the morning because of a drilling noise outside. "Did you have something repaired, mom?" Evan said groggily, walking inside his mom's room.

"I didn't, sweetheart. What are these men doing, mowing our front yard?" she asked, looking out the window.

They decided to go downstairs to see what the commotion was about and they were greeted by a crew of men, including Edward and his father.

"Mr. Adams! Is your surgery done? Why aren't you resting?" Mary asked, surprised to see Edward's dad in their yard.

"Good morning, Mary and Evan," Mr. Adams said with a smile. "I wanted to come down here and personally thank you for your kindness. Edward told me everything," he revealed.

Edward looked at his best friend before pulling him in for a hug. "You're the bravest and kindest person I know; you know that, bud? I'm so lucky to be your best friend," Edward said.

Evan smiled and patted him on the back. "Anything for the people I love," he replied.

Before they could talk some more, Mary interrupted. "I'm sorry, but what are all these men doing in our yard? I didn't order any repairs," she asked.

"Ah, that," Mr. Adams laughed. "Well, you see, my doctor found a non-invasive way to cure my disease. I no longer need surgery. I told my friends what Evan here did for me, and they were all shocked and moved by his selfless gesture," he started.

"So, we decided to spend all the money they also raised for my surgery to renovate your house. We paid for it in full, and there's an extra $20,000 left here. Please, I'd like for you to have it," Mr. Adams explained.

Evan and Mary were surprised by their generosity, but Mary had to refuse. "We can't possibly accept that," she said.

"Evan worked hard for this money, Aunt Mary. You must accept it," Edward insisted. "Besides, we won't leave until you take it," he joked.

"Whenever you need help or if you ever have any problems, you know who to call. We will always help you," Edward's father added.

Evan and Mary had no choice but to accept the help extended to them. And when they did, Edward and his father pulled them in for a hug. They went inside the house to have a delicious home-cooked brunch together, exchanging stories about their lives.

Since then, they have always looked out for one another. Not only did Evan and Edward remain best friends, but Mary also began a friendship with Edward's parents. They took Mary and Evan in during holidays and special occasions, ensuring they were always cared for even without Dave in their lives anymore.

What can we learn from this story?

• Do good, and it will surely come back to you. Although Evan and Mary struggled to get by after Dave's death, this didn't stop Evan from wanting to help other people. He made sure to work hard enough to help his best friend Edward and his dad. In the end, his kindness was returned to him tenfold.
• True friendship is the most valuable treasure. Evan and Edward had been friends for years, so they shared each other's happiness, triumphs, and sorrows. When it was Edward's turn to need help, Evan made sure to do what he could to help him, the same way Edward helped him when needed.

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