Inside the busy back-to-school aisle, the shelves were packed with folders, crayons, and pencil cases of every shape and color. Moms and kids filled the store with the rustle of plastic and the occasional sigh.
Maya held up a bright pink pencil case. “Look, Mama! This one has three zippers and glitter. I want this one.”
Her mother, Lina, turned the price tag over — $24.99.
She gave a small smile, tired but kind. “How about this one, baby?” She held up a simpler case — blue, single zip, $5.99.
Maya frowned. “But that one’s boring.”
“It holds pencils the same,” Lina replied gently, her thumb rubbing the corner of the tag like it might change.
“But everyone at school has cool ones. I don’t want to look… cheap.”
The words stung more than they should have. Lina glanced down at her worn sneakers, then back at her daughter.
“Honey, we’re not buying cheap things,” she said carefully. “We’re buying smart. There’s a difference.”
Maya crossed her arms, lower lip pushing out.
Lina crouched to her level. “I know it’s not the one you wanted. But right now, Mama’s money needs to stretch — like when we stretch your favorite socks to make them last.”
Maya looked at the blue pencil case again. It wasn’t shiny. It didn’t sparkle. But it was hers — if she chose it.
After a long pause, she nodded.
“Okay.”
Lina smiled and kissed her forehead. “Thank you, baby. One day, we’ll come back for the sparkly one. Just not today.”
They walked toward the checkout together — hand in hand, hearts full, and bags a little heavier with quiet understanding.
