Paperwork surrounded me, stacked up like tiny mountains on my desk. I was completely absorbed, filling out one form after another.

My eyes shifted between the documents and my computer screen, double-checking every detail. I was so focused that I barely noticed the time ticking away.

Suddenly, my colleague Kate’s voice cut through my concentration. “Hey, Rebecca, we’re all heading out now. Are you coming soon?”

Without even looking up, I replied,

“Yeah, just a few more things to finish.”

“We’re thinking of stopping by the café after work. Want us to wait for you?”

I shook my head, finally glancing up.

“I can’t today. I promised Matthew I’d get his favorite toy…”

“Oh, but it’s Black Friday,” Kate reminded me with a raised eyebrow.

“There’s probably nothing left by now…”

“What?!” My heart dropped as I glanced at the clock, realizing how late it was. The time had flown by without me even noticing.

“Oh no! I totally lost track of time! I have to go!” I scrambled, gathered my things as quickly as I could, and shut down my computer with one hand while stuffing files into my bag with the other.

Kate chuckled, watching my flustered attempt to get out the door.

“Good luck with the shopping—you’re going to need it!” she called, her amused voice echoing behind me as I bolted from the office.

I knew she was right. Black Friday sales had been going on all day, and by now, the stores would be packed, with shelves likely half-empty.

But I had promised Matthew I’d get that toy, and no matter what, I had to try.

As I dashed into the mall, my heart pounded with urgency. I headed straight for the toy store that Matthew loved, my mind racing with both excitement and worry.

Images of his hopeful little face filled my thoughts, and I couldn’t help but remember the last time we were there together, about a month ago.

Matthew had asked me, “Mom, let’s walk around a little longer. I want to spend more time with you…”

It was a simple request, but it had struck me hard. At that moment, I realized that time with me had become a precious rarity for him.

Work had consumed so much of my attention lately. I told myself it was for Matthew’s future, for the security I wanted to build for him.

But in focusing on tomorrow, I had let today slip by too often, forgetting how much joy a little time and attention could bring him. That realization had weighed on me, making this shopping trip even more urgent.

I had promised him, “I’ll get you any toy you want, and we’ll play with it together.” I couldn’t let him down. I had to make good on my promise.

But as I sprinted through the store, my hope began to fade. The shelves were nearly empty, and shoppers were rushing past me in all directions.

But when I finally found the shelf, my stomach dropped—it was almost completely bare. The robot wasn’t there.

Panicking, I scanned the aisles, hoping to spot another version or something similar. But nothing felt right; it wouldn’t be the same. I knew that choosing something else would be breaking my promise.

I was on the verge of giving up when I noticed a young boy nearby holding hands with his mother. And in her arm, I saw it—the robot. The one I had promised Matthew.

Without a second thought, I rushed over to them, my desperation taking over. “Excuse me, please, can you hear me out?” I asked, my voice more urgent than I intended.

The woman looked at me, startled.

“What’s going on? What do you need?”

I took a deep breath, trying to explain as quickly as possible.

“That robot… I really need it. I promised my son I’d get him this exact one, and it’s the last one left.”

She held the robot protectively, giving me a sympathetic but firm look.

“I’m sorry, but my son wants it, too. You should’ve come earlier if it was so important,” she said, then turned back to her son.

“Let’s go, Robbie.”

Seeing them about to leave, my desperation only grew. I felt a pang of helplessness, and before I knew it, I reached out and grabbed the box.

“What are you doing?! Let go of the box! I’ll call security!” she cried, her voice rising.

I knew how this looked, but I couldn’t help myself.

“You don’t understand,” I pleaded. “I really need this robot. I’ll pay you for it—please, just choose something else!” My voice trembled, and I felt my heart racing faster.

“Security! Help!” she shouted, her face a mix of shock and anger.

At that moment, something caught my eye.

A familiar birthmark on her neck—it was the shape of Texas, and suddenly a memory flooded back. I froze, my hand dropping from the box as the realization hit me.

In the chaos, the robot slipped from my grasp and hit the floor with a sharp crack. I gasped, horrified, as I knelt down and saw the damage.

Pieces of the robot lay scattered, and the reality of what I’d done sank in.

“Oh no! What have I done?” I whispered, my hands hovering over the broken pieces, feeling utterly defeated.

The woman looked at me with a disappointed shake of her head, then turned and walked away with her son without another word.

“Wait!” I called out, my voice thick with regret. “I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to…”

But she ignored me, and I couldn’t blame her. I had lost control, and now the one toy I’d come for was broken.

A security guard approached, his face stern.

“Ma’am, you’ll need to pay for that toy,” he said.

I nodded, barely able to meet his gaze.

“Yes, of course… I’ll pay…” I mumbled and reached for my wallet, feeling utterly defeated and more embarrassed than I could ever remember.

After paying, I rushed outside and scanned the crowd until I spotted the woman and her son walking toward the parking lot. I waved my hand, calling out as I jogged toward them.

“Wait! Please, hold on!” I shouted, hoping she’d hear me over the bustling sounds around us.

She glanced back, her expression a mix of annoyance and curiosity, then quickened her pace. But I didn’t give up and kept running.

“Martha! It’s you, isn’t it?” I called again, breathless.

At that, she stopped and turned fully to face me. I slowed down as I approached her, catching my breath, and gave her a nervous smile.

“It’s me, Rebecca. Do you remember? We were in elementary school together!”

She blinked, then a look of recognition spread across her face. “Rebecca? The same Rebecca? Oh my goodness, it’s been years!”

I laughed, a little relieved. “I recognized you by your birthmark. Remember how we used to joke that it looked like Texas?”

Martha let out a chuckle.

“Yes! I can’t believe you remembered that.”

“It’s hard to forget,” I replied, feeling a strange warmth in my chest. “It’s kind of a shame we had to meet like this. I am really sorry about that robot.”

Martha gave me a sympathetic smile. “Yeah, don’t worry. I understand. It looked like you really needed it.”

I sighed, feeling a bit of the guilt I’d been holding onto lift.

“I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me back there. I didn’t mean to ruin your day.” I looked down at her son, who was watching us with wide, curious eyes. “What’s your son’s name?”

“This is Robbie,” Martha said, ruffling his hair.

I bent down so I could look Robbie in the eye.

“Robbie, I’m really sorry. I feel terrible that you missed out on the robot because of me.”

Robbie just shrugged and grinned. “It’s okay! My mom and I have fun even without toys!”

Martha laughed. “That’s true! Last night, I used a mop as the villain in our game.”

“Don Mop!” Robbie shouted with a big grin, obviously proud of their creativity.

I chuckled, touched by their playful spirit.

“I’ll have to try that sometime,” I said, smiling warmly at Robbie. Then I turned back to Martha, feeling a surge of gratitude.

“I’m really sorry for my behavior back there. Please, let me make it up to you both. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight? I’d love for you to meet my son, Matthew.”

Martha hesitated, then her face softened into a smile.

“Why not? We haven’t seen each other since school, and I think we have a lot to catch up on.”

At home, as I opened the door, Matthew ran over with a huge smile on his face.

“Mom!” he cried, hugging me tightly.

“Hi, honey, I missed you so much,” I said, hugging him back. I looked over at our guests. “Matthew, I want you to meet my old friend, Martha, and her son, Robbie.”

Matthew gave them a shy but friendly smile. Then he turned to me, his excitement faltering a little. “Did you get the robot?”

I took a deep breath, feeling a pang of disappointment.

“No, sweetheart. I’m really sorry. I couldn’t get it,” I said gently.

Matthew’s shoulders slumped, and for a moment, he looked down, visibly disappointed.

“But…” I added, hoping to brighten his mood. “I prepared something else for us to play with.”

His eyes lit up a bit, curiosity flickering across his face. “Really?”

The evening turned out to be more fun than I had expected. The boys played together happily, and after a while, Martha and I decided to join in.

I found an old vacuum cleaner in the closet, draped it in some old clothes, and gave it a silly makeover.

“And here comes Professor Roboton!” I announced in my best villain voice, moving the “robot” around in a dramatic, slow-motion way.

The boys burst into laughter, diving right into the game, their excitement filling the room.

Martha and I couldn’t stop smiling as we watched their joy. Their laughter was infectious, reminding me that it wasn’t about the toys or the fancy things.

That night, I realized that Matthew didn’t need an expensive robot to be happy. All he really needed was me, with him, sharing these moments together.