A Chance To Rise

Chapter 9, The Unexpected Visit.

The weekend sun hung high in the sky as Zaid walked through the familiar streets toward his mother's apartment, a small gift bag swinging from his fingers. He had used some of the money from his completed tasks to buy her something nice, a small token of appreciation for everything she had done for him. His heart swelled at the thought of surprising her.

But as he turned the corner onto her street, his steps faltered.

There, standing near the entrance of the apartment building, was his father, a man he hadn't seen in years. Beside him stood a woman Zaid didn't recognize, her arm linked with his father's in a way that made his stomach twist.

Zaid ducked behind a nearby wall, his pulse quickening. He didn't understand what was happening, but he needed to know.

The woman's voice carried softly through the air. "Are you sure this is the right place, dear?"

Zaid's breath caught. Dear?

His father nodded, his expression unreadable. "This is it."

They approached the door to his mother's apartment and knocked.

Zaid's mother opened the door, her face shifting from surprise to cold anger in an instant. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice sharp.

His father didn't flinch. "We need to talk about Zaid."

"There's nothing to talk about," his mother snapped. "You lost the right to call yourself his father when you walked out on us."

The woman beside his father frowned. "He just wants what's best for his son"

"His son?" His mother's laugh was bitter. "Where was he when Zaid was sick as a child? When he needed help with school? When I worked two jobs just to keep a roof over our heads?" She stepped forward, her voice trembling with suppressed rage. "You don't get to show up now and pretend you care."

Zaid's fingers tightened around the gift bag, his knuckles turning white. His father had married someone else? And now he wanted custody?

His father's voice was calm, almost detached. "I have the means to give him a better life now. You can't deny him that."

"I've given him everything he needs," his mother shot back. "You don't get to waltz back in and act like a hero. Get out."

Zaid looked down at the gift in his hands, then back at his mother's door.

He had a lot to think about.

The argument between Zaid's parents grew more heated as his father's voice turned cold and calculated.

"You're struggling to pay rent, to buy medicine," his father said, his tone dripping with disdain. "You got fired from your last teaching job, and now you're working part-time at a public school for minimum wage. How can you pretend you're raising him properly when you can't even meet basic needs?"

Zaid's breath caught in his throat. His mother had lost her job? His mind raced. She had never told him. Despite that, she had still sent him to a prestigious institution, even with the financial strain. She had bought him a new phone and an iPad for his studies, insisting he needed them to keep up with his classmates. His chest tightened with emotion.

Unable to stay hidden any longer, Zaid stepped out from behind the wall.

His father's eyes widened in surprise, then softened with false warmth. "Zaid!" he exclaimed, opening his arms. Before Zaid could react, his father pulled him into a hug.

But Zaid felt nothing, no warmth, no comfort. Only pure emptiness.

He pulled away, his voice steady despite the storm inside him. "I can't go with you, I'm staying with Mom."

His father's expression darkened. "Zaid, think about this. I can give you a better life, you'll enroll in a better school, you'll have more opportunities"

"You weren't there," Zaid interrupted, his voice firm. "Mom was. She worked two jobs, she sacrificed everything just to raise me. I'm not leaving her."

His father stared at him, frustration flickering across his face. When it became clear Zaid wouldn't budge, he exhaled sharply and turned to his wife. "Let's go."

Without another word, they walked away, leaving Zaid standing beside his mother, who looked at him with tears in her eyes.

Zaid squeezed her hand. "I'm not going anywhere."