What’s important...

Stephanie never guessed when covid-19 came about that it would change her life. She believed it wouldn’t last for long nor would the furlough, but when June came around that belief vanished.

Stephanie use to work for a hotel in downtown Atlanta, and being in her older age, she was ready to go back to work. Unfortunately, a month after getting back to work in June she contracted covid-19, and she did not handle it well. Stephanie has 3 older sons who were very much concerned about her wellbeing after the news broke but she didn’t want to worry them.

One early morning in June, Stephanie dragged herself to the edge of the bed with bags under eyes from an uneasy night, still recovering. She managed to get her slippers on and mosey off to the kitchen to start her daily routine. As she started to make her morning tea, she sees her eldest son, Michael, calling but decides to let it go to voicemail. She walks over to the couch, plops down and turns the tv on. As she watches the news, she receives a call from her manager, Ashley.

She tries to clear her throat and answers “hello Ashley”. Her manager begins to sign and says “hey Stephanie, I hope you are feeling better, but It has been a couple weeks and we need for you to come back in.” Stephanie sits in silence, so Ashley’s says “hello, Stephanie?... Look I know how you may be feeling but we still have a business to run” Stephanie tries to calmly gather her thoughts “a business to run? What about my health? What about my wellbeing? I’m still not recovering well! I’ve given 10 years of my time into that hotel and you are telling me that means nothing? I can’t come in. I’m still recovering.” “ I understand that Stephanie and we do value you as an long term employee but unfortunately if you cant come in tomorrow we have to let you go but…” Stephanie angrily hangs up the phone as tears run down her face. She starts to yell “HOW COULD THEY DO THIS!” … She starts to think “what about my bills and I’m already behind! How will I survive? How?” as she ponders on her future and what ifs scenarios, she hears the news anchor state in the background “and the jackpot winnings tonight hit a record high” Stephanie starts to think she should take a chance.

She states out loud “I mean what is there to lose if I’ve already lost everything. Winning some or all of this money could start my life off great and I can be happy” so she gets her robe, grabs her keys and heads out the door. As she locks the door behind her, her eldest son calls again and this time she picks up.

“hey son it’s been a while” she says while slowly walking to her car. “hey mom, I know its been a while and I’m glad you picked up” says Michael. “well son, you know our last conversation didn’t end on the best note…and I’ve been working on myself since then.” Stephanie speaks while trying to hold back tears “and Michael I’m so sorry I’ve been avoiding you and haven’t been the best mom I could be...” as she’s stepping into her car “but I want things to be different.” As the phone call gets quiet, she can hear Michaels breathing change as he begins to speak “could we have dinner tonight?” Stephanie smiles “of course son! Come over tonight around 7pm” “ok, ill see you then” Michael says as he hangs up.

Stephanie then begins to drive over to the gas station to buy a few lottery tickets. As she heads inside the gas station to put her numbers in, she hears someone utter out loud “you see how much money they are giving in that lottery! Man, id given anything to win that kind of money…hell with that kind of money you could buy anything even happiness!” Stephanie chuckles under her mask and thinks “you could buy happiness.” So, she proceeds to the counter to pay, and as she walks out the cashier wisher her luck. Stephanie then drives to the local grocery store to spend the little bit of money she has left to get some things for dinner tonight with her eldest son.

As she gets to her house, she receives a phone call from her boss, Ashley, which she quickly let’s go to voicemail and heads inside. Later, in the evening she begins to straighten up her house and prepare dinner for tonight. As she starts to cut up some vegetables she glances at her phone and realizes Ashley left a voicemail. Stephanie rolls her eyes, and sighs, and proceeds to wash her hands to listen to what Ashley has to say. The voicemail states “Hey Stephanie, I know we must have gotten disconnected and I wanted to give some time in between calls just to make sure you were in a better area. Although I would have to let you go if you don’t report to work tomorrow, we can still provide a month of the unemployment benefits to you. So, if that’s something you would like to do give me a call back no later than tomorrow morning. Thanks, bye.”

Stephanie sits down while she thinks about what Ashley just said. She begins to whisper under her breath “I could use the extra money…Maybe I should go back to work because I can’t afford to not be working…what should I do? What’s important?” suddenly she hears a knock at the door and gets up to go answer it. Michael stands at the door with a bottle of wine in his hands and ask if he could come in. “of course, come on in, I was just finishing up dinner….so how is everything with you son” she says “I’m managing with covid-19 it kind of slowed everything down” Michael states as he heads over to the dinner table.

“I’m glad you called son and I’m glad we are having this dinner. I know it may be a little awkward but I’m here” Stephanie says as she smiles at her son “ so you heard the lottery is at its all-time high and I had to go out and buy a couple of tickets!” Michael chuckled. As the news is on, she proceeds to the table with dinner and turns the tv up to hear the numbers being called not realizing how intense Michael is looking at her and the expression on his face.

Michael has something to say but just doesn’t know how or when to say it. The host on the tv begins to read out the winning numbers as Stephanie looks at her tickets and realizes she won some money! She doesn’t know how to react, so she turns around and sees Michaels head down with tears falling off his face. Puzzled and concerned Stephanie gets down to his level and softly ask “what’s wrong, did I do something wrong” Michaels slowly looks up and stares into her eyes as he states while crying “I have cancer mom.”

Stephanie instantly starts crying and hugs her son with all the strength she had left in her. As she lets go, she grabs a chair to pull over to him and holds his hands while they sit in silence. She then gets the courage to ask, “how are you doing?” and he looks at her and replies “ I’ve known I’ve had cancer for a while now mom, that’s why I came out to you a year ago because I wanted to make sure you knew who I was before the possibility of me leaving this earth. I’m just at a point in my life and treatments where I don’t want to keep you out my life because I don’t know when my last days will be.”

Stephanie starts to tear up and ponders on what he just said. She starts to wonder about the what if, and should have done but before she could speak, Michael states “you don’t have to say anything just know that I have forgiven you and want you to be here for me mom.” Stephanie then realizes that it doesn’t matter how much money she won, if she goes back to work or not and anything else that has been stressing her.

She then says “Michael, son, you don’t know how much that means to me, how much you mean to me and what you just made me realize” as she proceeds to give him a hug. Stephanie heads back to her room to see what her winnings were on her phone and retrieves her little black book.

She then gives it to Michael and says “son I’ve been under the impression for a while if I had money, if I had a job, if I had these things I would be happy but happiness doesn’t come from that. Happiness comes from within and if you can forgive me then I can forgive myself for not being the mom I should have been to you. I’m happy knowing you are back in my life and I can be back in yours. I will strive to be a better mom for you and I’m choosing to give you this $20,000 lottery winnings and this little black book to help you continue to write your story because it is not even close to being over son. I will be here for you as often as you need/want me to be.”

As she stared into his eyes, he got up and gave her a hug and told her “ I appreciate you mom but I want this money to go to good use so tell me what you may need to catch up on bills and plan a family vacation when all this covid stuff is done” with a smile on his face and Stephanie states “I couldn’t ask for a better son or to be as happy as I am right now.”