Ethan leaned back into the couch, listening quietly as his father spoke.
The older man ran a tired hand through his hair, sighing deeply as he recounted the struggles of his store.
"It’s been rough," his father admitted, rubbing his temples. "Ever since that new place opened a few blocks down, our regular customers have been disappearing. They’ve got a bigger space, newer stock, and they’re undercutting prices I can’t afford to match."
Ethan watched his father closely, noting the exhaustion in his face — the faint lines of stress carved around his eyes, the slump in his posture.
He had always thought of his father as strong, steady.
But right now, the weight of responsibility was pressing down on him harder than ever.
"I’ve tried everything," his father continued, shaking his head. "Discounts, loyalty programs… but people go where it’s cheaper, even if they’ve known you for years. And rent isn’t getting any lower either."
He sighed again, quieter this time. "I don’t know how much longer I can keep it running."
Ethan exhaled, pulling out his phone.
His father’s struggles weren’t new — he had known about them for a while, even before he had… distanced himself from the family.
When he was still working his office job, he had been sending money home, making sure his parents weren’t completely drowning in expenses.
But back then, his father had never spoken about the business failing outright.
He had probably been holding it in. Pretending things were fine.
"Give me your account details," Ethan said, glancing at his father.
His father frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "Ethan, that’s not necessary."
Ethan’s gaze didn’t waver. "Give me your account details, Dad."
"I appreciate it, son, really. But I don’t want you spending your hard-earned money on my failures. This is my responsibility."
Ethan let out a slow breath, his fingers tightening around his phone.
"Do you remember when I was a kid, and I got sick?" he asked suddenly.
His father blinked at the abrupt shift. "Of course."
"I was in and out of the hospital for weeks," Ethan continued. "And even though we weren’t exactly rich, you made sure I had the best care. You worked extra shifts, you took out loans — "
His father sighed. "That was different."
"No, it wasn’t," Ethan said firmly. "You did what you had to do because I was your son. And now I’m doing what I have to do because you’re my father." He held out his phone. "So give me the account details."
His father hesitated, his pride and exhaustion warring against each other.
Ethan’s voice softened. "Let me do this, Dad."
A long pause stretched between them. Finally, his father let out a quiet sigh and recited the numbers.
Ethan typed them in, confirming them twice before entering the amount.
[$500,000]
A second later, the transaction went through.
His father’s phone vibrated on the table.
He glanced at it absentmindedly before realizing what had just happened.
His eyes widened as he stared at the screen. "Ethan."
"Later," Ethan interrupted, locking his phone, "when I’m less busy, we’ll go and find you a better store. Somewhere in a nicer area, with more foot traffic."
His father looked from his phone to Ethan, stunned. "Ethan, this… this is too much."
"It’s not," Ethan said simply. "Not for family."
His father swallowed hard, looking like he wanted to protest. But the words never came. He was speechless, he tried to move his lips to speak… but the words… they were stuck in his throat.
Instead, after a long moment, he leaned forward, pressing a hand over his face.
His shoulders trembled slightly, and for the first time in Ethan’s life, he realized — his father wasn’t just a strong, unwavering figure.
He was human. A man who had been struggling for so long, too proud to ask for help.
Ethan glanced at his mother, who was covering her mouth, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
His father inhaled deeply, straightening up again. He swiped at his eyes quickly, clearing his throat.
"…Thank you, son," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
Ethan nodded. "We’ll figure this out."
For the first time in a long time, his father smiled. Not a forced, tired smile, but a real one.
Ethan stretched his arms as he stood up from the couch, letting out a tired sigh.
The weight of the night lingered on him, but for the first time in a long while, it wasn’t heavy in a suffocating way.
It was grounding.
"I’ll sleep in Julia’s room," he announced.
His mother gave him a small nod, her expression unreadable, while his father simply exhaled and leaned back against the couch.
He walked down the hall, pushing open the door to Julia’s room.
The small nightlight in the corner bathed the room in a dim, soft glow, illuminating the messy stacks of coloring books and stuffed animals scattered across the floor.
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Julia lay curled up in bed, her tiny form wrapped in a blanket too big for her.
Her breathing was soft and even, her chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.
Ethan couldn’t help but smile.
Careful not to wake her, he slid into bed beside her, adjusting the covers as he settled in.
The moment his body touched the mattress, Julia stirred.
Even in her sleep, she instinctively reached for him, her small arms wrapping around his torso as she buried her face into his chest.
Ethan froze for a second, surprised by how naturally she clung to him.
Then, a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time spread through his chest, and he let out a quiet chuckle, gently brushing her hair away from her face.
Even after everything, she still loved him so purely. Without hesitation. Without conditions.
He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.
"Sleep tight, Jules," he whispered.
[Next Morning]
The warm golden rays of the morning sun filtered through the small window, casting light across the room.
Julia stirred first, her tiny body stretching as she let out a soft yawn.
Still groggy, she rubbed her eyes before blinking a few times.
And then she saw him.
Her big brother.
Lying right there beside her.
For a second, she thought she was dreaming.
Her little hands shot up, rubbing her eyes again aggressively before peering back down at Ethan.
He was still there.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"B-Big brother?" she whispered, hesitant.
Ethan groaned lightly, still half-asleep. His voice came out muffled.
"Morning, Jules."
That was all she needed to hear.