The only thing Richard knew about the relationship between his mother and father was that he treated her badly. Other than that, Richard was the only one who cared about Jessica’s well-being.
She always believed in tough love and, as a child, Richard felt that sometimes she could be mean. When he reached adolescence, Richard realized that she only wanted the best for him.
“You won’t end up being a slob like your dad,” Jessica would tell him.
As he got older, Richard realized that his mother had always dreamed of being a musician, but she decided to take a permanent job so that she could take care of him. Jessica was taking him to see the local orchestra of her village play.
Because of all the love and dedication his mother had for him, Richard decided to take care of her no matter what.
“Hey, Mom. Can we watch that old video together? The one where you were teaching me to walk?Richard asked on the day of his 16th birthday.
“Of course we do. Have you forgotten how?”, Jessica joked.
Mother and son sat down to watch the video for the hundredth time. Little did they know what it would mean years later. Richard worked tooth and nail to make sure that both he and his mother could live in a better neighborhood.
He excelled at school and got a scholarship to a large university on the outskirts of the city. He ended up being a financial advisor and earned a fixed salary. Everyone in his company respected his work ethic, but he was always reserved in the office.
One day, Richard received a call from a number he didn’t recognize:
“Hi, is this Jessica’s son?”, a woman asked him.
“Yes, I’m Richard. What’s the matter?”, respond.
“Your mother has had a stroke at home. As soon as you can, come to the hospital,” the nurse told her.
Richard immediately left the consultation to be at his mother’s side. The doctor let him know that Jessica would need thorough treatment and constant attention to make a full recovery.
Richard immediately asked for leave from his job and spent every day attending to his mother. The stroke had left her paralyzed from the waist down and, although he had the means, the man refused to hire a nurse for Jessica. He didn’t want her to think he would abandon her.
“I’m going to take care of you, whether you like it or not,” he told his mom.
Richard’s wife, Lorena, was frustrated by his absence and threatened to leave him.
“I have something to show you, Lorena. I know I’ve spent a lot of time taking care of my mom, but look at this,” Richard begged.
He then showed her the video of his mother teaching him to walk.
“I’m all she has,” Richard told her. He and Lorena cried together while watching the video. Richard explained that because his mom had raised him alone, he felt he owed her a debt.
She would always give everything to her family. Jessica gave up her dreams for Richard’s sake, and he would do the same for her no matter what it cost. Lorena realized that Richard was working too much not only to support her, but also to pay for her mother’s medical bills.
“I’m with you no matter what, Richard. I just thought I was losing you. But now I see that you work for all of us,” Lorena told her.
They decided to move to his mother’s house to take care of her together. This allowed Richard to return to work, as he could split time with Lorraine.
They had to teach Jessica to walk again. Things got difficult when Lorena got pregnant, but they pulled through. Jessica was always grateful for how hard her son worked.
The day after Richard and Lorena’s son Freddy turned one, Jessica suffered a second stroke. Fearing for her life, Jessica decided she had to reveal a secret she had been keeping from Richard.
“I don’t know how much time I have left, so it’s time for you to know the truth. I was always very hard on you, but you never complained. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to tell you, but I’m not your real mom,” Jessica told Richard.
“What do you mean?”, asked Richard perplexed.
“You won’t remember it because you were still a child. But your nanny, Elizabeth, was actually your biological mother. Your father, Anthony, cheated on me with her. I decided to raise you as if you were mine. After Elizabeth died in a car accident, I left your father. I’m sorry I’ve been hiding it all these years. I didn’t know if you would still love me,” Jessica told her.
Richard started crying while Jessica was telling him her story. After a few minutes, Richard replied:
“You’re the only mother I’ve ever known. That hasn’t changed at all. I will always love you the same.”
After taking her home from the hospital, the whole family watched the video of Jessica teaching Richard to walk. Years later, Richard saved enough money to buy his mother a piano, but when he returned home, Lorena told him that Jessica had died in her sleep.
Devastated, Richard told Lorena: “I just wanted to finally make her dream come true”.
When Freddy turned 6, he started playing the piano that Richard had bought for Jessica. Freddy joined a youth orchestra and played at the same theater Jessica had always taken Richard to see.
