My Biological Father Left Us When I Was Three – Then Reappeared on My 17th Birthday to Outshine My Stepdad With His Present

I turned to the next.

Brought lunch all week: $25.

Then another.

Truck service next month: $60.

I looked up.

"What is this?"

Ray suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Nothing."

"You wrote on all of them?"

"I was keeping track."

"Of what?"

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't know. Just wanted you to see someday that even when it wasn't much, we were still getting somewhere."

I pulled out another statement.

Sorry, kid. Tight month: $15.

Then one that made me stop.

Danny needed new glasses. I'll make it up next month: $0.

The following month.

Doubled up this month: $80.

"You didn't have to do this."

"Yeah."

"Then why did you?"

He shrugged.

"College isn't cheap."

That wasn't an answer.

Before I could tell him that, Mom called from downstairs.

"Birthday breakfast!"

Ray escaped immediately.

I stayed on my bed with the box.

Fourteen months since they'd opened it.

Some deposits were 80 dollars.