Perfect Timing, Mom

A Short Story –

Brian, a student known for being shy and not very good at socializing, sat in the back of the classroom.
His eyes wandered out the school window, where he could see his classmates arriving through the school gate on a bright morning.

“Good morning, Brian,” greeted Eric, the friend who sat next to him.

The sudden voice startled him, pulling him back from his thoughts.
“Uh… good morning,” Brian replied.

“See something interesting out there?” Eric asked.
“Not really,” Brian answered softly.

“What’s wrong? You don’t seem very enthusiastic today,” Eric pressed.
“Everything’s fine, thanks for asking,” Brian replied politely.

But something was weighing heavily on his mind: the quiz in a subject he didn’t fully understand.

Though Brian was shy, there was something his friends admired about him—he loved to learn. He always looked for ways to answer every question given to him.

But today felt different. He hadn’t yet found the right way to tackle the science material from last night’s study session. His thoughts were still stuck in his study room.

A white sheet of paper with his test results now rested in his right hand. His gaze was fixed on it, his mind racing, unable to focus.

At the top right corner, the score was written clearly:

“33!?” Brian muttered.

He froze amidst the chatter of the classroom. It was the first time he had ever received such a poor result.

Feeling disappointed, he tried to slip the test paper into his blue bag. As he reached inside, he pulled out a transparent folder.

Inside, his eyes caught a small piece of paper with handwriting he didn’t remember placing there.

“Who put this in here?” Brian wondered to himself.

Curious, he slowly unbuttoned the folder, reached in with his right hand, and pulled the note out. He began to read the words written on it:

“Don’t give up on your dreams. I believe in you. —Mom”

It felt as if a cool, refreshing breeze swept through his head. Without realizing it, his lips curved into a smile, and his eyes widened as though he had just won an important victory.

“Perfect timing, Mom,” he whispered to himself.