My husband Jeff and I raised our grandson, Hugh Ferguson, from the time he was just eight years old. His parents had d.ied in a car accident years ago while returning from a friend’s party in Mexico. After that tragedy, Jeff and I got custody of him.
We didn’t have any financial problems raising Hugh back then. Jeff and I had both retired from good, high-paying jobs, and we were comfortable. More than that, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to be parents again after all our children had moved out and settled with their own families.
From the beginning, we did everything for Hugh and made sure he never felt unloved. But as he grew up, he started taking advantage of that love. His demands grew more and more unreasonable, but we never said no to him. We pitied him for losing his parents so young, and that pity often clouded our judgment.
When Hugh was in his final semester of university, we finally reached the end of our savings. For the first time in years, I was scared we might not be able to support him any longer.
“What are we going to do, darling?” I sighed, resting my head on my hand after receiving the communication about Hugh’s tuition.
“There’s no need to worry, Ellis,” Jeff told me, ever the optimist. “I asked around, and I believe we’ll be able to cover the required amount.”
“Did you ask several people?” I asked, frowning. “How are we going to repay them? You’re aware that the fees are significant!”
He just waved his hand and chuckled. “Oh, stop being such a worrywart, darling! It’s only a semester! We can get through this. Not to mention that our grandson is studying at one of the best colleges in the country! He’ll make us proud when he graduates with honors. And when we see him wearing his graduation hat, it will all be worth it!”
Somehow, the way he said it made me smile. The thought of Hugh’s graduation day made me forget my fears. So, we borrowed money from one of Jeff’s acquaintances to cover the university fees.
Months went by, and Hugh’s graduation day was finally approaching. We couldn’t contain our excitement. Jeff had already dug through his wardrobe to find his favorite suit so he could send it to the dry cleaners.
“Oh, Jeff,” I said, feeling tears prick my eyes, “it’s going to be so special! It seems like just a while back when we started raising him, and now he’s graduating! I’m sure his parents would’ve been proud of him… Oh, if only they were here to support him!”
Jeff wrapped his arms around me and said gently, “I know, wherever they are, they’d be as proud as we are, Ellis. Just a few more days, and we’ll witness the proud moment!”
But a few more days came and went — and still, we heard nothing from Hugh. No call, no invitation, no mention of graduation at all. When he did call, I noticed he carefully avoided the subject. That bothered me deeply.
One evening, after hanging up the phone, I decided to check the university’s official website myself. What I found made my heart drop.
“Jeff!” I yelled from the living room. “Come here right now!”
Jeff grumbled from the other room, clearly irritated at being interrupted. “Ughh, what is it now?” he asked as he entered.
“That boy lied to us, Jeff!” I said, my voice shaking. “Hugh’s graduation is only three days away, and he hasn’t told us anything about it. Look at this!” I turned the laptop toward him.
Jeff leaned over and squinted at the screen. “What?” he said in disbelief. “Why didn’t he invite us? That’s odd.”
“I’m surprised too, Jeff,” I said, crossing my arms. “Should we just ask him why?”
But Jeff shook his head. “No way, Ellis. I’m afraid Hugh is keeping something from us. Didn’t you notice how he sounded on the phone? You know what—pack your bags!” he declared suddenly. “We’re going to his university tomorrow!”
“But Jeff…” I began.
“We don’t have another option, Ellis,” he interrupted firmly. “Check for the tickets so we can go meet him.”
The next day, as we rode the bus to Hugh’s school, my stomach was in knots. We were both terrified. Why wouldn’t our grandson invite us to such an important day in his life? What could he possibly be hiding?
When we arrived, our worst fears were realized. We discovered that Hugh had been expelled just after his first semester.
I stared at the campus in shock. “But where did he spend all of our money?” I asked Jeff helplessly.
Just then, a young man’s voice interrupted us from behind. “Oh, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins, why are you here today?”
We turned around to see a man in his twenties standing there.
“Hello, my name is Peter!” he said politely. “Sorry, I overheard you discussing Hugh. Hasn’t he told you that after being expelled, he moved into a rented house?”
I was stunned. “How do you know us?” I asked.
“My bad,” Peter said, smiling apologetically. “I didn’t introduce myself properly. Hugh and I happen to be good friends! I’ve seen your pictures on his phone several times… He talks a lot about you two! He left college long ago, but we still stay in touch. I can give you his address if you want to see him.”
Jeff and I exchanged a worried glance. We were both shocked that Hugh had hidden so much from us.
“That would be extremely thoughtful of you, Peter,” Jeff said. Peter then handed us the address.
When we arrived at Hugh’s place, my heart broke. He was living in a run-down neighborhood, in a small, shabby house. We knocked on the door, and when Hugh opened it, his eyes widened in shock.
“Gran and Grandpa! What are you doing here?” he exclaimed.
Jeff didn’t waste a second. “Do you think you can hide things from us, Hugh? What are you doing here? And where have you been spending all the money we sent you if you haven’t been going to school?!”
Hugh lowered his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Grandpa,” he said quietly. “I apologize for disappointing you and Gran. But I didn’t have a choice… Please come in. I have to tell you something that I don’t think I can keep from you any longer.”
He brought us inside, served us tea and biscuits, and finally told us everything.
It turned out he had been expelled for absenteeism. He was too afraid to tell us the truth, worried that we’d be angry, so he kept accepting the money we sent him and used it to rent a small house. Later, to survive, he started working a couple of low-wage jobs. Then, tragedy struck again—his girlfriend Natalie became pregnant.
“I’m sorry I disappointed you guys,” he said with tears in his eyes. “Like, I really didn’t want to, but I had no choice but to continue working. Nat isn’t home right now… she’s at work, and we’re both doing our best to support our child. I’m sorry, I’ve been a terrible person to you both.”
“Well, there’s no doubt about that,” Jeff said sternly. “You lied to us, Hugh, and we’re upset about it… However… we’re also proud of you. At least, I am…”
Hugh and I exchanged confused looks. “You’re proud of me? But why?” Hugh asked.
Jeff smiled faintly. “Didn’t you just say you took parental responsibility for your child, Hugh? Trust me, if I were in your circumstances, I would have been concerned about how to go ahead. But you gave up everything for it, Hugh. That’s why I’m so proud of you!”
“What’s the point, Grandpa?” Hugh said sadly. “No matter how hard we try, we just can’t seem to meet the expenses. Nat is six months into her pregnancy, and she’s still working. Then there’s the delivery expenses and everything else… I don’t know what to do now…”
“That’s why you should never keep secrets from your family, Hugh,” Jeff said, patting his shoulder. “You see, we don’t have any funds to help you with your studies right now. We actually borrowed the money for your final semester. But we can help you with your child…”
“What? You took a loan?” Hugh asked, his eyes filling with tears.
“That’s okay, Hugh,” Jeff said, trying to comfort him. “We’ll figure out how to repay it. But we suggest you move in with us. See, you can at least save up on rent if you stay with us. And well, we’d like to talk to Natalie as well about it. Right, Ellis?”
“Your grandfather is right, Hugh,” I said with a smile. “You are our grandchild, and while we’re upset with you, we still love you.”
“Thank you so much! I love you guys!” he said, hugging us tightly. “I’m so sorry again for letting you down and disappointing you. I am very sorry… Nat will be home soon. She’d be so happy to meet you two!”
“We love you too, darling,” I told him, patting his back. “Now let’s wait for Natalie to be back home, okay?”
When Natalie came home, we sat her down and explained everything. She was so kind—delighted to meet us, and grateful that we wanted to help.
Jeff and I stayed with them for over a month until Natalie got a transfer to Hugh’s hometown. Once there, Hugh began looking for better jobs, and Jeff and I decided to start a small homemade bakery business—me handling the baking and Jeff doing the deliveries.
Together, we managed to earn a steady monthly income and gradually paid off the loan we had taken for Hugh’s college. Meanwhile, Hugh started working part-time and enrolled in a local college to finish his degree. He worked incredibly hard, earned a scholarship, and it paid off.
Two months later, Hugh and Natalie welcomed their baby girl, Ava. Jeff and I were overjoyed and happily took care of her whenever they were busy with work.
It took four more years for Hugh to become completely stable and able to provide for his family independently. When he finally graduated, he got a good job and even repaid every penny we had borrowed for him. Jeff and I continued to run our bakery, proud of what our family had become.
Later, we received another piece of wonderful news—Hugh and Natalie welcomed triplets!
Note: This story is a work of fiction inspired by real events. Names, characters, and details have been altered. Any resemblance is coincidental. The author and publisher disclaim accuracy, liability, and responsibility for interpretations or reliance. All images are for illustration purposes only.