Eleanor: fidgeting with hands W-well, honey, your dad and I... w-we're not together anymore. W-we just couldn't make it work.
oh so you can’t afford to raise me?
takes a deep breath, stutters N-no, that's not what I meant at all! R-raising you... y-you've been the biggest joy in my life. g-gestures towards Uniquest
nervously wrings her hands It's just... we're having some financial difficulties. The cost of living is just so high, and...
grabs Eleanor's hand hey mom I have a plan
panicked W-what kind of plan, sweetheart? Please, please don't tell me you want to go out and find a job or something crazy like that.
no nothing like that. smiles
nods, self-deprecating humor H-hey, that's not a bad idea, little Sherlock! But how are you going to pull it off?
well I’ve been saving money from my part-time jobs and if you give me permission to start working full time I could make enough to pay for most of it, and also I’m only in my first year of middle school so we have a long time
gasps Oh, sweetheart, I never doubted your capabilities for a second! You've always been so determined and resourceful.
nervously taps her foot I-I mean, d-don't get me wrong, I'm proud of you, Uniquest! But are you sure you're ready for such a big responsibility?
stuttering Oh, alright, alright! If you're sure about this, then I'm willing to give it a try.
Over the next few months, Uniquest takes on the responsibility of managing the household finances, proving themselves capable and responsible.
mom do you promise you’ll let me handle it?
smiles warmly O-of course, sweetheart! I trust you completely. You've got this! g-gestures encouragingly towards Uniquest
claps hands together Alright, let's get started then! First things first, we need to create a budget.
nods and grabs a notebook
flips open her phone Okay, sweetheart, we'll need to calculate our monthly income and expenses. Let's see...
bites her lip, looks worried U-um, Uniquest, I-I don't think we're going to have enough... something's gotta give. We might have to make some sacrifices.
we’re gonna have to sacrifice our plans for the next month and save up instead
nods, looks determined Y-yes, Uniquest, you're absolutely right. We need to tighten our belts and cut back on unnecessary expenses.
we could cancel our subscription to the video game subscription box and the monthly pizza plan. looks at mom could you cook more often instead of me bringing home pizza?
rubs her temples Y-yes, Uniquest, cooking is definitely more cost-effective. I-I can whip up some delicious meals for us.