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The coffee shop was quieter than usual that afternoon, the warm aroma of roasted beans filling the small room. Layla wiped down the counter, trying not to let her mind wander too far.
"You look like you've got a million things on your mind," Shane said, walking in with his usual calm smile.
"I guess I do," Layla admitted, leaning against the counter. "College… tuition… I don't even know if I can make it happen."
Shane leaned closer, his eyes serious but gentle. "You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. And you don't have to do it alone."
Layla's heart skipped a beat. She had known Shane was kind, that he had always supported her, but the way he said it now made something shift inside her.
"I don't understand…" she whispered.
"I want to help you, Layla," Shane said. "I know you've got dreams bigger than this coffee shop. Let me sponsor your tuition. I'll handle the fees, books, everything."
Layla blinked, stunned. "I… I can't accept that. You work so hard for yourself—why would you do this for me?"
Shane shrugged, brushing a stray strand of hair from his forehead. "Because I believe in you. Because someone believed in me once, and I never forgot what it felt like to have a hand to hold when life felt impossible. You deserve the same chance."
Tears pricked Layla's eyes. She wanted to argue, to say it was too much, but a part of her—the part that had always dreamed bigger than this little coffee shop—wanted to reach out and take it.
"I… I don't know what to say," she murmured.
"Then don't say anything yet," Shane replied, his voice soft. "Just promise me you'll think about it. And whatever you decide, I'll be here."
Layla nodded slowly. For the first time in a long while, the weight of her worries felt lighter. Maybe… just maybe… this was the chance she had been waiting for.
As Shane left the coffee shop, leaving her alone with the scent of roasted beans and the quiet hum of the espresso machine, Layla realized that her life was about to change forever.
But little did she know, dreams often come with a price… and choices made in the heart can echo far longer than anyone excepts
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