He studied the money in the envelope for a long moment, then turned his eyes back to my face with a hint of worry.

“Do you need this money right now to help pay the mortgage, Mom?” he asked softly.

I put my arm around his shoulders and pulled him against my side in a deep, reassuring squeeze.

“No, Austin, absolutely not,” I told him with unshakable conviction.

“That’s your birthday savings, given to you by people who love you, and it was always meant to be yours.”

“Dad told me things are still really tight with the budget, though,” he reminded me carefully.