A poor little boy bursts into tears after being teased by his classmates for the cheap Halloween costume his father made—until the school principal shows up wearing the same one.
Levi loved his little home and his parents, Carol and Darren. They weren’t rich, but they were always there for each other and for him, which he admired. But one afternoon, as he came home from school, Levi was upset with his parents.
How could he not be? It was Halloween—the season of candy and pranks—and there was a costume contest at his school. Yet his parents couldn’t afford to buy him a new costume.
His classmates would be dressed as Superman, Batman, or one of the Avengers, but he had to make do with his old costume!
“Honey, please try to understand,” Carol said. “You know your dad and I are doing our best to keep this house. We need to save money for the mortgage.”
“Don’t you love me, Mom?” Levi asked sadly. “I don’t want the house—I want a new costume. But you love the house, not me!”
Carol sighed. “That’s not true, sweetheart. It’s you that Mommy and Daddy love the most! We love you more than anything!”
“No!” he shouted through his tears. “You’re lying! You don’t love me—you love the house!”
With that, Levi ran to his room, crying, and refused to come out, not even for dinner. No parent wants to see their child sad, and Carol was no different. But what choice did she have? Not much.
They were drowning in loans, and their small shop barely made enough to get by. But seeing Levi so heartbroken troubled her, so she discussed it with Darren over dinner.
“He’s really upset, hun,” she said. “Can we buy him a new costume? If not, I’ll find a part-time job.”
“Don’t stress, sweetheart,” Darren said. “You already have enough on your plate. I have an idea…”
Two days later, as Levi ate dinner alone in his room, still upset about the costume, Darren walked in with a huge package in his hands.
In this cruel world, we must support one another and encourage kindness.
“Can I come in, little man?” he asked at the door.
“No, you can’t,” Levi replied without even looking up from his plate.
“What if I told you I got you a new costume?” Darren said. “I thought you’d be happy.”
“You did?” Levi looked at the package in Darren’s hands and smiled. “Is it really a new outfit?”
“Indeed!” Darren grinned. “Now, how about a little apology to Mom for yelling at her two days ago? She was so worried about you.”
Levi was so excited to see his new costume that he rushed out of his room and hugged Carol. “You and Dad love me! Not the house! I’m so sorry, Mom! Let’s go see my new costume together!” He grabbed her hands and ran so fast she nearly tripped.
Then came the BIG moment. When Levi opened the package and saw the costume inside, he was in tears.
“It’s a robot?” he asked. “Dad, Mom, I love robots!”
“We know you do, sweetheart,” Carol said. “Do you like it? Dad made it for you!”
“I love it, Mom and Dad!” Levi whispered, wiping his tears. “I love it so much! And I love you both too! Thank you!”
Levi was thrilled. He adored the robot costume Darren had made from cardboard and duct tape. Sure, it wasn’t expensive, but it was made with love and his father’s effort.
But on the day of the costume event, Levi was crying because of the costume. He was heartbroken because all his classmates were making fun of him.
“Look, Levi’s wearing a piece of painted cardboard!” a boy laughed. “He couldn’t even buy a real costume!”
“Don’t say that, Tony!” Levi protested, swallowing the lump in his throat. “My dad worked hard to make it! He watched videos on his computer and put in so much effort!”
“Oh, did he?” another kid sneered, laughing with his friends. “Well, that costume makes you look like a loser! I bet your dad is a loser too!”
The kids were so cruel that Levi started crying. When his name was called, he refused to go on stage and instead wept backstage.
The show soon ended, and everyone got to show off their costumes—except Levi.
“I’m so sorry, Dad…” he whimpered. “I didn’t even enter the contest! I ruined all your hard work! I’m sorry…”
Suddenly, Levi heard a loud breath. He looked toward the stage and couldn’t believe his eyes. The school principal, Mr. Frederick, was standing on stage—dressed as a robot! A red robot, unlike Levi’s blue one.
“Where’s my fellow robot? Levi, where are you, my boy?” he called from the stage.
“Mr. Frederick?” Levi gasped as he stepped onto the stage. “You have the same costume as me!”
“Call me Captain Red!” Mr. Frederick said proudly. “Agent Blue, you have a fantastic costume! Mine took forever to make!”
“You’re so cool, Captain Red!” Levi beamed, forgetting his worries. “My dad made this costume for me! I love it!”
“That’s wonderful, Agent Blue! I’ll have to ask your dad to make me a costume next time! I noticed some kids weren’t appreciating your outfit, so I thought—why not show them they’re wrong? You know what? I love your costume! You’re lucky—your dad spends love on you, which is far more valuable than spending money on kids…”
That day, Levi won the competition. His robot costume stood out among the Spidermen, Batmen, Avengers, and Disney princesses, and he wore the biggest smile as he lifted the trophy with Captain Red!
At that moment, the group of mean kids gathered around Levi and apologized. “We’re sorry, Levi!” they shouted in unison. “Your costume was awesome!”
Levi was happy that the other kids appreciated his costume. He shared the big basket of candy he had won with them and said, “It’s okay! I’m not sad anymore. Let’s not be mean to others, okay? Mom and Dad say we should all love one another!”
“That’s absolutely right, Levi,” Mr. Frederick said gently. “Always remember, kids, that we must support each other and encourage kindness in this world. Never put others down! That’s what Captain Red and Agent Blue believe in too!”he added with a wink, and all the children nodded happily as they enjoyed their Halloween candy.
Seeing the document in her hands, Anna felt a wave of emotions wash over her. The letter was old, its edges slightly worn, as if it had been read countless times. She hesitated before unfolding it, her heart pounding with anticipation.
As her eyes scanned the words, a mixture of shock and understanding settled within her. The truth she had sought for so long was finally in front of her, laid bare in ink and paper. It was both liberating and heartbreaking.
Memories of the past flooded her mind—conversations, moments that once seemed insignificant but now carried a weight she had never noticed before. Everything made sense now. The unanswered questions, the lingering doubts—they all found their resolution in these carefully chosen words.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. This letter was not just a revelation; it was a turning point. What she did next would define the course of her future.
Would she embrace the truth and move forward, or let the weight of it hold her back?
