The smell of chocolate pancakes filled the kitchen, rich and sweet, lingering in the air like a warm hug. The sizzling of batter on the pan crackled softly as Alex flipped another pancake with practiced ease. For weeks now, James had been obsessed with chocolate pancakes, and Alex, ever the doting father, wasn't about to disappoint him.
At the table, Margaret sat, resting a hand on her growing belly, her eyes half-lidded from sleep but filled with quiet amusement. She didn't mind eating the same thing every morning—just as long as she was eating. Pregnancy cravings had hit her like a truck, and though she wasn't as particular as James, she was always hungry these days.
"Mmm," she hummed, rubbing her stomach. "I swear, this baby is turning me into a bottomless pit. I could eat five more of those, easy."
Alex smirked, stacking another golden-brown pancake onto the growing pile before turning to his wife.
"Don't tempt me, woman," he teased. "I'll have to make a second batch at this rate."
Margaret grinned, resting her chin in her palm. "Not my fault you make the best pancakes in the world."
James, still in his pajamas, was practically vibrating with excitement as he waited for his plate. He kicked his feet under the table, his eyes locked onto the chocolate-drizzled stack like a hunter stalking prey.
"Dad, hurry!" he whined. "I'm starving!"
Alex rolled his eyes, finishing up the last pancake before setting a heaping plate in front of James.
"Here, your royal highness. Feast."
James immediately dug in, stuffing a piece into his mouth and moaning like he had ascended to a higher plane of existence.
"Mmm! So good!" he garbled through a full mouth.
Margaret giggled.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, baby," she chided, though she was already reaching for her own plate.
As the family enjoyed their breakfast, Alex took a moment to soak it in. These quiet moments—his wife, his son, their home filled with warmth—they made all the hard work worth it.
But, unfortunately, the world outside didn't stop for breakfast.
With a sigh, Alex pushed back from the table, wiping his hands on a towel.
"Alright," he said. "I gotta head out. The store won't open itself."
Margaret gave him a look. "You sure you don't want to take a day off?"
"Can't afford to," Alex said, grabbing his jacket.
James, still chewing, mumbled something unintelligible before swallowing. "Bye, Dad! Can you make more pancakes tomorrow?"
Alex chuckled, ruffling his son's hair as he passed. "If you behave, we'll see."
James grinned. "I always behave."
Margaret and Alex exchanged a look before both saying at the same time: "Sure you do."
James pouted, but Alex was already out the door.
An Unexpected Goodbye
Alex walked the familiar route to the small convenience store where he had been working for years.
It was a humble place, barely scraping by. The kind of store that still had old wooden shelves, a rusty bell above the door, and faded posters from decades ago hanging on the walls.
It was nothing fancy, but it had been his job ever since he was young—given to him by an old man who, despite his gruff exterior, had been like family.
But when Alex finally arrived, he stopped in his tracks.
The store was closed.
Not just closed for the day—closed permanently. The windows were dark, the door locked, and standing outside, waiting for him, was the old man himself.
Alex's stomach sank.
"Boss…?"
The old man—Mr. Peterson—looked at him with a tired but kind smile. In his wrinkled hands, he held a plain envelope.
"Figured I'd wait for ya," the old man said. "Didn't want you to walk all this way for nothing."
Alex frowned, his hands clenching at his sides. "What happened? I mean, I know business wasn't great, but—"
Mr. Peterson chuckled.
"Kid, I'm old." He gestured at the store. "This place is old. And frankly, neither of us are getting any younger. I decided it was time to close up shop before I croak behind the register."
Alex felt a pang of sadness.
This job—this place—it had been with him for so long. It wasn't much, but it was his.
"So that's it?" he muttered.
"That's it," Mr. Peterson confirmed. Then he held out the envelope.
"LexCorp gave me something for you, Alex."
Alex stared at it, confused.
"LexCorp? What the hell does LexCorp want with me?"
The old man smirked.
"Why don't you open it and find out?"
Alex took the envelope, but before opening it, he looked at Mr. Peterson and sighed.
"Thanks, old man. For everything."
The old man grunted. "Thank me by finding a job you actually like."
Alex snorted, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, yeah. Just… stay safe, alright? And when you do kick the bucket, make sure someone invites me to the funeral."
Mr. Peterson barked out a laugh. "Snarky brat. Of course I'd invite you."
With one last nod, Alex turned and walked away, gripping the envelope tightly in his hand.
A New Opportunity
As Alex made his way home, he finally tore open the envelope.
Inside was a letter.
An invitation.
To LexCorp.
More specifically, a potential internship opportunity, asking him to come by tomorrow.
Alex stopped walking, staring at the paper.
LexCorp?
Him?
He let out a low whistle, running a hand through his hair.
"Well, I'll be damned."
He read the letter again, just to make sure he wasn't imagining it.
Nope. It was real.
For a long moment, Alex just stood there, looking at the closed-down store in the distance, then at the shining city skyline ahead of him.
A door had closed.
But another one had just opened.
A slow smirk crept onto his face.
"Guess the saying's true, huh?" he muttered to himself.
"When one door closes… another opens."
And with that, he tucked the letter into his pocket and kept walking—toward whatever came next.
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Hey PEEPS, WHATS UP... Yeah nothing much as I expected, but that's fine because by the time your reading this I'm not posting here for a week, but my new Webnovel, Gray Lanterns Flight, will be up. I honestly hope you enjoy this. And that. But Fer now, I hope ye enjoy [INSERT DUMB WHEEZING LAUGH]