Niki really had ranked first in the entire grade, scoring straight A-pluses in English, Math, and Science.
Raffy's grades, however, were a harsh reality check. He had dropped out of the top hundred, falling nearly fifty spots from his usual rank.
Danielle held her phone, her brow furrowing with concern.
She knew he was going to be crushed.
After mulling it over, she decided not to tell the kids just yet. She'd wait until Alexander got home that night so they could figure out how to comfort him together.
But she didn't get the chance. Niki practically skipped through the front door after school, waving a shiny certificate and screaming, "Mom! Mom! I got first place in my grade!"
"My teacher even gave me a special award!"
Danielle laughed, taking the certificate. "That's incredible, sweetheart! What kind of reward do you want?"
"Skiing! And I want you and Dad to come with us!"
Niki answered without missing a beat.
Right then, Raffy walked in, staring at the floor. He clutched his report card, his eyes noticeably red.
He spotted Niki's award and stopped in his tracks, then quietly walked over to the corner and shoved his report card into his backpack.
Niki's bubbly excitement instantly vanished.
She looked from Raffy's miserable posture to Danielle's sympathetic face and immediately understood.
Putting her certificate down, she ran over and grabbed his hand, looking at him seriously. "It's okay, Raffy."
"You didn't do great this time, but we'll just try harder for the next one."
"I'll help you study over the break. You can read all my notes, and I'll make sure your grades go back up."
Raffy looked up at her.
Sniffling, he gave a small nod and managed a weak smile. "Yeah."
Watching the scene play out, Danielle's heart swelled.
She walked over and affectionately rubbed both their heads. "Alright, no more long faces."
"The grades are in, and there's nothing we can do about it now."
"Tomorrow, we're hitting the ski resort to just let loose and have fun!"
"Awesome!"
Niki cheered, and a spark of genuine excitement finally returned to Raffy's eyes.
When Alexander came home that evening, he was carrying two brand-new sets of ski gear.
He smiled and handed one to the boy. "Got this for you, Raffy. Tomorrow we hit the slopes."
Raffy's eyes lit up as he looked at the high-end snowsuit. "Thanks, Dad!"
Alexander ruffled his hair and turned to Danielle, a grin on his face. "Everything's packed and ready. We head out first thing in the morning."
She nodded, offering him a warm, tender smile.
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