Laistigh den stór ollmhór, bhí Aoife agus Liam ag seasamh sa scuaine seic a bhí cosúil le nathair fhada a bhí síneadh amach timpeall an chúinne.

Inside the massive store, Aoife and Liam stood in a checkout line that looked like a long snake stretching around the corner.

Bhí Aoife croíbhriste ach diongbháilte.

Aoife was heartbroken but determined.

Bhí sí ag iarraidh an bhliain scoile nua a thosú ar an mbealach ceart do Liam agus di féin.

She wanted to start the new school year off right for both Liam and herself.

Ní raibh aon laethanta saoire speisialta ann, ach bhí an scoil ar tí tosú arís.

There were no special holidays, but school was about to start again.

Bhí an samhradh fós timpeall orthu, teas bog na gréine ag teacht isteach trí na ballaí gloine.

Summer still surrounded them, the gentle warmth of the sun filtering in through the glass walls.

Bhí crann mór tabhaill taobh amuigh, lena dhuilleoga ag bogadh go mall sa ghaoth.

Outside, a big tree with its leaves swaying slowly in the breeze stood.

Bhí an siopa plódaithe le daltaí eile agus tuismitheoirí ag déanamh a gcuid siopadóireachta scoile.

The shop was crowded with other students and parents doing their school shopping.

Bhí an t-atmaisféar lán brí, le comhráite agus gáirí ag foluain san aer.

The atmosphere was buzzing with lively conversations and laughter floating in the air.

Choinnigh Aoife a súile ar fhear mór le bríste gorma agus léine bán sa líne roimhe.

Aoife kept her eyes on a big man in blue trousers and a white shirt standing in line ahead of them.

Bhí a fhios aici gur gá gach ceint a choigilt, mar bhí an buiséad teoranta.

She knew that every cent needed to be saved, as the budget was tight.

Bhí Liam ag féachaint thart, ag stánadh ar na peannaireacha dathanna agus na dialanna gleoite ar na seilfeanna.

Liam was looking around, staring at the colored pens and the cute diaries on the shelves.

"Déan cinnte go bhfuil ceann de gach rud tábhachtach againn," a dúirt sí go docht.

"Make sure we have one of everything important," she said sternly.

Thug sí liosta beag do Liam agus choinnigh sí ceann eile aici.

She handed a small list to Liam and kept another one for herself.

Thosaigh sí ag tarrtháil suipplí ag an seilf os a gcomhair: pinn, bharra ealaíne, leabhar nótaí.

She started grabbing supplies from the shelf in front of them: pens, art supplies, notebooks.

Le gach rud a bhí sí ag cur sa tralaí, bhí a meáchan ag brú ar a cuid smaointe faoi conas lámhaigh sé ar an gceart chothromaíocht a fháil idir a riachtanais féin agus Liam.

With each item she put in the cart, her thoughts weighed heavily on how to strike the right balance between her own needs and Liam's.

Tháinig an nóiméad chrua ar dheireadh na scuaine.

The hard moment came at the end of the line.

Le línte ann, chuirfeadh aon mhionchuaire cró ar a buiséad.

With the queues there, any small miscalculation could wreck her budget.

Thóg na méara a h-anáil go mall sula ndeachaigh sí chun na cásair.

Her fingers took a slow breath before she approached the cashier.

Bhí an tralaí lán, agus ba bheag faoi.

The cart was full, and there was little under it.

D'fhéach an bhean cásair ar na hearraí agus chuir isteach iad go tapa.

The cashier looked at the items and quickly scanned them.

"Is é seo tríocha euro agus cúig," dúirt an bhean le guth cairdiúil ach neamhairdiúil.

"That’s thirty euros and five cents," the cashier said in a friendly but detached voice.

Bhí Aoife beagán as a meabhair le háireamh breise.

Aoife was slightly frantic with the extra calculation.

"Tá sé sin os mo bhuiséad," a dúirt sí go práinneach, ag cuardach na tralaí go tapa.

"That’s above my budget," she said urgently, quickly searching through the cart.

Bhí sí ag smaoineamh go bhfuil gach earra tábhachtach.

She thought that every item was important.

Bhraith sí súile Liam orthu í go ciúin.

She felt Liam's eyes quietly watching her.

Bhí ar Aoife roghnú a dhéanamh.

Aoife had to make a choice.

Thóg sí an dialann ghrinn agus peann iontach a bhí thaitneamh le Liam.

She took out the cute diary and the wonderful pen that Liam liked.

"Feicim iad seo," a dúirt sí go ciúin leis an mbean cásair.

"I’ll take these back," she said quietly to the cashier.

D'imigh na healaíona speisialta agus an peann, agus d'ardaigh an sochar sa bhuiséad.

The special art supplies and the pen were gone, and the budget was balanced.

D'fhéach Aoife ar a deartháir beag agus dúirt sí, "Ní hé ábhair a dhéanann scoil speisialta, Liam.

Aoife looked at her little brother and said, "It’s not the materials that make school special, Liam.

Is é ár n-iarracht agus ár mbealach ár mbantaois a chruthú.

It’s our effort and the way we create our success."

"Choinnigh Liam ag breathnú uirthi ar feadh soicind, an t-iongnadh ina shúile.

Liam kept looking at her for a second, surprise in his eyes.

Ansin rinne sé aoibh.

Then he smiled.

"Feicfimid muid féin tríd," a dúirt sé le dóchas.

"We’ll get through it ourselves," he said with hope.

Leis sin, d'imigh siad amach as an siopa, a gcuid measartha a bhaint amach go sábháilte.

With that, they left the store, safely securing their modest haul.

Bhí an tráthnóna ag dul i bhfad, agus mar a shiúil siad faoin ghrian dílistithe, bhí fios mór ar Aoife go ndéanfadh an bliana scoile deireanach seo a rathú dá chéile.

The evening was drawing near, and as they walked under the fading sun, Aoife felt a great certainty that they would make this final school year a success together.

Tháinig an t-athrú, an cúram agus an tacaíocht, níos mó luachmhar ná na treallamh scoile ar fad.

Change, care, and support had become more valuable than all the school supplies.