A police officer developed a bond with a young girl he would see while on patrol on a daily basis. During one of his routine rounds, he was alarmed when the little girl did not show up for their daily greetings by the window.
Officer Teddy Brown is assigned to maintain peace and order in a quiet neighborhood called Rossmoor in California. He enjoys his job very much and is passionate about protecting those around him.
He is in the fifth generation of police officers in his family, but he wanted to become a police officer for an entirely different reason, and not to let the family legacy live on.
Teddy knew that the reason why his father, Peter, had risen up the ranks so quickly was that he engaged in dirty activities as a cop. He wanted to become a cop to stop this pattern and to prove to himself that his family did not have to be remembered for what his father once did.
In fact, when his father died in a planned attack after someone sought revenge, Teddy did not grieve. The incident made it a lot clearer to him that doing the right thing was always the best thing to do, as karma was right around the corner.
That’s the exact same motto he lived by when his then-partner Jeffrey Nichols approached him with a deal he thought Teddy would like. As those in the police precinct knew how dirty Teddy’s father was, they assumed he’d be the same.
“Teddy, guess what!” Jeffrey once said as he got into their police car after grabbing coffee and bagels for the both of them.
“Yeah, what is it? Who’d you run into in the coffee shop this time?” Teddy asked.
“Remember that gang we’re currently investigating?” Jeffrey started. When Teddy nodded his head, he continued his story. “Well, the crime boss just asked one of his runners to let us know that if we pin the crime on somebody else, he’s willing to pay us a whole lot of money,” he said.
This did not sit well with Teddy, as he’s been working day and night to catch the gang for their crimes in the neighborhood. “I don’t care about the money, Jeffrey. Don’t you think it’s about time that man faces the consequences of his actions? We can’t keep letting him off the hook after the atrocities he’s done against women.”
“Look man, I’m not asking you to commit a crime. It’s merely turning a blind eye so that we can get paid. It’s for both our families. Wouldn’t you like that? I mean, your father did,” Jeffrey said. It was that statement that triggered Teddy, and he was furious.
Knowing it was not good to argue with his partner, he kept his thoughts to himself. He kept pursuing the case until the crime boss was able to pay off the police chief himself. Because of his persistence in catching the gang, Teddy was moved to a more quiet part of town.
“Jeffrey asked you to go with it, but you refused. Now they want you out of here. I’m sorry, Teddy, but you have to keep a low profile as they want your head. You’ll be transferred to Rossmoor effective immediately,” the police chief had told him.
Teddy fell in love with Rossmoor as soon as he moved there. The population was small, and 10% of those that lived in the area were beggars.
Life in Rossmoor was peaceful, and there weren’t too many crimes. While it was a poor part of the city, not a lot happens as people kept to themselves. Those who lived there did not actually have anything worth stealing, and they were a tight-knit neighborhood.
As Teddy did not have a wife nor kids just yet, he lived at the officer quarters in the town. And because he had plenty of time to spare, he would often roam around the town just to familiarize himself with it some more, and that was when he met an adorable little girl who had a blonde bob haircut and bright blue eyes.
Little Emily was so adorable that Teddy couldn’t help but wish his daughter would look like that in the future. The first time they met, though, was under complicated circumstances.
Emily, who was only eight, was about to be sent to the precinct for attempting to steal some groceries. “Do you know what you’ve gotten yourself into?” Teddy asked her.
“Well, I guess now I’m about to find out as you’re about to tell me!” she replied bravely, despite there having tears in her eyes.
“You’re a minor, so no, I’m not going to do that. You have to learn these things from your parents. I’ll let your mom deal with that once she gets here. Why did you do it?” Teddy asked.
Emily started to loosen up. Her lips trembled a bit before she decided to share her story. She said that her mom has been struggling to raise her and the rest of her brothers, and she wanted to help out.
She took the groceries thinking it would release some stress from her mother, as she would be able to feed her brothers. Teddy, who was doubtful of Emily at first, started to feel sorry for her. He was touched, and after Emily’s mom picked her up, he decided to bring them to the grocery store.
“Please get whatever it is your family needs for the week,” he said.
Emily and her mother were shy, but they did not hesitate to get all the necessities they needed at home. After bringing them home that day, he never stopped visiting.
The little girl, Emily James, started to see him as a father figure after he started frequenting their street. She would wait by the window until his police car came up, just so she could wave at him and smile.
Sometimes, if she was feeling chatty, she would even wait at the curb of the street to talk to him. Whenever they’d talk, she would feel better. Soon enough, Teddy knew secrets about their family and the boys she likes all because of their little chats.
One day, however, Emily was not by the window to greet him. Her sudden absence made him worry, so he knocked on the door to check on her. As he approached, he heard crying indoors, and so he tried to enter.
When no one opened the door for him, he broke in and saw Emily passed out on the floor with two of her younger brothers crying beside her. As she was turning blue, Teddy rushed her to the hospital.
“She is severely malnourished, sir. I don’t think this young girl has eaten for days,” the nurse said. “Are you her father?”
Teddy shook his head and introduced himself as a family friend. He was told Emily needed food and a lot of rest to recuperate. After the incident, Teddy made it his responsibility to give Emily food every week. He would also remind Emily about the importance of eating and staying healthy.
Three months later, however, Teddy was asked to move back to the city and get back to his position as a detective. At the time, Emily and her family also moved to another city after they were evicted from their home. While Teddy tried to track them down, it was difficult. He eventually gave up and just prayed that Emily was doing a lot better.
20 years later, during his retirement ceremony, he received a call from the police station. He was asked to welcome the new police officers who had joined the force and share a few words with them. To his surprise, there was Emily, a grown woman, hoping to be like him.
It turns out, Emily was able to complete her education thanks to some money her mother received from a distant family member. She and the rest of her siblings were able to finish school, which now puts them in a better place.
“You know, Teddy, you’re the reason why I wanted to become a police officer. I want to help other people the same way you helped me years ago,” she said. Teddy was touched, and he fought the urge to cry.
“Thank you, Teddy. Thank you for being the father figure I didn’t have when my mother was struggling. Thanks for your kind advice that I never forgot – even after all these years. It made me want to become a good person, and here I am, about to become a cop. That’s all thanks to you,” she said, giving him a hug.
Teddy was so proud of the woman Emily had become. Although he dreamed of having a daughter once, he never got married or had kids. He dedicated his whole life to his work as a police officer, but thanks to Emily, it seems as if he raised a child he was now proud of.
