Her Wish
It had been two years since she last saw her son. From all the times she’d talked to him over video calls, she’d seen how big he’d gotten.
He’d been to several tours, even being decorated for a few. As an officer, she’d never been prouder of him. But as a mom, she couldn’t wait for the day he’d be in front of her eyes. Her wish would soon be answered.
The Pep Rally
When Linda agreed to attend her local high school’s pep rally, she only wanted to show support to her friends, community, and school while simultaneously ensuring the kids’ safety.
She left the house as early as possible, reporting at the station before driving her cruiser down to the school. She had no idea what a beautiful surprise her community had in store for her.
Belinder Byers
Belinder Byers, or Linda to her friends and family, had always been a caring woman. A single mom to the cutest and most resourceful boy in her neighborhood, Linda had built the perfect life for herself.
She worked as a deputy in Kansas, seeing the life of an officer as her calling. She loved everything that came with her job and went out of her way to ensure her precinct never lacked anything. One day, her community would show her just how much she meant to them.
A Marine
Linda had been an officer for almost a decade when the event that brought her to tears took place. Her life had been difficult of late, owing to the fact that her only son made the brave decision to become a marine.
Linda’s son, Trey, had always wanted to be like his mom. He always joked about stepping up to serve and protect his country in high school. Linda had no clue he was serious.
Graduation
It was a few days after Trey’s graduation when he informed his mom of what was on his mind. “He said he felt like it was time he enrolled into the navy,” Linda told a reporter from her town.
“He’d always talked about it, but I never thought he was serious. I was more than proud of him.” Linda helped Trey with all the prerequisites that would allow him to qualify for the marines, and before the two knew it, Trey was off to begin his training.
Living Without Him
Linda would live the rest of the year without her son, only seeing him over video calls. Whenever he’d come home, he’d only stay for a week before being called back to the field again.
Although Linda hated to admit it, every moment she spent away from her was grueling pain. But one thing made it even more painful.
The Dangers Of Duty
As a deputy, Linda had seen all the dangers of the job. She’d always worked hard to ensure her community was safe and free of crimes.
She couldn’t start to imagine how augmented the danger was for her fellow brothers and sisters serving in the army, navy, and air force. Thinking about it alone kept her awake for many nights. But what could she do to help her take her mind off such dark thoughts?
Numbing The Pain
The only thing Linda could think of was diving into her job as best she could. She went out of her way to help everyone in her community, whether in terms of protection, advice, or even babysitting.
The months rolled by without seeing her son, and her worries multiplied exponentially. To combat this goring feeling, she continued helping her community. She had no clue what they were planning behind her back.
Two Years
It had been two years since Linda had seen her son. From all the times she’d talked to him over video calls, she’d seen how big he’d gotten.
He’d been to several tours, even being decorated for a few. As an officer, Linda had never been prouder of him. But as a mom, she couldn’t wait for the day he’d be in front of her eyes. Her wish would soon be answered.
The Guest Of Honor
Linda’s local high school was holding a pep rally, to which the organizing committee invited her as the guest of honor. After many months of helping the community, Linda thought this was their way of saying thank you.
As always, she left her house early in the morning, reporting to the station before driving to the high school. She helped out with the final preparations and, before she knew it, joined the rest of her neighborhood in the school event.
A Magnificent Event
The pep rally was more magnificent than anything Linda could’ve ever predicted. Several people gave testimonies of what she and her fellow officers had done for them, thanking the police for being such a positive force in the community.
The day was perfect, but as it came to a close, the organizer, alongside the principal, said they had one last message for Linda. That’s when the hall’s projector turned on.
The Projector
Linda’s heart was full of joy as her community thanked her for everything she’d done for them. But the projector turned on, and Trey’s face shone before her. The audience quieted down as Trey told her he was working hard to serve their country and make her proud.
He thanked her for raising him and ensuring he never lacked a thing as a child. Emotions collided within Linda as she listened. Tears blurred her sight. She thought it was over when the crowds burst out screaming.
The Crowd Screams
The screams wrenched Linda from all the emotions that had captured her body. Her blurry sight took in everything happening around her, and she realized everyone was staring at the door behind her.
She turned around, her heart telling her Trey was behind her while her mind begging her to stay objective. A large crowd was pouring into the hall, and in the middle was Trey. Linda’s heart stopped.
Emotions
The emotions that had leached out of her body returned with an explosive vengeance. She tried to scream, but her tongue couldn’t move, tried to run to her son, but her body couldn’t respond. She was dazed.
Trey raced to his mom, and only when she was sure all this was happening did she rush to hug him. Tears trimmed her cheeks as she hugged him tightly. She hadn’t expected this when she agreed to attend this function and knew she could never repay her community for such kindness.
Forever Thankful
Trey had grown since Linda last saw him. His was all muscle and height, crowned with the sweet innocent smile he always had as a kid.
He thanked everyone who vouched for him to return home to see his mom—as for Linda, finally being with her son after two years was the best gift anyone had ever given her. She is forever thankful!