A Sleepless Night
He parked his cruiser on the side of the road and hurried over to her stall. He asked for the biggest cup of lemonade she had, and she quickly handed it over.
But while drinking, he noticed something that piqued his interest. He asked about it, not knowing the answer he’d receive would send him running back the next day. What on earth was happening there?
Serve And Protect
Eric was eighteen years old when he enrolled in law enforcement. An enthusiastic teenager then, he’d known he wanted to spend the rest of his life serving and protecting his town.
Eric worked hard in the program, and by twenty-two, he’d become the sheriff’s deputy of Marietta, Ohio. His dream had finally come true. But there was something waiting for him down the road, and it would have him questioning everything he thought he knew.
Being Good
Eric was like every other officer in Marietta. He not only loved his job but always went out of his way to ensure he’d left a positive and lasting impact on the community.
Alongside his superiors and fellow officers, Eric had taken part in several charities that changed Marietta. But what he uncovered that day would make him feel like he hadn’t been helping his community at all.
A Day In The Life
Eric’s duties as a sheriff’s deputy mainly revolved around patrolling the town and most of its outskirts and answering complaints filed by the residents. He would ensure the peace remained and help anyone he encountered on his way.
As far as he was concerned, he was doing good by the town and the promise he’d made to himself when he joined the force. But that would change the moment he ran into a young girl.
A Normal Day
The day that everything seemingly came to a standstill started as usual as any for Eric. After a quick early morning shower, he hopped into his cruiser and went straight to the station.
He expected it to be a normal morning filled to the brim with paperwork. But he was sorely mistaken. As soon as he arrived, he was sent out to deal with a complaint. And that was just the beginning of the events that would unfold that day.
No Info
Eric was pulled in by one of the dispatch officers, who told him that she had just received a complaint from a woman who lived a few blocks away.
He asked what the complaint was about, but the dispatcher just shrugged. She had no information about the situation at all. If only Eric knew what he was in for.
Frantic Woman
Eric asked the dispatcher how she could not know what the complaint was about. And she simply said that the woman on the other end of the line was frantic.
She wouldn’t even be able to get the address if it weren’t for their automatic tracking system. Eric was shocked. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. But this was just the beginning.
Unintelligible Screams
The dispatcher made a few jokes about the woman. She spoke about her unintelligible screams and the fury that had accompanied them. She also told Eric that she didn’t think the woman was being serious.
But since a complaint was made, they had to follow up on it. If they didn’t, and something went wrong, they would be to blame. But Eric wasn’t prepared for what he would find.
Taking The Case
Without batting an eye, Eric agreed to go check on the situation. He thought that it might’ve been a domestic case, but he was in for one heck of a surprise.
When he arrived, he found the frantic woman pacing up and down the street. But it was what she said that shocked him to his core.
Unbelievable
The woman called the police to complain that the girl who was living in the street behind hers had a lemonade stand. Eric blinked in confusion as he heard the words leave her mouth, and his partner, Blaine, couldn’t help but laugh.
Eric explained that the woman had no right to call the police about a lemonade stand, and the pair went on their way. But Eric had no idea that this complaint wouldn’t let go. This lemonade stand would become the focal point of his day.
Going On Patrol
It was almost noon when Eric and Blaine left the station to start their patrol. They drove around the town for a few hours, assisting residents as much as possible.
They’d done the bulk of the work by three in the afternoon and were craving a soft drink, given how hot the day was. They were driving to Eric’s favorite restaurant when they saw a little girl sitting on the pavement. Has something happened to her?
Sad
The girl looked sad, and Eric could see that she had been crying. If he had to guess, he’d say that she was about five or six years old, and she was all alone.
Where were her parents? And why was she crying on the side of the road? Eric figured it out the moment he looked up and saw what was standing behind her.
Touching Sight
A broken umbrella littered the sidewalk, and with it were a bunch of broken slabs of wood. They used to belong to a makeshift table that still occupied a piece of grass in front of the house.
Atop the table, there were two large jugs and a bunch of plastic cups. The girl had a lemonade stand. But it looked like it had taken quite the beating.
Could He Help?
Eric’s heart went out to the girl. He had no idea what had happened to her or her stand, but he knew that he wanted to help in whatever way he could.
He hated seeing the citizens suffer, and he hated it even more when they were children. But could he help? Or was this case too large for a young officer like him?
Two Birds
Eric looked over at his partner. “Do you think we can help this young damsel out of her predicament?” he asked. Blaine arched a brow. His curiosity was written across his face.
“We would be hitting two birds with one stone,” Blaine said, looking at the jugs of lemonade that still remained intact. The man had a point, Eric thought to himself. But the men had no idea what they were getting themselves into.
A Change Of Plans
With that, the two officers pulled over and approached the young girl. They didn’t want to startle her, considering that she was already in such a state, so they decided to do this the old-fashioned way.
“Hello, young lady,” Eric said as they got to her side of the road. The girl looked up at him with big, hopeful eyes. Would he make it out of this with his heart intact?
Cravings
Eric gave the girl a warm smile. He was trying to keep his gaze away from the refreshing drink he had been craving since he answered the distress call that morning.
Since the woman mentioned lemonade, it was all he wanted, and there it was, smiling back at him in the most sinister of ways. “Hello, Officer,” the little girl said, drawing him from his thoughts. Little did he know that this interaction would last a lifetime.
Something Cold
The day was hot, hotter than it had been in a while, and Eric had a soft spot in his heart for homemade lemonade. It was the only thing that could quench his thirst on a hot day, and as far as he knew, his favorite restaurant was the only place that still made it.
Yet there he stood in front of a little girl whose lemonade looked better than anything he had ever seen before. But this stand had a secret. Would the officer be able to uncover it?
The Biggest Cup
Eric asked for the biggest cup the little girl had on sale. Delighted by the officer’s request, the six-year-old girl, who’d introduced herself as Kimmy, poured Eric his drink.
She handed it over, and Eric quickly sipped, almost groaning at the cold and refreshing juice. But as he drank, he realized something that didn’t seem to add up.
Concern
The girl’s stall was shattered, and it didn’t have shade for such a hot day. To add to this, judging from her cash jar, it looked like she hadn’t sold much lemonade that day.
Curious, Eric asked her why her jar was nearly empty, despite her lemonade being among the best he’d ever drunk. The girl’s answer would shatter him.
She Explains
“After I set up my stand, someone broke it,” the girl said through her tears. “And we don’t have enough money to get it fixed,” she added, revealing that her family was struggling financially.
Eric’s heart broke. But there was more. Kimmy also told him that she was saving up money from the sales for a tablet. Her reason for needing a tablet would leave Eric speechless.
Why She Needs One
“I need one for school and video games,” Kimmy shared, and if Eric’s heart wasn’t broken before, it shattered into a million pieces now.
He bought a second lemonade before thanking Kimmy and leaving a generous tip. But as the day went by, all he could think about was Kimmy and her need. He vowed he’d do something about the girl’s situation.
What To Do?
Eric had a slight suspicion that Kimmy’s neighbor was behind the trouble she was going through, and that crushed him. He couldn’t believe that people could be so cruel.
But that didn’t mean that there weren’t good people out there. He prided himself in being one of them. And he wanted to do something to help the little girl. But what could he do?
Sharing His Story
After a few hours of silence, Blaine asked his partner what was going on. “Why does that girl have to struggle like that? Why isn’t someone helping her to get what she needs?” Eric asked.
“Maybe, no one knows,” Blaine said, intrigued by his partner’s line of thought. “We know,” Eric responded. “Isn’t there something we can do?” What his partner had to say would leave him speechless.
An Idea
“We are just two men doing our jobs,” Blaine said, quirking a brow. “But if, say, five of us got together, we could help the girl achieve her goal.”
Eric furrowed his brows in confusion. What was Blaine hinting at? “What do you mean?” Eric finally asked. “She needs two things. We could help her get them.”
Approaching The Team
With that thought in mind, Eric and Blaine approached some of the other officers at the station. They told them about the little girl and her lemonade stand.
Every single one of the officers was touched by the story they shared, and they all wanted to help. But what could they do? What could they give their young citizen to make her life easier?
All In
Blaine suggested that they put their money together. One of the officers could go out and buy the girl a tablet. Another could buy all the supplies she needed for her stand.
And the rest could go to her house and help her rebuild. When he was done talking, all of the officers were in agreement. They would help this girl one way or another.
Trying To Help
When Eric and the other officers arrived at the scene, the little girl was shocked. They all asked to have some of her lemonade, but her face turned sad once more. “I don’t have enough,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you’ll have more before you know it,” Eric said, giving her another warm smile. And that was when the officers got to work.
A Work In Progress
The officers put the new pieces of wood together and painted them a bright yellow. They added banners and trinkets to make the stand as appealing as possible. They even helped Kimmy stock up on lemonade.
And before long, there was a queue forming on her lawn. Her money jar was filling up quickly. But the best gift was yet to come.
A Smile Is Enough
Blaine arrived about an hour later. The stall was already set up, and the officers were helping Kimmy make her sales. The little girl had a smile on her face once more. But the officers had one more trick up their sleeves.
Blaine knelt down next to Kimmy and presented her with the tablet she had been saving for. “Is… Is that for me?” the young girl stuttered. “Yes, it is,” Blaine said with a broad smile.