10/02/2025
My Son Became Best Friends With Two Police Officers While I Was Just Waiting to Get Cash From the ATM
We were only supposed to be in the bank for five minutes. Five.
I told my son to stay close while I used the ATM in the lobby, but he was in one of those moods—restless, full of questions, eyes darting around like a detective on his first case. He wanted to know how the ATM “made” money, why the ceiling fans spun so slowly, and whether the “beeping” meant my card was famous now.
I turned my back for one moment, and when I glanced over my shoulder, he was gone. My heart jumped—until I spotted him a few feet away, deep in conversation with two California Highway Patrol officers standing by a table near the entrance.
Not just polite conversation, either—my six-year-old was talking to them like they were long-lost uncles. Hands waving for emphasis, head bobbing with excitement.
I started toward them, ready to apologize for him interrupting, but before I could say a word, one of the officers crouched down to his level and pulled out something shiny—a sticker badge.
And that was it. Instant, unshakable bond.
My son puffed out his chest like he’d just been sworn in, eyes wide as he peppered them with questions about their walkie-talkies, what each button did, and—this part I will never forget—whether they “ate donuts or only saved them for emergencies.”
The officers laughed so hard one of them had to wipe his eyes… and then one of them leaned down and whispered something to my son that made his jaw drop.
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