8
I was born into a family of cops.
My grandparents were cops.
My parents were cops.
When I turned one, Jake and I grabbed my
grandfather’s police badge.
Mom laughed. “Looks like they’re gonna be
heroes when they grow up.”
Dad hugged my mom and said “That’s a
promise to keep”
In that family.
I had a happy childhood.
I got everything that Jake did, and he got
everything that I got.
Then, when I was three, Dad was killed.
Mom had to raise us on her own.
L
Then, our neighbors turned out to be an old
couple.
They didn’t have any kids.
When Mom went to work, they offered to take
care of Jake and me.
It was a big help.
They were great with us.
They gave us everything.
When Mom wasn’t around, they were always
there.
One day.
L
I was eating chicken with the old lady.
Jake was in their little closet.
He screamed.
We saw some pictures of them in their police
uniform.
“Who are they?”
I asked them.
Jake took it all in. “Are they your kids?”
The old woman and the old man looked at
each other, their eyes turning red.
It wasn’t sadness. It was pride, and guilt.
く
“Yeah, that’s my son, Jake, and my daughter,
Song, they were just like your dad. The
people’s hero.”
We knew what was up.
We stood up straight.
Jake and I looked at each other, then we
raised our hands.
We saluted the photos, just like Dad taught
us!
From that moment on.
The two of us knew what we had to do!
