Military Mom Surprises Late Friend’s Kid with Teddy Bear, Next Day Gets $1.6M Home in Return — Story of the Day

A military woman who lost her dear friend surprises her friend's kid with a teddy bear. In return, she receives a $1.6 million home as a gift the next day, which leaves her stunned.

Catherine was a single mother to three children and she worked as a ground soldier in the US Army. Her mother, Mrs. Caldwell, looked after her children while she was away, but the older woman couldn't help Catherine financially owing to her health issues.

Catherine's salary was decent but not handsome enough for a family of five. Thus, her family lived a modest life in a rented home.

One fateful day, Catherine's battalion had been training at their camp when they were unexpectedly ambushed. In the onslaught, Catherine lost her good friend and colleague, Amanda Miles. It was a terrible loss for her and the troops.

That year, Catherine requested a few days of leave as she wanted to spend time with her children, especially on Mother's Day. But every time she thought about Mother's Day, her mind was drawn to her friend Amanda, who was survived by her husband Derek and 5-year-old daughter Lily.

Just thinking about how the little girl would cope with her mother's loss at a young age gave chills to Catherine and made her feel awful, so she decided to do something special for her. After all, she just couldn't sit and mourn her friend's loss and do nothing.

On Mother's Day, Catherine bought a big teddy bear for Lily and visited her.

"Hello," Lily greeted as she answered the door.

"Hi, honey. Isn't there any elder at home?" Catherine asked. "I'm your mom's friend from the army. You can call me Catherine. She wanted to give you something for Mother's Day!"

"Mommy sent me a gift?" Lily asked curiously. "Daddy told me mommy went to the angel. I am very smart, so I know angels live in heaven. Can you buy gifts in heaven?"

Catherine smiled at her naivety. "Oh, I'm sure they have a special store for all moms with gorgeous girls like you! She told me to give this gift to you today because she's happy and proud to be your mom. Don't you want to know what's inside?"

Lily enthusiastically nodded her head, accepting the gift box. Just then, an older woman approached the door. She introduced herself as Mrs. Krupp and said she was Lily's caretaker.

Mrs. Krupp welcomed Catherine inside and offered her tea. Lily sat beside Catherine and unwrapped her gift box. She smiled brightly when she discovered the teddy bear inside. "Wow! This teddy bear is beautiful! I'll call it Deddy!" she chuckled.

"I'm glad you like it, Lily. Your mom will be happy to see you love her gift!"

"Thank you for bringing mom's gift to me, Catherine! I'll show Deddy around my room! I'll also make room for him on my bed," she chirped as she raced to her room.

"I hope this will be the safest place for you and your family."

Mrs. Krupp conveyed her gratitude to Catherine for being kind enough to visit Lily. She explained that Amanda's untimely death had been too much for Lily to stomach, and Derek had submerged himself in work to take his mind off it.

That same day, Catherine welcomed Lily to her house to play with her children. She informed Mrs. Krupp that she would drop Lily back home on time and that she didn't need to worry.

Lily was delighted when she arrived at Catherine's place. She'd brought Deddy with her and the kids had fun playing with him. Mrs. Krupp told Catherine that she hadn't seen Lily so joyful in a long time after Catherine dropped Lily home.

That night, Catherine slept peacefully, hoping Amanda's soul would be relieved to see her daughter happy. The following morning, she was at the dining table having breakfast with her children when her phone rang.

She answered the phone, and the man on the other end of the line presented himself as a real estate agent, informing her that she had just become the owner of a $1.6 million home.

Catherine's phone almost fell through her fingers. "What? This has to be a joke...I mean..." She had hardly finished her sentence when her doorbell rang.

Catherine opened the door to find a stranger on her doorstep. "Good morning, ma'am. I'll be your valet for the day. My boss is inviting you to take a tour of your new home," he stated with a smile.

Catherine was baffled and had no idea what was going on. Then the man informed her about his boss and everything finally made sense to her.

The person who had gifted Catherine a new home was none other than Derek. He was a rich businessman and he wanted to thank Catherine for bringing joy back to Lily. The house was his way of doing so.

Catherine paid him a visit and thanked him for the gift, but she didn't want to accept it.

"Look, Derek, I appreciate your gift, but I can't take it. I care about Lily because Amanda was a great friend of mine. Please, this isn't necessary!"

But Derek was persistent. "I had planned to surprise Amanda with this house on our wedding anniversary. Who could have predicted that day would never come? But I know you and your family would have use for it..."

Amanda had once told Derek that Catherine's earnings were insufficient to support her children and mother and that the rent was often a source of frustration for them, so he insisted that she take the gift, if not from him, then from Amanda's side.

"I hope this will be the safest place for you and your family," he said.

At that point, Catherine couldn't say no. She thanked Derek for his generosity and soon moved into her new home with her children.

When her holiday was over and she was leaving, Catherine left her children a letter, telling them how much she loved them. She also sent one to Lily, assuring her that her mother was safe in heaven and would always look over her from above.

What can we learn from this story?

• Even a small gesture can put a smile on someone's face and brighten their day. Catherine's little act of purchasing a teddy bear for Lily on Mother's Day brightened the little girl's day. It was very kind of Catherine to do that.
• Kindness is a contagious disease. Moved by her kindness to Lily, Derek helped Catherine by giving her a house where she could live with her family without having to worry about rent.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an elderly woman who pays for a veteran's groceries and he surprises her when his whole platoon turns up on her doorstep.

This story is inspired by the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.