Boy Takes on Chores as Divorced Mom Juggles 2 Jobs, Her Boss Finds Out & Appears at Their Doorstep – Story of the Day

Luke started helping his mother around the house because she worked hard. But one day, her boss heard their phone conversation and showed up at their doorstep with a surprising proposal.

Seven-year-old Luke saw how tired his mother Angela was every day after working two jobs to make ends meet. She had recently divorced his father, Kyle, who was not the best man in Luke's opinion. He saw how hard his mother took it, especially when his father stopped giving them money, and she had to look for a second job and started leaving him alone.

"Mrs. Callahan is right next door if you need anything. But never go out alone while I'm at work. I'm sorry about leaving you on your own. But you understand that right?" Angela said, and Luke nodded thoughtfully.

Being alone made Luke grow up beyond his years, and he decided to help around the house to ease his mother's load.

When he got home from school – which was luckily just walking distance for him – he did his homework. Afterward, he cleaned what he could, washed dishes, and made simple dinners so his mother would have something warm to eat as soon as she stepped in the door.

Angela was so grateful, although she often felt guilty about it and told Luke he didn't need to do so much housework. However, Luke wanted to take on more responsibilities.

One day, he wanted to clean the windows and called her at work to ask which product among their cleaning supplies would work.

"Mr. Murphy, what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" she asked, surprised.

"What? Clean the windows? No, Luke, that's so dangerous! And those products are also tricky to handle. No, I will do that this weekend," Angela replied, worry in her voice. "Give me a second, honey."

Luke waited and heard a male voice through the phone. "What's going on, Angela?"

"Mr. Murphy, I'm sorry. My son called to ask about cleaning the windows. Can you believe it? He's only seven and wants to take on the responsibilities of an adult. It's so sweet," his mother answered. Her voice seemed farther away, as she wasn't speaking directly on the phone.

"Oh, that's funny," the male voice said, and Luke remembered that Mr. Murphy was his mother's boss.

Angela's voice came back loud and clear. "Luke, please don't clean windows. Focus on your homework. And how about some turkey sandwiches for dinner, tonight? That's more than enough," Angela told him, and they said goodbye.

Luke thought about not listening, but his mother was right. Those cleaning products could be dangerous, and getting up a ladder to clean was also not smart. So he made sandwiches instead and watched TV until his mother came home that day. At least she didn't work on the weekends, and they would be able to spend tons of time together the next day.

***

They were eating cereal in their kitchen the following morning when their doorbell rang. His mother frowned but got up and answered the door and find her boss standing outside.

"Mr. Murphy, what are you doing here? And what are you wearing?" she asked, surprised. Luke got curious, so he approached the doorway.

A man he hadn't met was dressed in overalls and work boots, carrying a mop and a bucket of cleaning supplies. He also had a massive smile on his face.

He saw Luke and smiled at the kid. "Hey, you must be Luke! I'm Alex, your mom's boss. And I'm here to clean windows with you! How does that sound?" he revealed, and Luke whooped in excitement.

He saw how his mother tried to refuse the offer, but Alex came in, telling Luke to change from his pajamas so they could get to work.

It was the first time Luke had ever seen a man volunteering to work around the house – his father was not the nicest man – so he ran to his room and changed his clothes.

The three of them cleaned the windows, and Alex was incredibly patient and funny with Luke. Angela gave them lunch, but Alex also stayed for dinner. It was one of the best days of Luke's life, even if it was hard work.

Soon enough, Alex started coming over more often, and he loved it. A few months later, Angela explained that they were dating, and Luke was glad to have him around constantly. A few months later, Alex proposed, and they moved into his house.

Luke walked his mother down the aisle at the wedding, and Alex became the best male figure in his life. The only man he considered a true father.

What can we learn from this story?

• Raise kids to be supportive and helpful. Luke had been raised so well that he took on responsibilities beyond his years.
• Kids need role models and parental figures in their lives, so choose your partner wisely. Luke knew his biological father was not the best person, and meeting Alex made him realize that his true father was someone he could look up to.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a boy who helped his mother while she was at work and was later taken to live with his grandmother.

This piece is inspired by stories from 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.