Teacher Shelters Pregnant Best Student Living in Abandoned Van after Parents Kicked Her Out — Story of the Day

Mrs. Henderson had come to accept the sorrow of being childless. But when she bumps into one of her best students, pregnant and abandoned, the choice she makes causes life to open surprising new doors for her.

Mrs. Henderson had been a teacher for two decades, but she remembered the name of every student she ever taught.

She kept every class photo, every greeting card, every diorama and project that had won at the school science fair in the last 20 years. These were memories Mrs. Henderson lovingly treasured in the study room at home, even if it meant that Mr. Henderson barely had any space for his books in there. He happily sacrificed his shelves, knowing how much that legacy of "her children" meant to her.

After all, these were children who helped her forget she couldn't have a child of her own.

That was one regret the teacher had, and over the years, Mrs. Henderson had gotten better at hiding it.

"Dreams aren't always meant to come true," Mrs. Henderson hummed under her breath as she walked home one afternoon, not knowing that her life was about to change just around the corner of the street.

She was walking past an old abandoned van catching dust on the corner of the street when she noticed someone move behind it.

Mrs. Henderson had noticed that van a week ago, and she was sure someone was living in it. But that person remained unseen. Until one day, when a young-looking woman was sitting with her back against the van, crying bitterly at the heavens.

"The gods have finally blessed me!" Mrs. Henderson sighed and embraced her family.

Mrs. Henderson couldn't just walk past her: firstly, because the woman appeared to have a bump on her belly, and secondly, because even beneath all the grime on the young woman's face, her tattered old clothes and unkempt hair, Mrs. Henderson had recognized her.

It wasn't a random stranger. To the teacher's surprise, it was...

"...Nicole?!! Is that really you, my child?"

The young woman was startled by the familiar voice. It was the first friendly voice she had heard in days. It was the voice of her favorite teacher in high school. "Mrs. Henderson?!"

Nicole tried to straighten the creases of her old jacket and cover her baby bump. "I wish she didn't see me like this…" she thought and fought back tears.

But her teacher saw through her forced smile and silence and gave the helpless eighteen-year-old a big, warm hug.

"What happened, Nicole? What are you doing, living in a van like this? And why haven't I seen you at school in the past few months?" Mrs. Henderson looked Nicole in the eye and asked.

That's when Nicole finally opened up about everything she had suffered in the past few months…

It turns out that Nicole had had a careless one-night stand with Chad, one of the popular boys in her class.

"It meant nothing, and things were cool between us after that night. Until… Nicole paused to swallow her tears, "...he learned I was pregnant. The guy wanted nothing to do with me. And when my pregnancy became a rumor among the kids, I just couldn't bring myself to come to class anymore. I wanted to stay holed up at home."

"I was terrified to tell my parents, Mrs. Henderson. But I told them anyway. I remember you telling us that a family's love is unconditional. But in my case, it wasn't…"

The teacher consoled her bright straight-A student as she cried on her lap, revealing how her parents had brutally rejected her after learning about her pregnancy.

Nicole shuddered as she recalled her father's final words as he slammed the door shut. "You've ruined our reputation! And you've sent your dreams to die!"

Nicole had been moving from street to street since then, looking for shelter. "A place for me…for us!" Nicole corrected herself, caressing her pregnant tummy.

Mrs. Henderson wanted to find the girl's parents and confront them. But she knew better than to stir up more emotional trauma for the young expecting mother. Instead, she had a better idea.

"You're coming with me!" she said in her stern tone, holding Nicole's arm.

The girl kept asking where they were headed, but Mrs. Henderson remained quiet throughout the ride until she pulled up in front of her own house.

Nicole waited nervously in the Hendersons' bright, colorful study room while her teacher was in the living room, having a serious discussion with her husband.

"Do it!" Mr. Henderson said. "Don't overthink this. She deserves happiness. And we get to share that happiness, too." The man kissed his teary-eyed wife.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Henderson walked into the study room and sat down with Nicole.

"Nicole, sweetheart. I know you are hurting. I know you feel thrown into this impossible situation when other girls your age are enjoying their carefree years. And I know you must be afraid that your future is over."

"But I'm proud of you for making a clear and open choice about the baby. And I promise you, things will only get better for you from now on. Your dreams won't die. They'll only get bigger."

Mrs. Henderson kissed the helpless girl's forehead.

From that day on, Nicole found a permanent home under Mrs. Henderson's roof. Her teacher had always been a comforting figure to Nicole, but in the months leading to the birth of her child, she became closer than ever to the kind woman.

Mrs. Henderson fed her nutritious food and accompanied her on long walks, priming her to feel ready for the miracle of motherhood, while Mr. Henderson drove the women to every doctor's appointment and shopping spree. Without ever asking for it, Nicole had become a member of their family.

Nicole now understood why she had heard so many former students refer to the woman as 'mom.'

But Mrs. Henderson's role in Nicole's life didn't end there. When baby Ruth was born, she was nothing short of a miracle in the doting woman's eyes. "Such a blessing she is, our Ruthie!" the woman would say and tear up.

Mrs. Henderson effortlessly took care of the small needs of the baby and pushed Nicole to get back to studying.

"Who says you can't graduate this year? Of course, you will! I will help you." Just as the woman helped Nicole prepare for the birth of her child, she helped her prepare for the final exams that were only months away.

With her host's relentless support with the baby and with her studies, Nicole showed up with courage and took her final exams.

And a few months later, Mrs. Henderson was standing by as she watched Nicole shriek with joy as she got admitted to her dream university to pursue medicine.

Little did Mrs. Henderson know that her motherly instincts had opened the floodgates to another miracle. A few months later, she came home from the doctor's clinic with a folder in her trembling hands.

"You guys!" she screamed, alarming her husband and Nicole. "I'm pregnant…with twins! The gods have finally blessed me!" Mrs. Henderson sighed and embraced her family.

Now it was Nicole's turn to care for her mother-like teacher, and she didn't leave any stone unturned.

She would make time from her university studies to pamper her former teacher in every way possible. This time, it was her driving Mr. and Mrs. Henderson to doctor appointments and baby stores.

Ten years went by, and Nicole had made a name for herself in the field of medical research. She now had a beautiful house of her own, a luxurious life, and the joy of working on something she loved.

Even though she was away from the teacher that had changed her life, she often thought of her.

Mrs. Henderson was happy raising her twins, Sia and Sarah when she got an invitation one day that almost took her breath away.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen," Nicole stood in the spotlight on stage a week later, holding the award for her scientific breakthrough. "But there is someone I would like all of you to meet. Someone who deserves this award more than I do."

"Someone who told the lost and scared 18-year-old me that my dreams wouldn't die. They would only get bigger. This one's for you, my favorite science teacher, my soul mother, my inspiration: come on up, Mrs. Henderson!"

As she walked onto the stage, holding Nicole's hand, and watched Ruthie, Sia, Sarah, and Mr. Henderson applaud with pride in their eyes, Mrs. Henderson felt the deepest sense of contentment.

"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me!" she said before bursting into tears and hugging the best student she ever had."

What can we learn from this story?

• Be kind, and it will come back to bless you tenfold. Mrs. Henderson made the kind choice to shelter Nicole, and that became the beginning of the most beautiful chapter of her life.
• True family doesn't abandon you through your dark times. Nicole's parents kicked her out of the house when they found out she was pregnant, despite knowing how devastated and scared she was.

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

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one where the roles reverse - a struggling woman finds her old teacher looking helpless and impoverished, and gets the surprise of her life when she chooses to go out of her way to help the older woman.

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.