Amusement Park Cleaner Saves Lost Boy, His Tycoon Dad Proposes to Her in a Week — Story of the Day

Monica had always been ashamed of herself because of her job and her unrealized dreams. She had no idea that just by trying to help a young child, her life would change for the better.

When Monica was still dating her ex-boyfriend, Karl, she didn't reveal what she did for work. She was ashamed of her job as a cleaner at a nearby amusement park. After some time, Karl pressured her to admit the truth. "Imagine what my family would think of you if I told them you're a janitor. We're done," he told her.

Monica remembered how she felt when she had to drop out of college. Her mother, Daniella, had fallen ill, and Monica had to find work so that she could care for her. Monica's friends stopped speaking to her, and she always felt she had to keep her job a secret.

After Daniella passed away, Monica had to continue working at the amusement park to pay the remaining medical bills. She had all but given up on finding love and trying to chase her dreams. After breaking up with Karl, Monica was afraid and alone.

She watched young couples at the amusement park and wondered what could've been. The park got very busy as the summer holidays rolled around, and kids lined up for every ride. As the sun started setting, Monica noticed a young boy sitting alone outside the carousel.

"I know one or two things about waiting too long. So I'm not gonna waste precious time."

"Hey, buddy. Are you alright? It's getting late," Monica asked. "I can't find my mom. This was the last place she was. I'm scared," the boy, Jack, replied. In the summer months, it gets cold quite quickly once the sun goes down. Jack was shivering, so Monica offered him her jacket.

"Let's try and find a hot dog stand so you can eat something while we look for your mom, alright?" She told him. Monica began to worry as it was getting dark. "What do your parents look like?" Monica asked.

"My mom is blonde and super pretty. My dad is really tall and skinny," Jack replied.

"Are your parents still together?" Monica replied.

"Yeah, but... I don't know. Sometimes I feel like she doesn't like us anymore," Jack said. This struck a chord with Monica. She knew what it felt like to have people stop caring. She could tell that Jack was heartbroken.

"Hey, kid. Listen to me, alright? If anybody doesn't like you, then they don't know how awesome you are. Don't let anybody make you feel like you don't deserve the world, okay?" Monica said.

"Thanks, lady. Hey, why do you work here, by the way? You're really pretty, like my mom. Most janitors are old men," Jack asked.

Monica hesitated. She was still ashamed of her job but realized that she could be honest with Jack.

"Well, to be honest, I always wanted to be a doctor. But things didn't really work out for me," Monica told Jack.

"You would be a really cool doctor. Maybe you still have time, you know?" Jack responded.

Monica had to fight as hard as she could to hold back her tears. "Maybe you're right, kid. Listen, I'm gonna have to take you to the police so that we can find your dad. It's getting pretty dark out," Monica told Jack.

When they arrived at the station, a woman was pacing nervously at the front door. "Jack! Where on earth were you?" the woman, Natasha, asked.

"I was by the carousel, and I couldn't find you. But this nice lady found me and bought me a hot dog," Jack replied. Before Monica could greet Natasha properly, a man, Jacob, arrived in a panic.

"Thanks for taking care of Jack. Could I grab you some dinner to show my appreciation?"

"Natasha, what is going on? Jack, thank goodness you're okay!" Jacob said. Before Natasha could say anything, Jack interjected, "Mommy was with her friend, and I got lost."

"Friend? What friend? You said it was going to be a mom-and-son day out together. Don't tell me you were with Darren again," Jacob said. Natasha looked away and didn't respond. "Wow, unbelievable," Jacob said.

Monica began to walk away as she didn't want to interrupt what was clearly a serious discussion. Before she could make it to her car, Jacob shouted, "Hey, lady! Wait up." Jacob walked up to her while holding Jack's hand.

"Hey, uh... Thanks for taking care of Jack. Could I grab you some dinner to show my appreciation?" Jacob asked. Monica was nervous as she could tell that Jacob was rich. He had a nice suit and an expensive watch on.

"Yeah... Sure thing," she responded.

Monica, Jacob, and Jack went to a local Italian restaurant together. "Hey, uh. Sorry about earlier. I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything," Monica said.

"Don't worry about it. Natasha and I are done. To be honest, it was a long time coming. She's a model, you know? And ever since we had Jack together, she's been so cold. She acts like Jack and I ruined her career or something. That friend, as she chose to call it, is who she's been cheating on me with. I'm sorry, TMI, right?" Jacob said.

"Don't worry, please. Who am I to judge? I'm an amusement park janitor who was supposed to be a doctor. Look, I can tell that Natasha's hurt both you and Jack. You guys seem great. You deserve better than to be treated that way," Monica replied.

Jacob looked at Jack and nodded. "Hey, could I offer you a job? I know it sounds crazy, but I clearly have to find Jack a good nanny. And for what it's worth, I can pay you more than what they're paying you," Jacob told Monica.

Although she was hesitant at first, Monica accepted. She had been trying to find a new job for a while. Monica treated Jack like the son she never had. Jacob was relieved to see his son so happy. Monica and Jacob quickly fell in love with each other.

At first, they didn't want to admit it, but they couldn't fight their feelings. One day, Jacob took Monica and Jack to the amusement park. Jacob got on one knee outside the carousel and presented Monica with a ring.

"I know one or two things about waiting too long. So I'm not gonna waste precious time. Would you, a future doctor, make me the happiest, recently divorced man on the planet?" Jacob asked.

"Yes. A million times, yes!" Monica cried.

What can we learn from this story?

• Never stop believing in yourself. Monica thought that her life was over because she was a college dropout working as a janitor, but she soon realized how great of a person she truly was.
• Always take care of those who need help. Monica could've left the amusement park that day, but she could tell that Jack needed help. Little did she know how much that small deed would change her life.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a teen janitor who returns a lost wallet to a rich lady and, years later, inherits her company.

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.