I DIDN’T PLAN TO BE A DAD THAT DAY—BUT SHE CHOSE ME

I DIDN’T PLAN TO BE A DAD THAT DAY—BUT SHE CHOSE ME

It started like any other shift. I was doing a routine check around a park in Modesto when I saw her—barefoot, wrapped in a threadbare hoodie, curled up on a bench. She couldn’t have been more than 19. When I asked if she was okay, she looked up with glassy eyes and whispered, “I’m just trying to keep her warm.” That’s when I saw the bundle on her chest—a tiny baby, barely a week old. I radioed in for support, but something about her made me sta…