Patrick Mahomes followed the same routine every morning. His coffee was always the same: strong, black, and just the right temperature.

His car hummed along the quiet suburban streets, the neighborhood still asleep as he made his way to the studio. But there was always one thing that stood out to him—every single morning.

A little girl, no older than eight, stood at the bus stop in the same spot every day. She was blonde, small, with a bright smile and an energy that seemed to light up the entire street. She had a Hello Kitty backpack, her small hands clutching the straps, and every day, without fail, she would wave at Patrick as he passed by.

It was a small moment. Insignificant to most, but to Patrick, it had become part of his day, something he looked forward to. He’d smile back, sometimes even honk the horn if the traffic light was red. He knew he’d never seen her before, but somehow, this little girl had become a daily fixture in his life.

But then, one morning, the familiar sight was missing.

The street was empty. The bus stop was silent, void of the usual bright-eyed little girl waving at him. Patrick’s stomach dropped. The quiet felt wrong, unsettling. He told himself it was nothing, maybe she was just running late, but deep down, something was nagging at him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

His instinct told him to check on her.

For the next few mornings, Patrick couldn’t get the image of the empty bus stop out of his head. He drove past it every day, hoping she’d be there, waving. But no matter how many times he drove by, the spot remained empty. The little girl was gone.

Something in him wouldn’t let it go.

Patrick wasn’t a stranger to listening to his instincts. They had served him well on the field, guiding him through countless situations when the odds were against him. This felt different, though. He had to know what had happened to her.

One afternoon, after practice, he took a detour, making his way toward the neighborhood. He knew there was an older woman who lived nearby. She was always outside, sweeping her sidewalk with an almost religious devotion. Patrick pulled into the driveway of her house, and she looked up in surprise as he approached.

“Mr. Mahomes!” she exclaimed. “What brings you here?”

Patrick forced a small smile. “Just had a question. About the little girl who waits at the bus stop every day. Have you seen her?”

The woman’s face fell. “No, dear. I haven’t seen her in a few days. She’s always there, rain or shine. It’s strange. Her mother’s always in a rush, never talks much, but she’s never missed school.”

Patrick’s heart sank. “Do you know where she lives? Or if there’s anyone who could help?”

The old woman nodded. “I see her mother sometimes. Always leaving in a hurry. But there’s always yelling… I don’t know much more than that.”

Patrick clenched his fists, trying to suppress the feeling that something was terribly wrong. “Do you know her father?”

The old woman sighed. “I’ve heard about him, but I don’t know him personally. He’s never been around much.”

Patrick’s gut twisted as he thanked the woman and drove away. His thoughts raced. Something wasn’t right. This little girl had disappeared without a trace, and from the sounds of it, her home life was far from safe.

That evening, Patrick couldn’t shake the feeling. The next morning, he drove by the house again. This time, the curtains were drawn, and the lights were off. The house looked deserted, as if it had been abandoned overnight. Patrick pulled his car to the curb and sat for a moment, staring at the house.

His heart raced, and he made a decision. He couldn’t ignore it anymore.

He stepped out of the car and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He knocked again, louder this time, but still, nothing. As he turned to leave, a faint sound stopped him in his tracks—a soft whimper, almost like a child crying.

Patrick’s heart skipped a beat.

He knocked again, harder this time. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

There was no answer, but then a whisper, barely audible, reached his ears. “Help.”

Patrick’s breath hitched. It was her—the little girl. She was inside, and she was in trouble.

Without hesitation, Patrick rammed his shoulder into the door. It cracked open on the third try. Inside, the house was dark and silent. He stepped in, the faint glow from the outside barely illuminating the room. And then he saw her.

The little girl was sitting on the floor, hunched over, trembling. Her Hello Kitty backpack was torn, the straps hanging loosely. Her small body shook as she hugged her knees to her chest. When she looked up at Patrick, her eyes were wide, filled with terror and pain. Her cheeks were streaked with dried tears, and her skin was pale and clammy.

She recognized him instantly.

Patrick knelt down, his heart breaking as she ran into his arms. He held her tightly, trying to comfort her. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m here. You’re safe now.”

But as he pulled back and looked into her tear-filled eyes, he saw the fear, the uncertainty. He gently asked, “Where’s your mom?”

Her lip quivered, and she whispered, “Gone.”

The word hit Patrick like a punch to the gut. Gone. She had been alone, abandoned.

His mind raced as he realized the gravity of the situation. The little girl—Emily—was alone, and something far worse was happening here. He knew he had to act fast.

He lifted her gently, feeling how light she was, like a ragdoll. She was freezing, barely conscious, and too weak. Patrick rushed her to his car, his heart pounding with every step. He had no idea what had happened to her, but he knew she couldn’t wait another minute. She needed help.

He drove straight to the hospital, ignoring the speed limit as he focused on getting Emily the help she needed. When he pulled up, doctors and nurses were already waiting for him. They recognized him immediately, but all he cared about was getting her help.

“She needs help now,” he said, his voice urgent.

The doctors rushed to take her inside, and Patrick was left standing outside, helpless. All he could do was wait.

Hours later, the social worker, Karen Dawson, approached him. “Mr. Mahomes,” she said. “She’s stable for now, but she was severely dehydrated and malnourished. We also found bruises on her arms and back. This isn’t just neglect—this is something much worse.”

Patrick’s stomach churned. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Karen continued, “We’re trying to locate her family, but we haven’t had any luck so far. We’re looking into her father, but there’s no record of him.”

Patrick clenched his jaw. Emily had no family, no one who cared for her. He knew the system would send her to foster care, but he also knew that wasn’t the answer. Emily needed someone who would care for her, someone who wouldn’t let her slip through the cracks.

“I want to help,” Patrick said firmly.

Karen studied him for a moment, then nodded. “We’ll need to go through the proper channels, but if you’re serious, we can start the process.”

And so, Patrick became Emily’s protector. He promised her that she would never be alone again. He would be the one to give her the stability and love she had never known.

When Patrick saw Emily the next day, she was awake, her cheeks pink with life again. Her eyes, once filled with fear, now held hope. He smiled at her and said, “You’re not alone, kiddo. I’m going to make sure of that.”

And with that promise, a new chapter began—for both of them.

Patrick Mahomes Gets an Adorable Send-Off from Daughter Sterling as He Heads Off to Training Camp

“Bye bye daddy!” 2-year-old Sterling says in the video

Photo: Brittany Mahomes/Instagram, Fati Sadou/ABACAPRESS.COM/Shutterstock

Brittany Mahomes is sharing an adorable moment between daughter Sterling and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

On Tuesday, the mom of two, 27, posted a sweet video to her Instagram Story as Patrick, also 27, left for football training camp. “Say bye bye daddy!” Brittany tells Sterling. “Bye bye daddy,” the toddler repeats.

“I love you,” Brittany tells her daughter to say. “I love you,” Sterling repeats.

“Blow him kisses,” the Kansas City Current co-owner says to Sterling, who in turn blows kisses as her father’s car pulls out of their driveway.

Instagram/brittanylynne

“Sending @patrickmahomes off to camp,” Brittany wrote on the video.

Brittany and Patrick share daughter Sterling and 7-month-old son Bronze. The pair have been married since 2022.

Earlier this week, Patrick spoke with CBS Mornings about his role in Netflix’s Quarterback and opened up about taking advice from his peers and applying it to his own family.

“I actually talked to Peyton [Manning] about it for a while,” Mahomes said. “What stuck with me is he said, ‘At the end of my career, I wish I would have done it so my kids could’ve seen what I was doing every day.’”

The Super Bowl champ said the comment “hit me, obviously, having two kids.”

“When my kids grow up, I wanted them to see that dad wasn’t just gone just to be gone. I was gone doing something, to build, to be great. And so, whenever they get older, they can see how hard I worked,” he noted.

The football star also noted that he aspired to be a role model for his two kids. “I want to be someone that the kids can look up to and say that, ‘Hey, I want to be like Patrick Mahomes,’” he said.

Instagram/brittanylynne

“And I want parents to think that, ‘Hey, that’s a guy that I want my kid to be like.’ And so, that’s how I’ll play the game.”

In June, the Mahomes took their family of four to Hawaii, where Sterling was able to swim with some dolphins. Brittany documented the exciting day by posting videos and photos on her Instagram. The first photos and videos were from a bridge over the water, where mother and daughter watched the dolphins from a distance.

“What’s in there, Sterling?” Brittany asked her little girl. “Little fishes,” the toddler replied, soon after adding, “I see the dolphins!”

The mother-daughter marveled at the sight before getting ready and getting into the water to take a closer look. The proud mom shared a photo of them working with the trainer and later, a posed Polaroid where she held a tense-looking Sterling as the dolphin came up just behind them and smiles.