Eight-year-old Liam Parker was rushing to school, as usual, running late to class. His backpack bounced against his shoulders as he was trying to make a cut through the parking lot, unaware that what he would stumble upon there among the cars would put him into trouble with his teachers yet again.

Liam only had a single warning left about being late to school ever again before his teacher, Mrs. Grant, called his parents.

With the thought of having to be there on time, Liam thought nothing would stop on his way, but then, he spotted a silver sedan parked under the sun. Inside the vehicle, there was a baby whose face was red. The little one wouldn’t stop crying, and Liam knew he needed to do something about it. First, he knocked on the car’s window, but no one appeared. The baby was all by itself and there were no adults in sight.

Although he wasn’t sure what to do, he knew he needed to get the baby out of the hot car, but when he tried to open the door, he realized they were all locked.

Without hesitating, he picked a rock from the ground and smashed it against the window. Scared and not knowing if he had done the right thing, Liam said, “Sorry Mr. Car” to himself and grabbed the baby.

The baby’s damp skin pressed against Liam’s shirt as he cradled him carefully, rocking him gently and whispering, “Don’t worry, you’re safe now.”

Suddenly, a woman’s scream could be heard. “What are you doing to my car?!”

Liam froze. His hands started trembling even more.

She was fuming and screaming, but then she saw her baby. “Oh, my God,” she said, “I just needed some milk, I wasn’t supposed to be away more than ten minutes. I guess I lost track of time.”

She started kissing her child, and then turned to Liam and said, “Young man, you saved my baby.”

But before he could say anything, Liam heard the school bell ring and started running towards the school.

However, he didn’t get there on time. “Liam Parker, you are late again. I’m calling your parents once the lessons are over,” his teacher said.

“But Mrs. Grant, let me explain…,” Liam said. Sadly, his teacher didn’t want to listen. What’s more, she laughed at his excuse and didn’t believe a word he said.

His classmates started teasing him, calling him “Late Liam.”

But then, during the second lesson, the classroom’s door opened. It was the school’s principal, together with the woman whose baby Liam saved from the hot car.

“There he is,” the woman exclaimed. “I needed to thank him for what he did for my baby,” she said. “Young man, you are a hero. If it wasn’t for you, God knows what would have happened to my baby.”

The entire class was stunned, they all stared at Liam.

“See, Mrs. Grant, I told you I was telling the truth,” he said.

That day, Liam Parker was the hero. And his teacher did call his parents, but not in order to scold him. On the contrary, she told them about their son’s quick thinking and bravery.

Of course, no matter how heroic his action was, Liam was made to make a promise that he wouldn’t be late ever again, except if someone needed saving.