Josh stood in the middle of his room, holding two tiny bundles wrapped in hospital blankets. Two newborns. Their faces scrunched, eyes barely open, fists curled against their chests.
“Josh…” My voice strangled. “What… what is this? Where did you…?”
He looked at me with determination and fear. “I’m sorry, Mom. I couldn’t leave them.”
My knees went weak. “Leave them? Josh, where did you get these babies?”
“They’re twins. A boy and a girl.”
My hands shook. “You need to tell me what’s happening right now.”
Josh took a deep breath. “I went to the hospital this afternoon. My friend Marcus fell off his bike, so I took him to get checked out. While we were waiting in the ER, I saw him.”
“Saw who?”
“Dad.”
The air left my lungs.
“They’re Dad’s babies, Mom.”
I froze, unable to process those words.
“Dad stormed out of one of the maternity wards,” Josh continued. “He looked angry. I didn’t approach him, but I asked around. You know Mrs. Chen, your friend in labor and delivery?”
I nodded numbly.
“She told me Sylvia, Dad’s girlfriend, went into labor last night. She had twins. And Dad just left. He told the nurses he wanted nothing to do with them.”
I felt like I’d been punched. “No. That can’t be right.”
“It’s true. I went to see her. Sylvia was alone in that hospital room with two newborns, crying so hard she could barely breathe. She’s really sick—something went wrong during delivery. The doctors were talking about complications, infections. She could barely hold the babies.”
“Josh, this isn’t our problem…”
“They’re my siblings!” His voice cracked. “They’re my brother and sister, and they have nobody. I told Sylvia I’d bring them home just for a little while, just to show you, and maybe we could help. I couldn’t just leave them.”
I sank onto his bed. “How did they even let you take them? You’re 16.”
“Sylvia signed a temporary release form. She knows who I am. I showed them my ID, proving I was related. Mrs. Chen vouched for me. They said it was irregular, but Sylvia kept crying, saying she didn’t know what else to do.”
I looked at the babies. So small. So fragile.
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