That Tuesday started like any other. I was folding laundry in the living room when I heard the front door open. Josh’s footsteps were heavier than usual, almost hesitant.

“Mom?” His voice had an edge to it I didn’t recognize. “Mom, you need to come here. Right now.”

I dropped the towel I was holding and rushed toward his room. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

When I stepped through his doorway, the world stopped spinning.

Josh was standing in the middle of his bedroom, holding two tiny bundles wrapped in hospital blankets. Two babies. Newborns. Their little faces were scrunched up, eyes barely open, fists curled against their chests.

“Josh…” My voice came out strangled. “What… what is this? Where did you..?”

He looked up at me with determination mixed with fear.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” he said quietly. “I couldn’t leave them.”

I felt my knees go weak. “Leave them? Josh, where did you get these babies?”

“They’re twins. A boy and a girl.”

My hands were shaking. “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 pretty badly, so I took him to get checked out. We were waiting in the ER, and that’s when I saw him.”

“Saw who?”

“Dad.”

The air left my lungs.

“They are Dad’s babies, Mom.”

I froze, unable to process these five words.

“Dad was storming out of one of the maternity wards,” Josh continued. “He looked angry. I didn’t approach him, but I was curious, so I asked around. You know Mrs. Chen, your friend who works in labor and delivery?”

I nodded numbly.

“She told me that Sylvia, Dad’s girlfriend, went into labor last night. She had twins.” Josh’s jaw tightened. “And Dad just left. He told the nurses he wanted nothing to do with them.”

I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. “No. That can’t be right.”

“It’s true, Mom. I went to see her. Sylvia was alone in that hospital room with two newborn babies, crying so hard she could barely breathe. She’s really sick. Something went wrong during the 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 there.”

I sank down onto the edge of his bed. “How did they even let you take them? You’re 16 years old.”

“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 given the circumstances, Sylvia just kept crying and saying she didn’t know what else to do.”