It was a newborn baby.
My hands shook as I unfolded the second note.
“Her name is Lily. She’s my daughter. I couldn’t leave her… or let her fall into the wrong hands. Please take care of her. And protect the girls. I’ll return when it’s safe. Trust me. —Matt.”
I collapsed to my knees, my heart racing. A thousand questions flooded my mind—who was the mother? Why the secrecy? Why now? The twins peered over my shoulder, and Sophie asked softly, “Is that our sister?”
I didn’t have an answer. All I knew was that Matt was gone… and he had left three little girls now depending on me.
I cradled Lily in my arms. Her tiny face scrunched up, and I couldn’t hold back my tears.
Matt had torn apart our world… but in doing so, he had given me a new one to protect.
Moral?
Sometimes, love doesn’t come with explanations—it comes with responsibility, heartache, and hard choices. But true love isn’t in the words someone speaks. It’s in the people they leave in your care… and the actions you take afterward.
