After My Sister Died in Childbirth, I Adopted Her Triplets – Then Their Father Came Back 8 Years Later

The moment’s hesitation on her end spoke volumes.

“He’s… processing,” she said finally.

Processing.

Right.

I found out later that he’d panicked. And right before the birth, he left her.

He said three kids weren’t part of his plan, that he never asked for this, that he wanted to live his life.

I wanted to hunt him down and let loose a lifetime’s worth of pent-up hatred on him, but Jen needed me.

I stayed with my sister.

Jen was 32 weeks pregnant when her water broke.

Stress triggered premature labor. I drove her to the hospital, where we were surrounded by alarms, nurses shouting numbers, and then the first baby cried.

The sound was thin and reedy, barely human.

Then Jen collapsed.

I remember someone saying, “Her pulse is dropping,” and another voice yelling for a crash cart.

Continue reading…