Tears poured down Rosemary’s face.
“A pøør strugglîng single mother must have left them,” she thought. “She must be sûffering so much.”
She didn’t waste time. She went straight to the market and bought diapers, baby clothes, milk, bottles—everything.
She cared for those babies like they were her own. She even tried to breastfeed them, even though no milk came.
But something strange happened.
Ever since that night—the night of the dreams—Tina had dîsappeared.
Rosemary asked everyone. “Have you seen Tina?”
No one had. It was like she had vanished.
Three whole months passed. No Tina. No one came to claim the babies.
Then one morning, Rosemary was playing with the twins when she heard footsteps.
She looked up—and there stood Tina, tears streamîng down her face.
“Tina!” Rosemary gasped. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you everywhere! It’s been over three months!”
Tina stood in the doorway, tremblîng. Her eyes were red and swollen from cryîng. She looked at the babies in Rosemary’s arms and burst into heavier tears.
“Ma… I need to tell you something,” Tina said, her voice shaking. “I have a confession.”
Rosemary’s heart began to race. “What is it, Tina? What’s wrøng?”
Tina took a deep breath and wiped her face. “Ma… I was the one who left those babies at your doorstep.”
Rosemary’s mouth dropped open. The room spun. “What? You? Tina, where did you get them? Did you stéal someone’s children?”
“No, ma!” Tina crîed harder. “They’re mine. Those babies are my own children.”
“WHAT?” Rosemary couldn’t believe her ears. “You… you gave birth to them?”
“Yes, ma. I’m so sorry I never told you.”
Rosemary sat down slowly, still holding the twins. “Tina… how? Where is their father?”
“Ma, there is no father. Last year, some street boys attâcked me. They… they førced themselves on me. All of them.”
Rosemary’s eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Tina…”
“Weeks later, I found out I was prégnant,” Tina continued. “I tried everything to abørt it. I went to different places, took dängerous things, did terrîble things to myself. But nothing worked. So I gave up and decided to keep the babies. Nine months later, I gave birth. But ma, I was in the hospital for over two months because I couldn’t pay the bill. They wouldn’t let me leave.”
“Oh my God,” Rosemary whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“When I finally got out, I didn’t know what to do,” Tina said. “I looked at those two tiny babies and all I felt was fèar. I had no money. No food. No help. I tried so many times to… to end their lives, ma. I’m ashámed to say it, but I tried. I couldn’t carry that bûrden at my age. But every time I tried, something stopped me. I just couldn’t do it.”
Rosemary covered her mouth, cryîng silently.
“Everyone on this street háted me,” Tina said. “They called me a thief. They said I was uséless. No one cared about my story because no one ever asked. Then you came. You were the first person who was kind to me. The first person who didn’t look at me like I was trash. That’s when I made a plan.”
“What plan?” Rosemary asked gently.
“I decided to leave the babies with you,” Tina admitted. “I watched you for days. I saw your heart. I knew you would take care of them. So that mornin, I left them at your door and ran away. I went to another town to find work so I could forget. But ma… I couldn’t forget. Every single day, I thought about them. Are they alive? Did she throw them away? Did she keep them? My mind had no peace.”
“Then why didn’t you come back sooner?” Rosemary asked.
“I wanted to!” Tina crîed. “But at the place I was working, something spoiled. My boss said it was my fault. He said I had to work for three months without pay to fix it, or he would call the police. So I had no choice. I worked like a sláve for three months. Then the moment I was free, I ran back here. I had to know if my babies were still alive.”
Rosemary wiped her eyes and pulled Tina close. “It’s okay, my daughter. It’s okay. The babies are fine. They’re healthy and beautiful.”
Tina looked up at her. “You… you’re not ângry with me?”
“No, Tina. I’m not ângry. I’m héartbroken for you.”
Tina cried even harder. “Thank you, ma. Thank you so much.”
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