Josh was a sixteen-year-old boy whose world had been shaken by his parents’ divorce. More than anything, he longed to see his family whole again. That dream seemed out of reach—until the night he came home cradling a newborn in his arms.
One evening, Josh sat on his bed, staring wistfully at an old photo on his phone. It showed him, his mom Betty, and his dad Derek enjoying a picnic together. Those were happier days, and Josh desperately wished he could turn back time to when their family was still intact.
He had always imagined himself growing up in a big, loving family. Instead, what little family he did have had fallen apart. His father moved on quickly, beginning a new relationship even before the divorce papers were finalized. Josh, who had always been close to his dad, tried hard to hold onto their bond. But though the divorce hurt him deeply, he couldn’t deny that it was no surprise. His parents’ constant fighting had made their separation seem inevitable.
One evening, as Betty did the dishes, she caught Josh staring at the old photo. “Josh! What are you doing?” she asked, stepping into his room.
“Just looking at this picture of us at the picnic,” he said with a sad smile. “Remember how mad I was when you and Dad finished all the strawberries?”
Betty sat beside him and smiled faintly. “Yes, I remember. Those were different times. But you need to understand, Josh, things are not the same anymore. Your dad… he’s not the man he once was. These days, he only thinks about himself.”
Josh sighed. “I just wish everything could go back to how it was.”
“Life doesn’t work that way,” Betty said, kissing him on the forehead before leaving the room. She hoped Josh would eventually realize that his father wasn’t the hero he thought he was. Derek had always craved an easy life, and fatherhood had never suited him.
Later that week, Josh was invited to meet Derek’s new girlfriend, Sylvia. While Josh was eager to see his dad, he wasn’t excited about meeting the woman who stood between his dream of reuniting his parents.
“Hi, champ!” Derek greeted warmly when Josh arrived. A moment later, a young woman came out of the kitchen, and Derek kissed her on the cheek.
“Josh, meet your new mommy, Sylvia,” Derek announced. The words hit Josh like a slap, but he forced himself to stay polite. Sylvia shook his hand warmly, and though she was kind and beautiful, she could never take his mother’s place.
Still, over dinner, Josh began to warm up to her. They bonded over their shared love of puzzles and exchanged numbers before he went home. But when Josh mentioned Derek’s “new mommy” comment to Betty, she exploded.
“The nerve of that man!” she fumed. “I don’t want you seeing him anymore!”
“Mom, that’s not fair,” Josh protested. “He’s still my father.” But Betty was unrelenting, and Josh knew better than to argue further.
Weeks passed. Though Josh no longer had much contact with Derek, he stayed in touch with Sylvia. Then, one day, Sylvia called him in tears.
“Josh, I didn’t know who else to turn to,” she sobbed. “Your dad left me. I told him I was pregnant, and he just walked out. I have no family here. I’m all alone.”
Josh, stunned, tried to comfort her. He even asked Betty if she could help Sylvia, but Betty refused at the mere mention of her name. With nowhere else to turn, Sylvia leaned on Josh, even though he was just a teenager.
Months went by. Josh’s home grew colder, and the distance between him and his father seemed final. Then, one evening, Betty anxiously waited for Josh, furious that he hadn’t answered her calls. When the door finally opened, she froze. Josh was standing there, holding a baby.
“Josh?! Whose baby is that?” she cried.
Josh’s arms tightened protectively around the infant. “I’m sorry, Mom. I couldn’t leave him. This is Sylvia’s baby—my brother.”
Betty was about to unleash her anger, but the sight of the fragile newborn silenced her. Josh quickly explained: Sylvia had been hospitalized after giving birth and left Josh as her emergency contact. With no one else to turn to, the hospital asked him to care for the baby.
“You’re only sixteen!” Betty exclaimed. “What were you thinking?”
“I know, Mom. But he’s family. I couldn’t just walk away,” Josh said.
Though reluctant, Betty agreed to let the baby stay temporarily, hoping Sylvia would recover soon. But a few days later, devastating news came: Sylvia had died from organ failure.
Josh’s heart sank. His baby brother was now an orphan, and the only future ahead of him seemed to be foster care. Josh begged his mother to consider taking the baby in permanently, but she resisted.
“I can’t, Josh. I won’t raise another child,” she said firmly.
Josh was shattered as he packed the baby’s things, preparing to hand him over to the hospital. With tears streaming down his face, he carried his brother’s bag to the door. That’s when Betty stopped him.
“Wait,” she said softly. “Maybe… maybe we can try. He is family, after all.”
Months later, Betty officially became the boy’s guardian. She even gave him a name: Andrew, after her grandfather. Slowly, baby Andrew became a beloved part of their family, filling their home with laughter again.
By the time Josh turned eighteen, he adopted Andrew as his own. With the support of his girlfriend, who embraced Andrew as part of her life, Josh found himself stepping into adulthood with a sense of responsibility and love that gave him strength.
One day, while Josh and his fiancée played with Andrew in the park, Derek called Betty. He apologized for everything and said he wanted to make things right, now that he knew about Sylvia’s death.
But Betty looked at her son, his fiancée, and little Andrew laughing together, and she knew the truth. “It’s too late, Derek,” she said firmly. “Andrew already has a family that loves him. Don’t disrupt that.” With that, she hung up, closing the door on Derek for good.