Dr. Spellman took in and raised his sister’s newborn triplets after she tragically died during childbirth. But five years later, everything he had built came under threat when the children’s biological father suddenly reappeared to take them back.
“Breathe… just breathe… it’s all going to be alright,” Thomas told his sister softly, walking alongside her as she was rushed toward the operating room on a gurney.
Leah’s brow was damp with sweat and drawn tight as she struggled for breath. “You’re… you’re the best big brother I could have ever prayed for, Thomas,” she murmured as they crossed into the OR.
Leah had gone into labor prematurely at thirty-six weeks, and the doctors recommended a C-section. But shortly after the first baby was delivered, her pulse began to drop and her condition deteriorated rapidly.
“Leah, stay with me! Nurse, what’s happening? Leah, look at me!” Thomas pleaded, his hands wrapped firmly around hers.
“Dr. Spellman, you have to leave, please,” Dr. Nichols insisted, steering him toward the door. Then the operating room doors slammed shut.
Thomas sank heavily into a chair in the waiting area, tears blurring his vision. He could still smell Leah’s familiar scent on his palms. Burying his face in his hands, he prayed she would be alright.
When a voice finally broke through his thoughts, he could tell something was wrong before the words even came. “Doctor… how… how’s Leah?” he asked, leaping to his feet.
“I’m sorry, Thomas,” Dr. Nichols said gently. “We did everything possible, but we couldn’t stop the bleeding. The babies are safe and have been placed in the NICU.”
The news hit Thomas like a blow. Leah had been so thrilled to meet her little ones, to cradle them, to give them the best of everything. How could God take her so soon?
Before he could collect himself, a voice rang down the hallway. “Where the hell is she?! She thought she could give birth without me knowing?”
Rage boiled up in Thomas as he turned to see Joe, his sister’s ex-boyfriend, storming toward him. “Where’s your sister?” Joe demanded.
Thomas seized him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “Now you care? Where were you when she had to sleep on the streets because of you? Where were you four hours ago when she collapsed? She’s dead, Joe! My sister never even got to hold her babies!”
“Where are my children? I want to see them!” Joe yelled, shoving Thomas’s hands away.
“Don’t you dare talk about them. Get out of my hospital before I call security!” Thomas barked.
“I’m leaving, but I will get my children back, Thomas. You can’t keep them from me,” Joe spat before walking off.
Thomas knew mourning would have to wait—his sister’s babies needed him. He was all they had, and he was determined not to let them fall into the hands of their alcoholic father. He filed for adoption and took the fight to court.
“This isn’t fair, Your Honor!” Joe cried from the witness stand, feigning tears. “I’m their father! They’re Leah’s flesh and blood—MY flesh and blood—and they’re all I have left!”
“Just to clarify,” the judge said, “you weren’t married to their mother, Leah, and you didn’t provide her with financial support during her pregnancy. Correct?”
“Well… yes, Your Honor,” Joe admitted with a sigh. “I do odd jobs as a handyman. I couldn’t afford to support her, and that’s why we didn’t marry.”
“Your Honor,” Thomas’s lawyer interjected, “we have messages and voice recordings from Leah herself stating that Mr. Dawson was a heavy drinker, and she refused to marry him unless he went to rehab.” The evidence was presented, and the judge was convinced Joe was unfit. Custody was awarded to Thomas.
Outside the courthouse, Thomas glanced toward the sky. “I promised I’d do my best for you, Leah. I hope I’ve made you proud,” he whispered through tears.
Joe stormed out right after. “I’m their real father, Thomas, and I’ll fight for them. Don’t get too proud—you’ve only won for now.”
Thomas pulled free of Joe’s grip and glared. “And that’s exactly why you’re not fit. You fight for yourself, not for them.”
When Thomas got home, he found his wife in the middle of packing. “Susannah, what’s going on? Why are you packing?”
“I’m sorry, Thomas,” she sighed. “I don’t even know if I want kids at all, and now you have three. I didn’t marry you to spend years changing diapers. You won your case, but I can’t do this.”
And with that, she left. Alone now, Thomas looked around in disbelief. Out of frustration, he reached for a bottle of wine. But as he removed the cork, his phone lit up with the faces of his three nephews as the screensaver.
“I promised Leah I’d give them a good life. I can’t give up now,” he told himself, returning the bottle to the rack.
The years passed, and Thomas poured his heart into raising Jayden, Noah, and Andy—changing diapers, singing them to sleep (despite his terrible voice), and cherishing every moment.
But the strain on his health eventually caught up with him. One day, he collapsed at work, blaming it on exhaustion before heading to pick up the boys from kindergarten.
Arriving home, his heart skipped a beat—Joe was standing across the street.
“Inside, boys. I’ll be right in,” Thomas said calmly, then strode toward him. “What are you doing here? Have you been watching us?”
“I’m here to take my kids back,” Joe said without shame.
“Your kids?” Thomas scoffed. “Where were you all these years? You left before they were even born. They were never yours. Go away.”
“You’re wrong,” Joe replied firmly. “I’ve spent five years working hard to be financially stable. I told you I’d be back, and now I’m ready to take them home.”
“Oh, really? I’m sure the judge will be impressed with your shiny new car,” Thomas retorted.
Thomas thought Joe had no case, but months later, he received a court summons—and his heart sank.
In court, Joe’s lawyer said, “We’ve learned Dr. Spellman is on a specific prescription regimen used to treat brain tumors.”
Thomas’s lawyer objected, but the judge allowed the questioning.
“Yes,” Thomas admitted quietly. He had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor months ago and was taking medication to shrink it and prevent seizures.
The judge looked at him with compassion. “Given these circumstances, the court believes the children should live with their biological father. Dr. Spellman, if you truly love them, you’ll understand this is what’s best. You have two weeks to prepare them.”
Thomas had feared this outcome from the start, but he had still fought for Leah’s children.
As he packed their bags, his chest felt hollow. The boys clung to him. “Uncle Thomas, we want to stay with you!”
“Boys,” he said gently, “if you love me, you know I’d never choose wrong for you. I want you to be happy, and Joe will take care of you. Please, go get your things.”
They obeyed reluctantly but then ran back to hug him tightly. “I love you, Uncle Thomas! I don’t want to leave!” Jayden cried, with Noah and Andy joining in.
“Didn’t we make a deal? I’ll see you every weekend, and we’ll be good to Daddy Joe,” Thomas said, holding them close.
Joe, watching, felt something in his heart shift. “You were right, Thomas. We shouldn’t be fighting for the children—but for their sake.” Then he stepped forward and helped carry the boys’ bags back inside the house.