‘Sorry Mom, I Couldn’t Leave Them,’ My 16-Year-Old Son Said When He Brought Newborn Twins Home

“Soon. She’s in recovery. Give us another hour.”

Lila spent five days in the pediatric ICU. Josh was there every single day, from visiting hours until security made him leave at night. He’d hold her tiny hand through the incubator openings.

“We’re going to go to the park,” he’d say. “And I’ll push you on the swings. And Liam’s going to try to steal your toys, but I won’t let him.”

During one of those visits, I got a call from the hospital’s social services department. It was about Sylvia. She’d passed away that morning. The infection had spread to her bloodstream.