A single dad is horrified when he returns home early from a business trip and finds twin babies on his daughter’s bed. When she returns home, he confronts her about what’s going on and learns something sho-cking. After Stanley lost his wife, Martha, to cancer, he brought up their daughter, Phoebe, on his own. Phoebe was only 8 when Martha left them, and for Stanley, it was challenging to raise a daughter while juggling a day job!
Still, Stanley tried his best to be a good dad, but somehow he couldn’t fill a mother’s void in Phoebe’s life. They became distant, especially when Phoebe grew older and avoided sharing anything with him. The thought of his only child not being close enough to him bothered Stanely a lot, but nothing he tried to bridge the gap between them worked. However, the real trouble for him began when Phoebe turned 14.
Stanely suddenly noted a flurry of changes in Phoebe, which clearly meant boys were coming for her. She had more boyfriends than girlfriends, her skirt length was shrinking with time, not to mention she was an exact replica of her beautiful mother. How could the boys not be after her?
Like every other concerned dad, these things bothered Stanley. However, he trusted Phoebe enough to dismiss the changes as something that every adolescent girl goes through.
Besides, discussing it with her would only unnecessarily strain their relationship and drive them even further apart. But he came to regret this decision one day… Stanley was supposed to be away for four days for a business convention in Paris. He was certain that Phoebe could manage things on her own while he was away because she was a responsible teenager, and he had taught her everything — from cooking to cleaning to grocery shopping.
“I’m sorry for leaving something on your shoulders that should have been my responsibility, but please do me a favor.”While Stanley was in Paris, the conference was abruptly rescheduled from a four-day event to a three-day event, so he would be home a day before he was supposed to.
He knew Phoebe would be at school when he got home, so he decided to make her a special lunch before she got home. However, as he entered the house and sat on the couch, he heard a baby wailing from upstairs, where Phoebe’s room was.
Bewildered, Stanley hurried upstairs and lost his balance when he discovered not one but two babies wrapped in towels on Phoebe’s bed. “What the hell? What are babies doing here?…No way! Phoebe?” He couldn’t believe what he was thinking, but he couldn’t think of a better explanation. Why didn’t he notice anything before?
“You need to explain this, Phoebe!” he muttered angrily under his breath. Suddenly, he heard the front door open and close. He came out of Phoebe’s room and saw she was back home with baby supplies in her arms. “Phoebe!” he yelled at her as he dashed downstairs. “Woah, Dad! You scared me!” Phoebe dropped her things, startled. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at a conference?”
“Cut the nonsense and tell me what those babies are doing in your room? And why aren’t you at school at this hour?” he inquired furiously, and for the first time, he noticed worry in Phoebe’s eyes “Dad! Please relax! Let me explain everything!” “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for. GIVE ME A PROPER REASON OR—” “All right, all right, chill! Let me just check on the babies and then we can discuss, okay? And yes, please come with me to my room. I need to show you something.”
Stanley chased after Phoebe as she raced upstairs to the infants. When the babies were finally quiet, Phoebe dashed to her closet and took a note. “Please read this, Dad. “I’m sorry for leaving something on your shoulders that should have been my duty, but please do me a favor and look after my babies.” I am unable to offer a good life for the children, therefore I am aba-ndoning them here. They’re twins, and I’d like it if you could call them Ryan and Peter. Thank you very much.”
“What exactly is this?” Stanley gazed at her, perplexed. “Did you just bring another person’s babies home?” “They had been a-bandoned, dad.” I found them in a stroller alongside a park on my way home two days ago. Thank god I discovered the message and brought them home before they went into the hands of the wrong people. And I recently missed two days of school to care for kids, so don’t be too concerned about missing courses!”
Stanley met a volunteer called Brooke throughout the adoption process and they fell in love. Phoebe didn’t like Brooke at first, but she gradually won her heart, and when Brooke and Stanley married, Phoebe accepted her totally. “Phoebe, you don’t get it! We can’t keep the babies in that condition! The cops must be made aware of this.”
“However, what’s the point?” It’s not like their mother will ever return, dad! And I don’t want to a-bandon them like their mother!” “Oh, Phoebe,” he groaned, shaking his head. “Honey, we need to notify the cops so that they can identify their mother or any other relatives and keep these babies from being separated from their families.” It’s not about a-bandoning them to their fate; it’s about doing what’s right.”
“Ugh, I didn’t think of that…” she lamented. “Oh, come here,” he whispered as he encircled her with his arms. “I am extremely proud of you for saving the babies. I had no idea how much my little princess had grown! Phoebe, I’m very proud of you, and I apologize for my prior outburst.” “You’re so cheesy, dad,” she laughed as she held him passionately. “But I love you, so I think it’s all right!” Let’s tell the officers about Ryan and Peter so they may come home as soon as possible.”
“All right then,” Stanley said, calling the cops and telling them everything. He also requested if he could foster the babies until their family members could be found, and they happily agreed to follow document verification. The detectives tried to find the twins’ relatives while they were staying at Stanley and Phoebe’s house, but nothing came of it.
After several months of this, the cops closed the case, and Stanley, who had grown in love with Ryan and Peter, adopted them. But that wasn’t the end of the story. Stanley and Phoebe’s relationship improved with Brooke’s help, and Phoebe now had someone in her life with whom she could talk about girlie things, which she couldn’t do with Stanley before. As a result, Stanley and Phoebe’s family grew from two to five members.
