The morning started like any other. I was in the kitchen, staring down at the two pink lines on the test in front of me. Pregnant. Again. My hand instinctively went to my belly.

A part of me felt joy. Babies are a blessing, right? But then reality hit, and my chest tightened. How were we going to make this work?

Jacob already works so hard as a janitor, and my nanny job barely covers the groceries. Tommy, our 7-year-old, needs new shoes, and our car's been making a noise that doesn't sound cheap to fix.

Jacob was sitting in the living room, lacing up his boots. His shoulders slumped like always, the weight of the world pressing on him.

"You're up early," he said, his voice as even as ever.

"Busy day," I said, forcing a smile. "Gotta drop Tommy off and then head to the Jenkins'. Those twins are a handful."

He nodded and tugged his boots tighter. "Still better than mopping floors," he said with a chuckle, but his laugh didn't reach his eyes.

I nodded back, not wanting to push him. Jacob always carried so much without complaining. I couldn't add this to his plate. Not yet.

That day, I drove Tommy to his grandmother and headed to see my doctor. The clinic was quiet, except for the hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional muffled cough. I sat in the exam room, tapping my foot as I waited for Dr. Patel to come back with my results.

Then, I saw him.

At first, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. It couldn't be Jacob, could it? But there he was, walking down the hall toward the maternity ward. Except it wasn't the Jacob I knew.

He was wearing a sleek black suit, the kind I'd only seen on TV. His hair was combed perfectly, and on his wrist was a shiny watch that caught the light with every step. But the part that made my stomach twist was that he was carrying two newborn babies wrapped in pastel blankets.

"Jacob?" I whispered, frozen in place. My voice caught in my throat, but I forced it louder. "Jacob!"

He didn't even look at me.

"Jacob! What are you doing here?" I shouted, my voice cracking.

Nothing. He just kept walking like he hadn't heard me. I watched him walk outside and get into a luxurious black car.

I stood in the hallway, my heart pounding, staring at the door Jacob had walked out of. My mind raced with questions. Those babies, his suit, that car didn't make sense.

"Answers," I muttered under my breath. "I need answers."

I pushed open the door and stepped inside the ward. The room was bright, with sunlight pouring through large windows, highlighting the soft pastel walls. Near the corner, a woman was packing a designer bag, carefully folding baby clothes. She looked up as I entered.

At first, I froze. She was stunning, tall and elegant, with perfectly styled auburn hair and a face that looked like it belonged on magazine covers. She wore a silk robe, and even in the casual setting of a hospital, she exuded wealth and sophistication.