It took several minutes before I could make sense of what he was saying. Between sobs, he explained that he had gone to Harborview Medical Center with a friend who’d been injured. While waiting in the emergency room, he had seen his father leaving one of the maternity wards. He looked angry, almost panicked. Liam hadn’t spoken to him but had asked a nurse what had happened. That was how he learned the truth.
Brian’s girlfriend, Kara, had given birth the night before. Twins. A boy and a girl. She was critically ill from complications, and Brian had walked out. He told the staff he wanted no responsibility and left the hospital without signing a single form.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, staring at the infants. My voice came out small. “You’re saying these are your half-brother and sister?”
Liam nodded. “Kara’s alone, Mom. She was crying when I found her. She begged me to take them, at least until she gets better.”
“You took them?” My voice cracked. “You’re sixteen. You can’t just walk out of a hospital with newborns.”
“She signed a temporary release,” he said quickly. “Mrs. Diaz from the nursing station helped. She knows you. She vouched for me.”