A Mother’s Choice, A Father’s Regret
It was a cold and rainy night. The wind howled through the empty streets, and the only sound Angie could hear was the soft cry of her newborn babies in her arms. She sat alone at a bus stop, soaked from head to toe. Her jacket was too thin to block the cold, and her arms were aching from holding both her daughters close to her chest.
“Where will we go?” she whispered to the night sky. Her voice trembled. “Please, Jesus, help us. Please give us shelter.”
She gently wiped the tears from her babies’ tiny faces. Her own tears mixed with the rain. She was tired, hungry, and scared.
Suddenly, she heard something move behind her. Her heart raced. Was it a person? An animal? She turned around quickly, clutching her babies tightly.
“It’s… it’s just a dog,” she sighed with relief as a stray limped by.
Angie couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in just a few days. Just a week ago, she was living in a warm home with her husband Jake. Now, she had nothing but two precious babies and a suitcase.
She looked up at the sky again. “Mom… I wish you were here. I should’ve listened when you told me not to rush into marriage with Jake,” she cried softly, remembering her late mother’s words.
Five Years Earlier
Angie met Jake after college. He was charming, handsome, and ambitious. She fell head over heels for him. He promised her the world, and she believed him. They married, thinking their love could overcome anything.
For the first few years, things were good. Then one day, Angie stood in front of Jake, holding a pregnancy test.
“I’m pregnant,” she said, eyes full of hope.
Jake frowned. “But… I just started my business. We said we’d wait. I’m not ready to be a dad yet.”
Angie’s heart sank. But she smiled anyway, trying to keep the peace. She hoped he’d come around.
A few weeks later, the truth hit even harder.
Jake sat outside the ultrasound room. “I’m okay with one baby. One is manageable,” he said with a half-smile. “Let’s just pray it’s not twins.”
Fate had other plans.
Angie walked out, pale and quiet.
“Well?” Jake asked.
“The babies are fine,” she said.
“Babies?!” Jake jumped to his feet.
He stormed off without another word. Angie stood there alone, her heart aching. She thought he was joking before. But now she saw it—he meant every word. He didn’t want two babies. Maybe he didn’t even want one.
Jake stopped caring. He buried himself in work. Angie hoped he’d get used to the idea. But during her last months of pregnancy, he became even more distant. Then, after giving birth to two beautiful baby girls, Jake didn’t even come to the hospital.
Three days later, he sent the maid and the driver to bring Angie and the twins home.
When she arrived, instead of joy, she was met with a cold demand.
“You can stay here, Angie,” Jake said. “But only if we give one baby up for adoption. If you want to keep both, then leave. Decide now.”
Angie stared at him in shock. “What are you saying?”
Jake didn’t blink. “I don’t want to spend all my money on two babies. I just started making real profits, and I don’t want to throw it all away. One baby is enough.”
“They’re our children, Jake! Both of them!” she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Jake just crossed his arms. “Make a choice.”
Angie didn’t need more time. She packed her things and walked out, holding both of her babies close. She had no money, no family, and nowhere to go. But she had made her choice as a mother.
Back at the Bus Stop
As the rain poured harder, headlights lit up the street. A taxi slowed down, and the window rolled down.
“Are you okay, my dear?” an elderly woman’s voice called out. It was a nun. “Come, get in. It’s too cold for you and the babies out here.”
Angie hesitated, then nodded, wrapping her babies tighter and stepping into the car.
“Oh my!” the nun gasped, looking at the girls. “They’re beautiful! Where can I take you?”
Angie broke down. “I don’t know. We’ve been abandoned. I have nowhere to go.”
The nun gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “Then come with me. We’ll take care of you.”
That night, Angie and her daughters, Sophie and Marley, found shelter at a convent. The sisters welcomed her with open arms. Angie found peace in that quiet place. She worked as a teacher in the church school and cleaned tables at a restaurant in the evenings.
A New Life
Two years later, Angie had saved enough money to open her own café. She worked hard—day and night—but never gave up. Her daughters were growing up fast, healthy, and happy. Angie was proud of the life she was building.
She didn’t want a divorce. Not because she still loved Jake—though a part of her did—but because she believed one day, he might realize what he had lost.
Five years passed. Angie now owned three coffee shops. She had bought a small, cozy house. It wasn’t much, but it was theirs. Sophie and Marley were thriving.
But while Angie’s life bloomed, Jake’s crumbled. His business failed. He was buried in debt. No one would help him. And then he remembered Angie.
The Unexpected Visitor
One morning, Angie opened the door—and froze. There stood Jake. His suit was wrinkled, his face tired and worn.
“Hey,” he said softly. “Can I come in?”
She nodded slowly. He stepped inside and looked around at her cozy little home. He saw a photo of Angie and their daughters on the wall and tears welled up in his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Jake whispered. “I was greedy. I chose money over my family, and I lost everything. Please forgive me.”
Angie was silent. She had imagined this moment many times. She looked into his eyes. They weren’t full of pride anymore. Just regret.
“I know I don’t deserve it,” he continued, “but I need your help. I have no one else.”
Angie walked over to her desk and handed him a check.
Jake’s eyes widened. “You’d help me? After everything I did to you?”
She nodded. “Yes. Because I’ve learned something more powerful than anger—forgiveness.”
He cried. “I was a terrible husband and a worse father. I’ll never stop regretting what I did.”
Angie placed a hand on his. “That night you kicked me out, I lost everything. But I found strength. And now, helping you is not about the past—it’s about who I choose to be.”
Jake wiped his tears and promised to make things right. “I want to be a father again. I want to earn back your trust. I’ll fix this.”
What Can We Learn?
When the nun saw a mother alone in the rain with her babies, she didn’t turn away. She helped.
And when Jake came back broken and sorry, Angie chose forgiveness over revenge.
Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do… is to let go of hate and offer love instead.
Because no matter how dark the night, love and kindness will always light the way.
