My brother showed up unannounced, left his toddlers on my doorstep, and said, “You need a purpose. . I’ll get them back when Lily turns eighteen,” before driving off to “follow his dreams.” He didn’t know I still talked to his ex. I drove the kids to her—six hours away. When he found out, he called the police, saying I’d taken them. But when officers read the message he’d sent me…

Last Friday, I’m working from home when I hear my doorbell ringing like the house is on fire. I open it, and there’s my brother, Dan, with his two kids, Lily, who’s three, and Ben, who just turned two. They’ve got these little cartoon-themed suitcases, and Dan’s already walking back to his car.

I’m like, “What’s going on?”

He turns around and goes, “Oh, good. You’re home. So, I’ve been thinking, and you’re thirty-two with no kids and that big house all to yourself. These two need stability, and you need a purpose in your life. I’ll pick them up when Lily turns eighteen.”