Parenting a teenager means always wondering what they’re not telling you. When Theo started guarding his backpack like Fort Knox and coming home smelling oddly of baby powder, I knew something was up. Finding those newborn diapers confirmed my suspicions – but the truth was nothing like I imagined.
Following him to that crumbling house, I expected to confront some terrible mistake. Instead, I found my son expertly burping a smiling infant while an exhausted grandfather looked on. The story unfolded slowly – a runaway mother, a struggling elderly man, and my quiet boy who’d stepped in to help without being asked.
Watching Theo gently bounce baby Maxime, I realized how little we really know our children’s hearts. That secret he kept wasn’t about hiding from me – it was about showing up for someone who had no one else. Now it’s our secret to share, and our family to grow.
