I became a surrogate for my twin brother—but when he held his newborn daughter for the first time, his face went pale, and he whispered, “I can’t take her home.” Then he told us to look at her back… and the truth that came out days later left me shaking

“I know.”

“Do you?”

My anger spilled out before I could stop it.

“You held her for seconds, Ryan. Seconds. Then you acted as though someone had handed you something you didn’t order.”

His eyes closed.

“I know how it looked.”

“How it looked?”

I stepped closer.

“The doctor called. Hope has a chance at a healthy, active life. She may need surgery and therapy, but she is still your daughter. Yet the moment you heard there might be complications, you walked away.”

“That wasn’t why.”

I stopped.

“Then tell me why.”

Ryan sat on one of the stools beside my counter.

His shoulders folded inward.

Suddenly he didn’t look like the brother who had always protected me.

He looked frightened.

Ashamed.

Almost small.

Then he whispered, “I lost my job.”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard him again.

“What?”

“Four months ago.”

I stared at him.

“Four months?”

He nodded.

“Right after the second-trimester scan.”