Ethan was stunned. The handwriting clearly belonged to an adult, not a child. Someone had planted this fantasy in their heads. But why?
“Do you remember your mom?”
“No, sir,” Logan said quietly. “Aunt Karen told us Mommy had to go to heaven when we were born.”
Ethan’s heart raced. The story was getting more confusing, but the vulnerability of these two boys touched him deeply. He noticed people starting to stare at the scene on the sidewalk.
“Look, you can’t stay out here alone on the street. It’s dangerous.”
“But Aunt Karen said we had to find you today,” Mason insisted. “She said it was really important.”
“Where is this shelter? I’ll take you back.”
The twins looked at each other, fear flashing in their eyes.
“You’re not going to take us with you?” Logan asked, grabbing his brother’s hand.
“Aunt Karen said if we found you, we wouldn’t have to go back there anymore,” Mason added, tears forming in his eyes.
Ethan was in an impossible position. He couldn’t leave two small children on the street, but he couldn’t just take them home either.
First, he needed to understand what was really happening.
“Do you know the address of the shelter?”
“It’s in Brooklyn. The yellow house with the sign that says ‘House of Smiles,’” Mason answered.
“You came all the way from Brooklyn by yourselves?”
“We took the bus,” Logan said proudly. “Aunt Karen used to take us on rides and taught us the bus numbers.”
Ethan was impressed by their resourcefulness but worried by how easily they had navigated the city. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant.
“Sarah, cancel all my afternoon meetings. I have an urgent situation. Also, look up a place called House of Smiles in Brooklyn. Get me everything you can.”
After hanging up, Ethan looked at the twins watching him expectantly.
“Are you guys hungry?”
“Yes, sir!” they answered in perfect unison.
“How about we grab some lunch together? Then we’ll figure this out calmly.”
Their eyes lit up. It was clear they weren’t used to kindness.
Ethan hailed a cab. During the ride to a nearby family restaurant, he watched how the boys behaved. They sat pressed close together, always touching, as if they needed constant physical reassurance that the other was there. They whispered in their own secret twin language but answered politely whenever he asked a question.