A man struggles to raise his triplets after his wife\u2019s death, believing they were his own. However, things soon hit rock bottom one day when he meets a stranger in the cemetery and learns the babies he had been devoted to raising for so long were not really his. Dried, rotten brown leaves crunched under Jordan Fox\u2019s boots as he pushed his baby stroller into the Manhattan cemetery\u2019s ornate gateway. Dry flowers and half-burnt candles were strewn across the lawn. A gust of wind howled through the row of Eastern red cedar, breaking the grave silence as he proceeded to his late wife Kyra\u2019s tomb. It was her first death anniversary.\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to see mama\u2026\u201d he told baby Alan, one of his triplets resting his bulky diapered bottom on his left hip. The other two, Eric and Stan, lay in the stroller, watching the sky and babbling at seeing dragonflies.Upon reaching, Jordan\u2019s heart raced at seeing a silhouette of a stranger, seemingly in his late 50s, standing near Kyra\u2019s grave. The man adjusted his Irish cap as he leaned to brush the tombstone with the epitaph that read: A twinkle in our eyes & hearts is now on the skies. \u2014 In Loving Memory of Kyra Fox. Jordan tried hard to remember but could not recognize the tall, stout man. \u201cWho is he, and what\u2019s he doing near my wife\u2019s tomb?\u201d he wondered and approached him\u2026 \u201cAmen!\u201d said the man with a lopsided smirk as he finished with the sign of the cross, grimly turning around to greet Jordan. He smiled, eagerness filling his eyes as he raised his hand for a handshake but withdrew it as soon as his gaze shifted to the babies.Jordan\u2019s eyebrows narrowed in surprise. He wanted to know who this guy was and what he was doing at Kyra\u2019s grave. As far as Jordan could recall, he had never seen this man around before\u2026not even at Kyra\u2019s funeral.\n
\u201cSo, who is he then? And what\u2019s he doing here?\u201d Jordan was puzzled. \u201cI\u2019m offering you $100,000! I\u2019m ready to give you more if you want. Take the money and give me the babies.\u201d \u201cYou must be Jordan Fox\u2026It\u2019s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fox,\u201d the guy uttered. \u201cI knew you would come here today, and I was waiting for you. I\u2019m Denis\u2026from Chicago\u2026Kyra\u2019s \u2018old\u2019 pal.\u201dJordan was a little surprised because Kyra had never told him about having such a friend from Chicago who was old and whose name was Denis.\u201cNice to meet you, Denis. I\u2019m not sure I know you\u2026Have we met before? I haven\u2019t been to Chicago before.\u201d \u201cNot really! I just arrived in Manhattan. I found out that\u2026\u201d Denis paused and gulped after seeing the babies again.\n
\u201cCan I see your babies\u2026if you don\u2019t mind?\u201d Jordan hesitated and pretended to ignore the man\u2019s request because he was not ready to trust his tots with a stranger. Denis took that as a no but wouldn\u2019t stop himself from walking forward and leaning over the stroller to see the other two babies. \u201cThey are angels! Sweet little cinnamon rolls! They have my nose and eyes\u2026and chestnut hair\u2026\u201d \u201cAnd those big lashes\u2026I had them when I was little!\u201d blabbered Denis. He then looked up, saying the unthinkable Jordan was not prepared to hear. \u201cMr. Fox, I know this might not make any sense to you, but\u2026I know you\u2019ll be wondering who I am and why I\u2019m here. I\u2019m the boys\u2019 REAL FATHER, and I\u2019ve come here to take them.\u201d \u201cEXCUSE ME??\u201d Jordan frowned and wanted to smack the man in the face for even saying this. He spared him for his age and tried to steal his way past him, thinking he was crazy.\u201cMr. Fox, please believe me. I\u2019m the father of the kids. A mistake I made in the past is still haunting me. I want to correct it before it\u2019s too late. Please send the kids with me. I even have an amazing offer for you.\u201d\n
\u201cAre you crazy, old man? Get outta my way before I call the cops,\u201d Jordan held the stroller and baby Alan tighter and ignored the guy. But Denis wouldn\u2019t budge, and he began disclosing intricate details about the late Kyra that startled Jordan. \u201cKyra, your wife\u2026She loved disco and bikes\u2026.was a brunette with a taste for art and French cuisine\u2026Soupe \u00e0 l\u2019oignon and cr\u00e8me br\u00fbl\u00e9e were her favorites. She was allergic to peanuts and had a small burn scar on her right thigh..and she had this\u2026\u201d \u201cENOUGH\u2026STOP!\u201d Jordan yelled. \u201cI don\u2019t want to hear a word more about my wife. Who the hell are you, and how do you know all this? What do you want?\u201d \u201cI told you I\u2019m the father of her kids. Mr. Fox, I know it\u2019s weird, and I cannot get custody of my children. I know that, okay? But I\u2019m sure you wouldn\u2019t want to waste your youth on them and will appreciate my company in raising them. You are young and charming and still have an entire life ahead of you. But look at me. I am old and have nobody other than these babies. I want them back. Please hand them over to me and move on.\u201d\n
\u201cLook, I don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about. And it\u2019s none of your business what I need to do in life, okay? Are you outta your mind, old man? You sound crazy\u2026Go get a life. I don\u2019t know you and think you\u2019ve mistaken me for someone\u2026Back off. And stay away from my children.\u201d\u201cMr. Fox, the kids are mine, and that\u2019s the truth\u2026and I\u2019m ready to do anything to take them with me. But I don\u2019t want to mess things up for you since you raised them for so long. So lemme get this straight \u2014 I\u2019m offering you $100,000! I\u2019m ready to give you more if you want. Take the money and give me the babies.\u201d\n
\u201cI know more about your wife Kyra than you know about her. Take your time and get back to me, alright? Here\u2019s my card.\u201d Tears of shock and grief sprang into Jordan\u2019s eyes. He could not believe Denis knew so much about Kyra. For a moment, he wanted to think it was a fib, and some random older man was playing a prank on him. Alas, Jordan could not get over Denis mentioning the burn mark on Kyra\u2019s right thigh. \u201cIt\u2019s not a bribe, Mr. Fox. See, I want to thank you for raising my babies, okay? And you needn\u2019t worry about anything. I\u2019m fifty-seven and have enough experience in raising kids. You must be glad to put them in good, trustworthy hands. I know what you must be feeling. But don\u2019t worry. Take your time to think about it and do get back. Call me on this number, alright? I\u2019ll be waiting. Denis Roberts hates a no for an answer, so\u2026.\u201d Denis tucked a visiting card into Jordan\u2019s hand and hurried away, leaving him with more than just a shock and a heartbreak.The flickering flame and candle smoke on Kyra\u2019s tombstone snapped Jordan to the moment. He placed the bouquet on the grave, and after a minute of observing silence, he hurried out of the cemetery with his babies. For a moment, he was haunted by all that Denis told him. Jordan could not focus on the road. He stopped his car at random intervals on the roadside, trying to concentrate, but in vain.\n
\u201cWas everything she told me a lie then? How could she do this to me?\u201d he cried, hallucinating Kyra sitting near him on the passenger seat. Jordan needed answers to many questions and did not want to buy Denis\u2019s words. But the part about the burn scar on her right thigh? He couldn\u2019t help but suspect her, considering the circumstances under which he met her two years ago.It was the spring of 2016. Jordan was making cocktail shots behind the bar counter when his gaze fell on a young and beautiful Kyra. She was with her friends and was the noisiest in the gang. Jordan thought she was pretty and desired to date such a gorgeous woman but never found the means or time to do it. As days passed, Kyra began frequenting the bar, and Jordan was more than delighted to attend to her whenever she visited. \u201cOne more Margarita on the rocks, please!\u201d she often told him with a glossy smile flickering across her face. Kyra never even looked at Jordan \u2018differently\u2019 and only treated him as a kind, young bartender. But he had already fallen head over heels for her. He would leave for the night shift daily, rehearsing a smile and adjusting his hair, black bow tie, and muted gray shirt at least a dozen times, confident about impressing Kyra. One night, Jordan was crushed after seeing her kissing another guy in the pub. Reality hit him hard when he understood Kyra was just treating him like a barkeeper and nothing special. Heartbroken, Jordan started keeping his distance from her, knowing she would never be his. However, one night, he could not hold himself back when he saw Kyra bitterly crying alone in the lounge. \u201cMiss, hey, are you alright?\u201d he asked and saw her boyfriend, Shawn, dancing with another girl. Jordan\u2019s heart melted, and he could partially guess what had hurt Kyra. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Streaks of warm tears ran down her cheeks, leaving discolored patches of smudged eyeliner on her makeup.\n
\u201cI want to go somewhere\u2026can you please take me away. I feel like dying,\u201d she buried her face and wept into her palms. She cried her heart out to a stranger, but Jordan did not treat her like one. She meant more than anything else to him, so he was ready to do anything to calm her down. He took an hour off and offered to drop her home as she was too drunk to leave alone.\u201cShawn and I have known each other for six months,\u201d Kyra ranted, her breath stinking of alcohol. \u201cThat pervert! He dumped me for that stupid Lily\u2026What does she have that I don\u2019t? Jerk! He said he didn\u2019t want to continue this with me. What an \u2014\u201d \u201cI\u2019m so sorry for you. Be strong, Miss. It happens\u2026and life has to go on. Maybe he doesn\u2019t deserve you at all. It\u2019s his loss\u2026Please don\u2019t cry. I\u2019m always here as your friend whenever you need me, alright?\u201d Kyra nodded, her dewy-eyed stare fixed on Jordan before passing out on the seat. He awakened her upon reaching outside her house and helped her get out. \u201cThanks, Jordan!\u201d Kyra smiled through the fogged window of the car glass.\n
\u201cSee you around!\u201d After that, their meetings became a ritual. Jordan and Kyra fell in love and started dating. They danced, toured across the night-lit streets of Manhattan, and kissed before saying I love you! He asked her to promise to quit drinking, and she agreed. She asked him to promise not to leave her like her ex-boyfriend, and he assured her that. It had only been two weeks since their love story bloomed when Kyra told Jordan she was pregnant with his triplets and persuaded him to marry her. He was shocked because it happened too quickly. He was not prepared for this but was thrilled about becoming a father.Soon, the couple married in a private ceremony, and it felt strange when nobody from Kyra\u2019s family attended the wedding. Jordan knew nothing about her parents, and when he asked her, she told him they were dead. That was all he knew, and he did not bother her again because he didn\u2019t want to hurt her. At that time, nothing mattered to him more than starting his life with her, and he blindly trusted her. It all felt like a wicked joke now. Jordan kept staring at the wedding ring he was still wearing after Kyra\u2019s death and understood she had always kept him in a web of lies.\n
\u201cI was an IDIOT! Everything she told me was a LIE\u2026Her love was a game\u2026she married me because she needed a man to father SOMEONE ELSE\u2019S KIDS.\u201d \u201cI should\u2019ve known the babies were not mine when she told me she was pregnant in just two weeks. I was so stupid! She cheated on me\u2026that too with an old man. How disgusting!\u201d he sniffled, tears endlessly spilling from his bloodshot eyes. The babies suddenly woke up and started crying in the backseat. Jordan was so disturbed and upset, and he wished to run somewhere where he could no longer hear those cries. But at the same time, he could not start hating his babies just because someone told him they were not his. He was confused about the depth of truth in Denis\u2019s claims, so he returned home immediately, still skeptical about the next step.Jordan decided to forget about the encounter with the stranger and got to work. He put the babies in the crib, scooping one each at a time to remove their diapers. First went Alan, and then Eric, and then Stan. He bathed his babies and changed their diapers. He sang a lullaby, trying his best not to sound like a starving bear growling in the woods. Once the three slept in their cribs after eating, Jordan started doing the dishes, and before he could finish, he smelled something burning. \u201cOh, damn, the spaghetti!\u201d he shrieked, almost getting his fingers burnt while trying to remove the pan from the stove. He then remembered the laundry and ran upstairs to a bathroom overflowing with foam. Jordan had used too much detergent due to stress. It felt like it rained only problems in his life that day. He saw it was almost time to hurry to the bar for the night shift. He then called Mrs. Wills, his elderly neighbor, to come over to watch the kids. \u201cThank you, Mrs. Wills\u2026I\u2019ll be here till you come,\u201d he told her and went to check his babies. They were fast asleep in their crib. Jordan was tormented at seeing them and could not be peaceful. Earlier, he felt he had the energy and spirit to do anything for his children. But now, everything seemed so different and sour, and Denis\u2019s words kept ringing in his head.\n
\u201cWhy did you do this to me, Kyra? I never lied or cheated on you\u2026how could you do this then? You had always lied to me about everything, and I\u2019m not able to tell which is true and which is not\u2026even on the day you died, you told me you were at the party. I still don\u2019t know where you went that night,\u201d Jordan whimpered, tears running across his creases as he recalled the dark day that still haunted him. It was a rainy night, and Jordan was restless as he kept looking out the window to see if Kyra had come. His phone started heating up due to his constant calls to all her friends, asking if she was with them. Kyra had told him she was at a friend\u2019s party, but nobody had seen her around. Her phone was switched off, probably due to a dead battery, and Jordan began to panic as it was close to midnight. His newborn babies started crying. They were hungry, and he didn\u2019t know how to calm them down. Jordan had somehow put his babies to sleep. He took his phone to see if Kyra had called and got a call from the station instead. \u201cYes, Jordan Fox here.\u201d\n
\u201cMr. Fox, we are calling from the station. Could you please come to the morgue? We need help in identifying a woman\u2019s body.\u201d Jordan started sweating as he rushed to the hospital after leaving his babies with his neighbor. He was called to identify a young woman\u2019s body found in a car accident that night. He slowed down and almost froze when the thin white sheet over the body was lifted for identification. Jordan\u2019s heart sank, and it rained tears in his eyes. Kyra\u2019s lifeless body lay still, and it was later revealed she was under drug overdose at the time of the crash.Jordan\u2019s world changed after that. He felt numb, weak, and afraid to raise his babies alone. He was guilty for the one being alive, and at some point, his tears stopped due to anger. Jordan could not forgive Kyra for leaving him with such a massive responsibility on his shoulders. He couldn\u2019t accept her loss and move on but forced himself to do it after seeing his children. They were the only reason that kept him going. He vowed to himself he would do everything to give his kids a good life. Jordan did not date any other woman after that because he still loved Kyra. He still wore their wedding ring and believed she had gone nowhere. He stepped into the shoes of both mother and father for his three little sons and devoted his entire life to them. Jordan shuttled between work and his babies and barely found any time for himself. He had forgotten what a restful night looked like. He stopped chilling with his friends and started living a life that was more about his babies than about himself. But now, after learning he was not their real father, he started doubting if he could see them the same way again and if he would genuinely want to spend his time and energy raising them. \u201cI can\u2019t do this anymore\u2026I just can\u2019t,\u201d Jordan stammered, shoving his chair, its legs scraping against the wooden floor, waking his babies up. A strange thought struck his mind as he slammed the door shut and walked away without even saying his usual \u201cThanks and have a good day!\u201d to his neighbor Mrs. Wills when she came to watch over the kids.Jordan could not be peaceful that entire night in the pub. He returned home after his shift but went straight into his room to find Denis\u2019s card. He didn\u2019t even stop to look at his babies or cuddle with them like usual. Jordan came out of his room minutes later, his gaze shifting to the three little ones gesturing at him and babbling \u2018Da-Da\u2019 in their baby language, asking him to carry them. Jordan\u2019s heart sunk to the ground. \u201cHow could I\u2026How could I even think about abandoning you? I cannot live without you guys\u2026you are my everything\u2026God, how did I even think of leaving them?\u201d he cried, his eyes now focused on the call that was already connected to Denis. \u201cHello? Hello\u2026anyone there?\u201d the faint voice of the older man seeped through the phone. \u201cMr. Roberts, it\u2019s me, Jordan.\u201d \u201cI was waiting for your call, Mr. Fox. I\u2019m so happy you called me\u2026finally! So, what have you decided? When shall I meet you with the check and take the babies?\u201d\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Roberts\u2026but I cannot accept your offer. A father is one who raises his children \u2014 not necessarily the one who gives birth. I may not be their real father, but they are still my children. I cannot imagine a life without them,\u201d Jordan said sternly and politely. \u201cMr. Fox\u2026wait a minute\u2026please. Look, we can talk about this again, alright? You don\u2019t understand\u2026I want my babies. I cannot live without them.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Roberts. Even I cannot live without them. They are my world. And I don\u2019t want your money. You cannot trade love for money.\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll tell the kids about you once they are big. It\u2019s up to them to decide who they choose. But I cannot send them to you because I love them and am THEIR FATHER! Goodbye!\u201d Denis was disheartened. \u201cFine, if that\u2019s your decision. But can we meet tomorrow at the caf\u00e9\u2026or maybe at your place? You decide.\u201d\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mr. Roberts, but I\u2019m busy tomorrow. I don\u2019t think I can\u2026\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t you want to know the truth fully, Mr. Fox? I have only told you a part of it. There\u2019s still something else you don\u2019t know yet.\u201d Jordan agreed, catching his breath, surprised by the strangeness of Denis\u2019s question. He took a night shift off the next evening and eagerly waited for the man to meet him at his house.Denis showed up a couple of hours later with several boxes. \u201cJust some new sweaters, diapers, and blankets for the babies!\u201d he laughed as he hung his overcoat on the hanger and made himself comfortable. Denis\u2019s gaze fell upon the empty crib, and he understood Jordan had kept his kids away somewhere, far from his sight and grasp. Jordan hated the silence around. He was impatient to know about the \u2018truth\u2019 the man had bragged about, and after a few seconds of only staring at each other, he broke the guy\u2019s silence. \u201cSo\u2026what is it? You said I still need to know something.\u201d Denis grimly smiled before flapping open his blazer and taking out an old photo. He kept staring at it, and Jordan felt it was weird.\n
\u201cMr. Roberts\u2026what is it? Look, I don\u2019t have time, and I\u2019d appreciate it if you make it fast.\u201d Suddenly, tears started streaming down Denis\u2019s face. He could not hold them back while his gaze was still fixed on the photo. \u201cMr. Fox, the babies with you are not yours\u2026they are not mine either. Actually, I\u2019m their GRANDFATHER!\u201d Denis then handed Jordan the picture of him with Kyra and rose, tearfully making his way to the window. \u201cOh my God\u2026Where were you all these days\u2026Kyra told me her parents were DEAD\u2026She never told me anything about you. What happened to you? Why didn\u2019t you come for her funeral?\u201d\u201cI was such a bad father, Mr. Fox,\u201d cried Denis. \u201cI did something no father would do to his child.\u201d \u201cAfter my wife died, I raised my daughter alone. I gave her everything\u2026love, money, and education. I wanted her to live a life I had envisioned, but she lost track and fell astray with her addiction issues.\u201d \u201cI wanted to send Kyra to rehab and even threatened to disinherit her. But she refused, and things went downhill after that. She started coming home late, and I\u2019d see a random boy dropping her home every night. My name and reputation were getting spoiled, so I kicked her out. She was so furious, and before leaving, she told me I was the worst father and told me not to look for her. I thought she would get back once her money ran out, but she never did. I\u2019m not able to forgive myself for not trying to help my child. I abandoned her, and now she\u2019s gone forever.\u201d\n
\u201cBut how did you find me? And how did you know that the babies aren\u2019t mine?\u201d Jordan interrupted Denis, curious to piece the puzzle together.\u201cI didn\u2019t even know my daughter was married, had children, and had died until I recently met Amy, her best friend in Chicago\u2026She told me about you and the babies, so I flew here right away to meet you,\u201d Denis said. \u201cWhen she was pregnant, Kyra met her friend and confided her fears. She had told Amy she was afraid you would leave her if you found out the babies weren\u2019t yours.\u201d \u201cOh my God\u2026are these her ex-boyfriend Shawn\u2019s children, then?\u201d Jordan was startled. \u201cI\u2019m not sure about that because my daughter had told Amy she had dated and broken up with three other men around the same time she married you. Kyra herself was not sure who the father was. We still don\u2019t know the real father, and we don\u2019t want to know that,\u201d Denis cried. \u201cAll I can say is I\u2019m happy my grandsons are with a man they can call \u2018Dad.\u2019 Mr. Fox, only you can love and raise them well. I am sorry for lying to you that I was their father. I don\u2019t know what got into my head. I was afraid you\u2019d not allow me to raise them, and I knew I\u2019d never get their custody unless you gave them away. That\u2019s why I offered you money. I\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m guilty, and I have no tears left to cry. I\u2019m getting older and only wish to be part of my grandchildren\u2019s lives. I was not a good father, but I wish to be a good grandfather.\u201d Jordan spoke no more and hugged Denis. It was the least he could do to comfort the grieving old man who could not forgive himself for leaving his daughter\u2019s side when she needed him the most. With time, Denis started visiting Jordan and the kids often and, at some point, even decided to move in with them. He treated Jordan as his son and was pleased to be a part of his grandchildren\u2019s upbringing.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Single Dad Struggles Raising Triplets, One Day Finds Out They Aren\u2019t His \u2014 Story of the Day A man struggles to raise his triplets after his wife\u2019s death, believing they were his own. However, things soon hit rock bottom one day when he meets a stranger in the cemetery and learns the babies he had\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":85859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[855],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-85856","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-story"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/183.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85856"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":85860,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85856\/revisions\/85860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justmetalking.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}