I drove to my late wife’s mountain house to say goodbye to the life we had lost. Instead, I found two abandoned twin girls standing on the porch,

and received six.

One year later, I drove back up the mountain.

This time, Lily and Rose ran onto the porch wearing red boots. Their laughter moved through the pines. Above the fireplace hung a photograph of Mara.

The adoption papers had been signed.

Rose climbed onto my lap. “Did Aunt Mara know you’d find us?”

I looked at the brass key framed beside her continue reading …