Would you turn a blind eye if you saw someone you loved in trouble? Or would you help them even if you knew it might hurt your marriage?
Joe, 32, was faced with the same dilemma when he saw his ex-fiancée, Maria, on the subway. She was dozing on a dirty blanket on the floor, one hand on her belly, and the dark under-eye bags suggested she usually didn’t get enough sleep.
Joe couldn’t take his eyes off her, and her belly.
«Her due date must be near,» he thought. «What is she doing here in this condition?» she had left him in search of a better life…
Several years ago, Maria cheated on Joe with his best friend and left him saying she wanted a better life. Joe was devastated, and it took him years to get back to normal and several more years to open his heart to love.
When Joe married Katie, he thought it was over. He didn’t miss Maria anymore. But when he saw her on the subway, something changed in his heart. It was as if he had looked into her soul and sensed that something was wrong.
As a large crowd passed by her, Maria was startled awake by the sound of footsteps.
«Oh no, what was that?» she mumbled, then realized it was just people walking past her.
«Hey, are you okay?», Joe gently asked as he approached her.
Surprised by the familiar voice, Maria turned to him and hugged her baby bump tightly.
«Joe…» she cried. «It’s really you. I can’t believe it.»
«Be honest, Maria,» he said. «What the hell is going on? What exactly are you doing here?»
She looked away and said:
«I have nowhere to go…he kicked me out. He didn’t want to raise the child. He said he wasn’t ready.»
«When did this happen? I didn’t know Ron…»
«It’s been two months,» she said sadly. «I was staying in a motel until I ran out of money. I need to get a job soon.»
«Come with me,» he said. «You’re welcome to stay with me.»
«You can’t make this decision alone, Joe,» she said, glancing at his wedding ring. «What’s her name? Do you have children?»
«Kathy…she’s beautiful. She’s kind, understanding, and, well, she’s like you. I’m sure she’ll understand.»
«No kids?»
«Not yet,» he replied. «The train will be here in two minutes. Shall we go?»
Before Maria and Joe know it, the train ride is over and they find themselves on the doorstep of Joe’s house.
When a delighted Kathy opened the door, expecting to greet her husband, she was surprised to see him with his pregnant ex.
«What’s she doing here, Joe?» she asked, surprised. «Please tell me she has the wrong address!»
«Maria is staying with us for a few days, honey,» Joe replied, «Please. Ron kicked her out of the house. She has nowhere to go.»
«NO!» said Kathy. «She has to go, Joe! There’s no place for her here.»
«Is it me or her, Joe?», Kathy asked him without hesitation. «You choose. If she goes in, I’m leaving right now!»
Seeing her husband hesitate, Kathy felt as if her world was crumbling around her. Despite years of fertility treatments, she and Joe had been unable to conceive a child. Had Joe’s heart fallen for Maria because she was pregnant? Did that mean her marriage was on the rocks?
«I’ll drop her off at the hotel and come back. I might be late,» Joe finally replied and left.
Kathy returned to their room and cried all night. She felt bad for Maria. She could see that Maria was in trouble, but her broken heart would not allow her to help her. It might hurt her marriage.
The next day, Kathy went to church to meet with Pastor Richard. Whenever she had problems, she turned to him for advice.
«What should I do, Father?» she asked anxiously, telling him how she felt after rejecting Maria.
«Does your heart tell you to forgive her, child?» he asked her in return. «Will you help him?»
She nodded.
«I do. But having her around makes me worry that my husband will start to drift away from me. We are having trouble having children.»
«Believe in the Lord, child,» suggested Pastor Richard. «He teaches compassion and forgiveness. You should have faith in your husband and help this woman. If your husband is not loyal, he will walk away from you whether this woman is there or not.»
Kathy thought about it and when Joe came home from work that night, she apologized to him. She told him that she also wanted to apologize to Maria and help her.
«You don’t have to if you don’t want to, honey,» Joe said, «I don’t want to bother you with this.»
«It’s not that, Joe,» Kathy said. «I just feel bad about a lot of things. But we have to help her. She needs us right now. Imagine if I were in that state. I wouldn’t be happy.»
Joe hugged her. «Thank you, my darling. Thank you so much.»
So Joe and Kathy helped Maria through the last weeks of her pregnancy, and soon the cries of a beautiful baby boy filled their home.
As she rocked him, Kathy forgot that the baby was not hers. She felt like a mother already just by holding him. And she offers to keep the baby so Maria can continue her studies.
«You have to do it for your son,» she told Maria. «He deserves love and a good home. Joe and I will help you in the meantime.»
A year later, Maria graduated from medical school, having previously given up her studies for a life with Ron. Soon after, she was hired at a good hospital. She managed to afford a small place for herself and her child, and get her life back on track.
One day she received a call from Joe, bearing happy news.
«Twins,» Joe told her over the phone. «Kathy and I are expecting twins. We just got back from the doctor.»
«Congratulations!» exclaimed Maria. «I’m so happy for you both. It’s my turn to help Kathy. That’s wonderful!»
So, after years of failed fertility treatments, Joe and Kathy conceived not one but two children, a miracle that sprang from their desire to help others in need.
