I never imagined I would not be able to give my child a better life.

When I got pregnant with Jace, I thought living in my late mother’s old trailer was just temporary. The pregnancy had been a surprise, but I thought I could work hard and move us into an apartment or perhaps a tiny house soon enough. However, that didn’t happen.

The bills piled up, and every time I raised even a bit, I had to spend it on some emergency. But I still worked hard, hoping that Jace would appreciate what I did for him and grow into a great man.

Jace was not the most ambitious person in the world. When he turned 18, I told him it was time to find a job, but he could stay with me until he found his footing. I never wanted to be one of those parents who kicked their kids out. That was not me. Unfortunately, Jace took that as a sign that he could stay forever.

“What? No, that’s impossible. I’m the owner,” I shook my head.

He was 22 and working minimum wage with no extra effort when I accidentally got pregnant again. I had been dating a new man for the first time in a while, and I thought it would go somewhere, but he ran as soon as I told him.

“We can’t afford a new child,” Jace complained when I told him.

“We’ll make do. Babies are blessings, and this is your sibling, Jace. Otherwise, you can move out and start fending for yourself,” I replied, shrugging.

I was honestly heartbroken by his words because I knew he was right. I was much older and worse off than I had been when Jace was born. The world was even more complex, and I felt I would never get out of this hole.

However, my anxiety and concerns went through the roof, affecting my health, and I was hospitalized at the five-month mark when I went into labor. The doctors tried to stop the progress, but the baby was determined to come early, and I was in so much pain and so concerned.

My second son was born and placed in an incubator. He was too premature, and the doctors were not happy. I saw their looks of concern, but none of them wanted to give me bad news because I was still recovering.

I visited my baby in the children’s ward when I got better. There were other premature babies in incubators too, and although I was stupid and knew nothing about medicine, I felt hopeful. I thought if my son were still alive, he would make it.

“Is that him?” Jace asked when he visited us.

“Yes, that’s your brother,” I responded, smiling as I placed my hand on the incubator.

“He’s so tiny. I can’t believe he’s alive,” my son muttered, placing his hand on the machine.

“I know. It’s a miracle,” I said with tears in my eyes. Jace asked more questions about his brother’s condition, and I didn’t have much information to tell him. I didn’t understand most of the terms, but doctors often told me to be patient.

“Are you sure about this? Maybe, it would be more humane to let him go. Is he in pain?” Jace wondered, his brow furrowing.

“I have to do everything I can,” I insisted, my voice cracking. “I have to, just like I did with you. You were healthy, but I had almost nothing when I had you.”

“We don’t have much now. Almost nothing to offer him,” Jace reminded me. Was that a hint of shame I detected in his tone?

“We have each other. That’s much more than I had with you,” I told him, nodding. Jace flipped his head and stared into my eyes for several long seconds. Finally, he nodded.

“You’re right. The bills will not be pretty, but he deserves a shot. What’s his name?” Jace asked, and his tone confused me, but I didn’t have time to analyze anything.

“I haven’t decided, but I was thinking… Luke?”

“That’s perfect,” he said.

Jace left that night, and although things between us had never been sentimental, I felt like my adult son truly cared about his little brother. But I couldn’t be sure, of course.

Unfortunately, things took a turn at the hospital. My baby suffered some complications from being born too soon, and he had to stay longer… and longer… and longer.

Some doctors told me he would not make it through the several surgeries he needed. But Luke survived and healed and continued.

I was in the hospital with my baby for 398 days, and that last month, I saw him thriving despite his complications. Finally, we were discharged, and although my child needed a bunch of medications – possibly for life – he was beautiful and lovely and so worth all the pain of over a year.

I walked out of the hospital with my child and to our trailer, which was not that far from the hospital in our town in Ohio. I couldn’t reach Jace for some reason, but I was not worried. He had been busy the last few months.

When I reached our home, I discovered a new family living there. “Excuse me. I’m Amy. This is my house,” I said, confused, to the man who had opened the door.

“No, we bought this trailer from Jace,” he answered, raising his hands. “I paid him in cash, fair and square.”

“What? No, that’s impossible. I’m the owner of this house.”

I shook my head, thinking Jace had sold my only home and run away with the money. That’s why I couldn’t reach him. Despite all my struggles over the years, I was never homeless. My late mother made sure to leave me the trailer before she passed.

But now, my lazy adult son had taken it from me? It wasn’t fair, and I started to hyperventilate with my baby in my arms.

“Mom!” I heard and turned quickly to see Jace running to me.

“Jace! What’s going on? What did you do? This is our home!” I wailed, which alarmed Luke, and he started crying too. “Hush, hush, hush.”

“Just come with me. You’ll see!” Jace said and guided me by my waist as we walked away.

“Please, tell me what happened while I was away,” I asked, still calming Luke as we strolled.

“Almost a year ago at the hospital, I realized that… I’d been a horrible son to you and the laziest idiot in the world,” Jace began. “I saw your love for me reflected in your love for my brother, and I knew I couldn’t keep being an idiot for the rest of my life.”

“I finally did something. I worked all the extra shifts and weekends I could at the contracting firm. My boss even loves me now. I saved as much as I could. I know you still have medical bills, although the doctors offered you help and pro-bono treatments. But we’ll work on paying those together—”

“Jace, that’s wonderful. But I still don’t understand why you sold the trailer,” I interrupted.

“We can’t live in that trailer anymore, Mom. There was barely any room for us two, and Luke doesn’t deserve to grow up like that… so I saved up and bought us a tiny two-bedroom place nearby. It’s not the best house, and it’ll need some serious repairs. But it’s ours. It has a basement, so I’ll live there. I’m planning on installing a separate door to it, so it’s like an apartment, but we’ll see about that,” Jace revealed, and I couldn’t believe it.

“You bought a house?” I said, stunned. “You bought us a house?”

“I did,” Jace smiled. “Are you proud?”

“I think I’m going to have a heart attack from all this pride,” I replied, smiling.

Jace guided me to the house. It was not fully furnished, but we had beds and a full kitchen. Jace had also bought a second-hand crib for Luke. It was perfect. It was something I thought we would never have, and I couldn’t believe that my son had bought it thinking about us living there together.

“Are you sure? I mean, you used the money from the trailer too, but this is mostly your home,” I said after I set Luke to sleep in his new crib.

“Mom, parents around here kicked their children out as soon as they turned 18, and you should’ve done that with me, but you didn’t. You wanted me to be safe. I finally realized how much you worked for me, and I needed to repay it. The house is in both our names, but it’s yours. I love you,” Jace explained, and we hugged each other for a long time.

Our life was not perfect after that. We had huge bills to repay. We had many repairs around the home and many expenses with Luke, his medicines, and everything he needed. But Jace worked so many hours, and I soon started working too, cleaning houses where I was allowed to bring Luke with me.

We did all we could, and we made it through. At least, I know we would.

What can we learn from this story?

• A loving parent will do everything to raise a child. Amy sacrificed so much to raise her eldest son and would not give up on her second son, even with his medical complications.
• It is never too early for a child to step up and help his/her parents. At 18, Jace took it upon himself to help provide for his mother and brother, working hard and eventually affording a new home for all of them.