It hasn’t been easy being a single father to twins, particularly when life keeps changing unexpectedly. However, nothing prepared me for what I discovered concealed under a used washing machine that I desperately purchased.

I am a 34-year-old single father to Bella and Lily, twins who are three years old. When they were only a few months old, their mother abandoned us. I’ve been doing everything in my power to take care of them ever since. However, I had no idea that a stranger would be the one to permanently alter our lives.

The woman who left with my girls claimed she wasn’t “cut out for diapers and midnight feedings.” I pleaded with her to stay, of course. She didn’t turn around when I told her that we could work it out together. She didn’t even bother to assist with child support since she was so done.

I assumed I would be with this woman forever, but she didn’t call or do anything. She simply vanished, like if she had never existed. I was forced to find it out on my own when I realized she wasn’t bluffing and wouldn’t come back.

In order to be at home with the kids, I accepted a permanent position performing remote IT work. When the twins were old enough, I worked anytime they were in daycare, late at night, early in the morning, and throughout their naps.

Coffee saved my life in those years. I kept reminding myself that the girls came first, even if there were days when I felt like a zombie. We had our groove, but it wasn’t easy.

Then, all at once, this year, everything fell apart.

Remember the adage “When it rains, it pours?” That’s precisely what took place. Everything that had the potential to go sideways did.

Following a COVID exposure, the daycare where Bella and Lily were enrolled abruptly closed. It happened so quickly that I was left stranded at home with the kids all day and night without even having time to arrange other plans.

As if that weren’t enough, my employer “restructured,” which is business jargon for a 20% pay decrease! My sole backup, my mom, was diagnosed with a heart problem when I was still dealing with the loss of income. Medicare wouldn’t pay for the operation she needed!

I’m not lying to you, though; the universe wasn’t finished with me.

The rent for the property where I resided with the twins went up within weeks of my mom’s predicament! To top it all off, my washing machine died just when I thought there was nothing else that could go wrong!

To be honest, I was sinking far more than I had been when the twins’ mother was around. I even thought about tracking her down or suing her to make her pay child support. However, I didn’t. It didn’t seem exciting to fight with my ex, so I made the decision to try and work it out on my own.

If you have ever had kids, you are aware that doing laundry is a necessary part of life. Having these two meant muddy socks, yogurt explosions, potty training mishaps, and perpetually sticky fingers!

I made an effort to be bold.

I experimented with hand cleaning everything in the tub for two days. My back hurt, my fingers were sore, and I was still unable to keep up. I decided to call someone to come and inspect the malfunctioning machine as the next best course of action.

The repair guy examined the washing machine and informed me, “Oh, this machine is seriously damaged,”

“But can you save it, though?” Anxious yet hopeful, I asked.

“Well, let me tell you the truth. This old machine will be very expensive to fix. It would be wiser for you to simply purchase a used one. It would be less expensive.”

I expressed my gratitude to the man, who kindly provided me with the contact information of a man who would pay me to remove the machine for scrap parts.

My hands began to split and bleed from the painful cuts when I attempted to wash the twins’ clothes on the third day.