I dropped to both knees right in front of him on the entry rug and held his small face between my hands so he couldn’t look away.

“Austin, listen to your mom very carefully,” I told him with steady, unshakable certainty.

“You don’t live in this house because the twins are tiny and need an extra helper.”

“Then why am I here, Mom?” he asked in a small, shaky whisper.

“Because you’re my beloved son, Austin, and this house is your forever home for as long as you live,” I promised.

“Will it still be my home even when I grow up and I’m a grown-up?” he asked, testing just how far my love went.