The morning after I found two abandoned twin girls in the woods, I heard strange noises coming from my daughter Emma’s room. When I rushed in, what I saw nearly brought me to tears.

I’ve always believed in kindness, but after what happened with those twins, I realized that simple acts of kindness can change your life in miraculous ways.

I’m a single mom to Emma, my amazing daughter. After her father left us five years ago, I worked hard to provide for her. The divorce was painful, and watching him walk away from Emma was even harder. But life pushed me to stay strong.

Emma, once a confused five-year-old, grew into a wise ten-year-old. Then, a year ago, cancer struck. The treatments drained her, but Emma stayed stronger than I ever could.

One evening, after a rough day at the hospital, Emma comforted me, saying, “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.” Her words nearly broke me.

Everything changed one December night when I found two cold, shivering twin girls, Willow and Isabelle, sitting in the woods. They had been abandoned, their mother leaving them in a nearby shed. I couldn’t leave them out there, so I brought them home, planning to contact social services the next day.

The next morning, I heard giggles from Emma’s room. When I opened the door, I found the twins performing a show for Emma, who hadn’t smiled in months due to her illness. Seeing Emma’s joy again brought tears to my eyes.

The twins explained they wanted to cheer Emma up, as they had done for each other when they lived in the shed. Emma asked if they could stay and finish their show, and I agreed, my heart full.

Over the following days, the twins brought joy and laughter into our home. One night, they performed their grandest show yet, making Emma feel like a child again despite her illness. That night, I decided to adopt them.

Now, our family has grown, with two more daughters and a dog. Sometimes I think back to that cold night and wonder how close I came to walking past those twins. But Max knew—they belonged with us.