Husband Returns from Business Trip and Sees Newborn Baby on Table with Two Notes beside

A man is blamed for fathering an infant left at his front door, and as a result, he loses both his spouse and his accustomed lifestyle.

Kyle Greenbecker had spent twelve months laboring on an oil project in the remote wilderness of Alaska. At last, he was heading home to reunite with his cherished wife. He and Lisa had been high school sweethearts, and since marrying her at nineteen, Kyle had never once looked back with regret.

He considered himself somewhat traditional, taking pride in the fact that Lisa was the only woman he had ever been with. He neither desired nor needed anyone else, and it had never crossed his mind that Lisa might question his fidelity—because she had no reason to.

When his plane touched down, Kyle retrieved his baggage and exited alongside the other travelers, scanning the crowd for Lisa’s familiar face. However, she wasn’t there to welcome him.

Kyle assumed she must have been caught up at work with some unforeseen situation. He quickly sent her a message informing her that he was on his way home but received no answer. Hailing a ride, he was soon making his way to his house.

The living room lights were on, but Lisa was nowhere in sight. As he stepped into the kitchen, he came to an abrupt halt, astonished. Sitting atop the dining table was a bassinet, and within it, a tiny arm flailed aimlessly.

Approaching cautiously, Kyle peered inside. There, lying in the bassinet, was an infant, gazing back at him with wide, inquisitive eyes. Kyle returned the stare, equally dumbfounded.

His gaze shifted to a neatly folded note resting beside the bassinet. He picked it up and unfolded it, revealing a sheet of paper bearing unfamiliar handwriting: “You had your fun, now step up and take care of your child.”

Another letter, addressed to him in Lisa’s elegant script, read:

“Kyle, I discovered this child on our doorstep yesterday, accompanied by that note. I always suspected you were unfaithful during your business trips, but I chose not to dwell on it—after all, I had my own affairs while you were away. But expecting me to raise another woman’s baby is too much. I’ve filed for divorce and sincerely hope never to see you again.

“P.S. Don’t fret about the baby. I waited until I saw you arriving before leaving. Have a nice life, Kyle—I certainly plan to enjoy mine.”

Kyle sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands. This was surreal. The baby wasn’t his—he had never strayed from Lisa, not once! A soft cooing sound made him lift his head.

The infant waved its tiny hand, and Kyle instinctively extended a finger. To his surprise, the child grasped it with remarkable strength.

“Well, little one,” Kyle murmured, “it looks like it’s just the two of us, and I have no idea what to do with you.”

The baby cooed again before scrunching up its face, turning a deep shade of red. “Oh no!” Kyle exclaimed, quickly realizing the cause.

Indeed, it was time for a diaper change. But was there even a diaper? His eyes landed on a sizable backpack on the floor beside the table. Unzipping it, he discovered an assortment of baby essentials, including diapers.

Pulling out his phone, Kyle searched for instructions on changing a diaper and watched a tutorial where a woman demonstrated the process using a doll.

He attempted to replicate her steps, but the situation was far messier in reality. Unlike the immobile doll in the video, this baby kicked and squirmed, occasionally planting her tiny feet into the mess. After finally getting her cleaned up, Kyle realized she was a girl—and he knew absolutely nothing about raising daughters!

“Well, I won’t be giving you dating advice,” he joked. “But I can definitely teach you to ride a bike.”

It was in that moment that Kyle made his decision—he would keep this baby.

Scooping up the freshly diapered child, he said, “You need someone, and I guess that someone is me. What do you think, kid?”

Turning back to his phone, he learned how to prepare formula and cradled the baby in his arm as she drank.

“You need a name,” Kyle mused. “How about… Celeste? No? Maybe Lily…”

Had anyone suggested that Kyle would adapt to fatherhood so naturally, he would have scoffed. But over time, he and Lily settled into a rhythm. There were challenges and tantrums, but they made it work.

Kyle officially registered Lily as his daughter and enrolled her in daycare. In his heart, her birthday was the day he found her. But on her second birthday, his world came crashing down.

A woman appeared at his doorstep. “I’ve come for my child,” she announced.

Kyle blinked. She was tall, with blonde hair and an artificially enhanced figure.

“Your what?” he asked.

“My baby,” she said impatiently. “I left her here two years ago. My bad—I was a bit out of it, and my boyfriend lived a block over. Got mixed up, you know?”

Kyle’s expression hardened. “No, I don’t know. I’ve never abandoned a child on a stranger’s doorstep. I suggest you leave before I call the authorities.”

The woman, unfazed, smirked. “Listen, I realized a week later that I’d made a mistake when Burt stopped answering my calls. But now I need that kid.”

“Why do you need her?” Kyle demanded.

“Burt just landed a Major League contract,” she replied smugly. “And that baby’s gonna secure me a hefty chunk of his paycheck.”

Kyle sent her packing, but he sensed this wasn’t over. He was right. Days later, he received a summons to family court—Miss Cherish Vegas was contesting his adoption of Lily.

Suddenly, Kyle found himself inundated with legal documents, unexpected visits from social workers, and relentless scrutiny from acquaintances. Cherish was determined to cash in.

The hearing arrived, and Kyle anxiously handed Lily to a social worker before stepping into the courtroom. Cherish sat beside a towering man with Lily’s blue eyes—Burt, no doubt.

Through tears, Cherish painted herself as a reformed woman who had made a youthful mistake. “I love my baby, Your Honor,” she declared, “and I regret the past.”

The judge studied the documents before her. “By ‘placing her in his care,’ you mean leaving her on his porch, correct, Miss Vegas?”

Cherish flushed. “Well, I’m still her mother! No one can change that!”

The judge turned to Burt. “Sir, are you prepared to assume responsibility for this child?”

Burt hesitated. “I guess I should…”

Before he could continue, Cherish interjected, “You bet he is! He just signed a three-million-dollar contract!”

“Ah,” the judge mused. “At last, the real motive emerges. Tell me, Miss Vegas, what name did you give your daughter?”

Cherish faltered. “Uh… she’ll take her father’s name. He’ll be paying support, after all.”

Kyle stood. “Your Honor, may I speak?”

“Go ahead, Mr. Greenbecker.”

“With all due respect, my daughter already has a name—Lily Greenbecker. I have loved her from the moment she entered my life, and she loves me.”

At that moment, Lily, playing with the social worker’s necklace, spotted Kyle. “Daddy!” she squealed, reaching for him.

The judge smiled. “Well, I believe the most important voice has spoken. Custody of Lily Greenbecker remains with Kyle Greenbecker.”

That evening, Kyle and Lily celebrated their victory, chasing fireflies in the backyard. “Stars!” Lily giggled. But to Kyle, the brightest star was right there in his arms.