“You can hire a nanny,” Hannah said. “We signed the papers so you can enroll them in school and take them to the doctor.”

“You signed my name,” I repeated.

The weight of their betrayal settled into my chest.

They had planned this for weeks.

They had falsified legal documents to dump four children on my doorstep so they could run from the law.

“I am not signing this,” I said.

I folded the papers and put them back in the envelope.

“And I am not taking the kids.”

Hannah gasped, covering her mouth with her hand.

“You can’t do that,” she sobbed. “If we leave them without a legal guardian, the state will take them. You’re their uncle, Mark!”

“You should have thought of that before Luke took those loans,” I said.

I looked at Luis.

“Luis, please call a cab for my family,” I said.

“Yes, Mr. Collins,” Luis said, reaching for his desk phone.

“Stop,” Linda said.

Her voice was suddenly very quiet.

The warm, maternal mask she had been wearing slipped away.

She stepped directly into my personal space.