Young parents soon spotted their oldest son behaving weirdly each morning at exactly 6 a.m.—and the truth behind it left them amazed.
Lately, they realized the boy always woke on his own at dawn, without anyone calling him, without any alarm. Quietly, he slipped out of bed, dressed, and tiptoed into the nursery where his baby brother—barely a year old—was still asleep. With amazing gentleness, as if he troubled waking the household, he lifted the infant from the crib and carried him away in his arms.

At first, their mother found the scene touching.

She thought, “He must simply miss his little brother and wants to spend more time together.” Yet what unsettled her was how it occured every single day, with absolute punctuality, like some mysterious ritual.

After a week, uneasiness grew. Why six sharp each morning? Why not once later, or at random? Why never a skipped day? The thought gnawed at her. Finally, she decided to observe in secret.

One morning, she rose early but pretended to sleep. Right at 6:00, her eldest slipped quietly into the nursery. He leaned over the crib, gathered the baby tenderly, and held him close like a protective parent. The sight pierced her heart, and she softly asked:

—“Son, why do you keep doing this?”
The child froze, startled. For a moment she thought he might flee. But instead, clinging tightly to his brother, he whispered words that chilled her:

—“Mom… I overheard you talking with Grandma. You said you were exhausted, that the baby kept you awake every night. Then… I heard you say you wanted to send us to an orphanage so you could finally rest.”

The woman’s chest tightened in pain.

—“Oh, sweetheart… that wasn’t serious,” she stammered through tears. “I was only joking.”

But her boy shook his head, hugging the baby even closer.

—“I just wanted to help you rest. I take him in the mornings so he won’t wake you up. Please, Mom, don’t ever send us away…”

Shame and sorrow crashed over her. Dropping to her knees, she wrapped both sons in her arms and cried:

—“Forgive me, my loves… I will never, ever let you go.”

And in that moment, she understood: children listen far more closely than adults believe, and a careless phrase can plant deep fear in a young heart—the fear of losing the people they love most.