An abortion ban made them teen parents.

Synopsis

When Brooke found herself unexpectedly pregnant at 17, she quickly realized she had few options. She lived in Texas, and the state’s new abortion ban was going into effect in 48 hours. No nearby abortion clinics had any available appointments. Her closest option was a clinic in New Mexico — but the trip was too far and too expensive. Instead, she found an appointment at what turned out to be a local crisis pregnancy center.

Two years after they became parents, The Washington Post’s Caroline Kitchener revisits Brooke and her husband, Billy. Now living in Tampa, Florida, Brooke manages the daily care for their twins, while Billy has enlisted in the Air Force. They’re trying to build a life they never planned for. They love their twins, but as Billy puts it, abortion bans “create not a good situation to be in.”