The things my daughter Emily said caught me off guard and made me feel a lot of different things. She talked about Amanda, her real mother, and said, “Mom, I’m interested in this woman.” It was too early for me to tell that my interest would lead to a news that would change our lives forever.
My husband Kevin and I adopted Emily and her twin brother Ethan after having trouble getting pregnant. We raised them with love that didn’t depend on anything else, and we cared deeply about their health. Emily did really well in sports, and Ethan did really well in school.
Em and Ethan were there for me when Kevin died. They said they would always be there for me, just like I had been there for them. But things changed the night before my 86th birthday. When Amanda’s letter came, it made Emily and Ethan interested.
They asked why we hadn’t told anyone about their adoption, and I told them that my goal was to focus on our love and support, not to hide the truth. I offered to tell them everything about their adoption in case they felt betrayed.
Emily and Ethan almost spent my birthday with me, but they decided to meet Amanda instead. I had a strong sense of loss and wondered if our family tie would be called into question.
As the day came to an end, I felt sad. The buzzer then went off. With cake in hand, Emily and Ethan stood in front of me and sang “Happy Birthday.” As they hugged me tightly and said sorry for being so far away, tears ran down my face.
In private, they talked about how worried they were about Amanda’s selfishness and possible other goals. Even though they were feeling mixed emotions, they told me they would always love and be loyal to me.
At that moment, I knew our love could not be broken. There was a level of faith, support, and love between us that went beyond biology. Amanda’s return may have raised questions, but it also made our family stronger.
When I looked at my kids, I knew that we would always be together. We had been through hard times together, and that would never change. My 86th birthday turned into a party of how much we love and care for each other.
