Claire’s heart was already breaking: her son, Ethan, refused to accept his new adopted sister, Lily. His anger only grew, until one night he cried out, “You don’t love me! Take her back!” But the real nightmare began the next morning when Claire woke up to find Lily’s crib empty….
My heart threatened to explode in my chest as I ran from room to room, panic flooding my veins.
Distraught woman searches her home | Source: Midjourney
Distraught woman searches her home | Source: Midjourney
“Ethan! I called. “Ethan?
Barefoot and still in my pajamas, I scanned the house for any sign of my children, but they were gone. I muttered prayers as I put on my shoes to search the streets for them.
One way or another, I was going to find them and I was going to make everything okay!
I grabbed my car keys and ran to the front door.
A front door | Source: Pexels
A front door | Source: Pexels
The events leading up to this moment had begun months earlier. From the very beginning, my son was completely opposed to us adopting a child.
Ethan told us repeatedly that he didn’t think we would still love him as much if we brought another child into our home. But my husband and I really wanted a girl. Unfortunately, I can’t have any more children, so adoption was our only option.
I remember the first time we broached the subject, sitting Ethan down in our living room.
A teenager sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
A teenager sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, catching the dust motes in the air. Everything seemed calm, even peaceful, until we shared our plans.
“We’re considering adopting a little girl,” Mark said softly, his hand resting on my knee. “What do you think about having a sister?”
Ethan’s face drained of color.
“No,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Then louder: “No! You can’t!”
A sullen teenager on a couch | Source: Midjourney
A sullen teenager on a couch | Source: Midjourney
“My darling,” I began, reaching out for him, but he jerked away as if my touch would burn him.
“You won’t love me the same way again. I know it!” Her words came out in a rush, tears welling in her eyes. “Please, don’t do this. Please! “
In the weeks that followed, Ethan talked about it incessantly. At breakfast: “Why do you need another child?” On car rides: “I don’t want a sister.” Before bed: “Please change your mind.”
A sad teenager with a pleading look | Source: Midjourney
A sad teenager with a pleading look | Source: Midjourney
We tried to reassure him, hoping he would change his mind.
Mark spent more time playing basketball with him in the driveway. I took him out for ice cream after school, just the two of us, trying to show him that our love wasn’t going anywhere.
Nothing seemed to be working, but Mark and I thought things would improve after adoption, once Ethan had a chance to see how good it would be for our family. He was 12 years old and probably mature enough to adjust to the change.
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