My sister Erin welcomed her newborn son, Noah, and our family traveled to celebrate. Excited to see my nephew and my goddaughter Lily, whom Erin adopted two years earlier, I arrived with gifts. But at Erin’s home, I noticed Lily’s toys, slide, and garden were gone. When I asked about Lily, Erin casually said, “Oh, I gave her back,” explaining she always wanted a biological child and felt Lily was “temporary.” Shocked, I couldn’t believe her cruelty. Our parents were equally stunned.
Erin dismissed my outrage, insisting Lily wasn’t her “own” child. Memories of Lily, who comforted me through my miscarriages, flooded back. Then, Child Protective Services arrived, questioning Erin’s rushed decision to terminate Lily’s adoption without proper counseling. They doubted her ability to parent Noah. Furious, I left, determined to find Lily.
With my lawyer’s help, I learned Lily was in foster care again. Heartbroken, I gained visitation rights and soon filed for adoption. After much effort, Lily became my daughter. My husband, Aaron, supported us fully. At Lily’s sixth birthday, she still struggled with abandonment fears, but with love, she’s healing. Lily, discarded by my sister, is now my world.
