That girl at the orphanage resembled my daughter so much that it felt surreal. The same hair, the same smile and eyes, and what was most shocking of all, the same crescent-shaped birthmark on her wrist.
My marriage to Caroline, my first wife, didn’t last long. The truth was that we belonged to two different worlds and never really got along, so shortly after she gave birth to our daughter, Olivia, we split and never saw each other again.
She wasn’t interested in being part of Olivia’s life, and that was fine, because I was more than ready to take up both roles.
I juggled between taking care of my girl and having a full time job, but then I met Claire.
She and Olivia clicked right away, and her becoming part of our lives felt like a missing piece of the puzzle had finally fallen into place.
A year into our marriage, we decided to adopt. Claire wanted a bigger family, and since adoption was our only option, we decided to embrace it and welcome a child in need of a loving home.
We started the procedure, which involved filling out forms and attending interviews, but eventually, it was all worth it because life surprised us in the most incredible way.
When Claire and I arrived at the orphanage, we were welcomed by Mrs. Alvarez. She was a kind woman always ready to help.
As we talked to the children who were engaged in a number of activities, such as drawing, building bricks, and reading, I started talking to a young boy. But just as I was about to offer help with the coloring, a felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Are you a new dad?” a little girl asked me.
Looking at her, I froze. She was a spitting image of my daughter. It was as though I was looking at Olivia and someone was playing a prank on me.
But she then handed me her hand and introduced herself as Angel.
As I shook her tiny hand, I noticed the birthmark on her wrist. It was exactly like the one Olivia had.
“What is going on?” I asked myself.
Claire noticed something wasn’t right and approached me. I just pointed out at Angel and said we needed to speak to the manager of the orphanage.
Sadly, they couldn’t tell us much, besides that Angel was left in front of the orphanages when she was merely a day old.
When I asked about the date Angel arrived at the orphanage, they gave a date that was too familiar to be a coincidence.
Claire and I left the orphanage, and I knew I needed to confront my ex-wife.
I hadn’t had any contact with her for five years, but this was too important to ignore. I was sure she had all the answers to the questions that had been messing with my mind.
When I asked Caroline who Angel was, she was left speechless. “I… I…” she said.
“Just say it Caroline,” I demanded as my anger grew bigger.
She then started crying and said that Angel was our child. Five years ago, she gave birth to twins, and she felt it would be for the best if I take one of the girls while she had the other. But she knew she couldn’t keep Angel at that point, so she gave her at the orphanage, hoping she could get her back once she stood on her feet. Sadly, that didn’t happen.
Luckily, I found my girl, and Claire was more than happy we adopt her.
When Angel and Olivia met, it was a moment to remember. While Angel kept smiling, Olivia was shocked, saying it felt like she was looking at herself in the mirror.
Our family was now complete. Who would have thought that our wish to adopt a child would take me to my biological daughter. Life is truly unpredictable.
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