11/18/2024
WE ADOPTED A 4-YEAR-OLD GIRL – A MONTH LATER, SHE CAME TO ME AND SAID, "MOMMY, DON'T TRUST DADDY" A month had flown by since we officially became a family of three. After months of planning, forms, and background checks, Richard and I finally brought little Jennifer home. She was shy but had a spark we hoped would soon shine through. As her mother, I was ready to give her all the love she deserved. Richard was thrilled. After years of heartbreak trying to start a family, adoption felt like fate when we met Jennifer. But just weeks into our new life, I noticed something unsettling. Jennifer clung to me tightly, eyeing Richard with a strange wariness. I told myself she was just adjusting. Then, one afternoon, as I folded laundry, Jennifer looked up at me, her voice soft. "MOMMY," she whispered, "DON'T TRUST DADDY!" Her words froze me, my heart pounding. There was no malice, only a quiet, childlike warning. Kneeling, I asked gently, "Why, sweetie?"