My mom started crying, especially when I told her what Edward had said. My dad didn’t cry, but he looked proud. That quiet kind of proud where you can tell his heart’s full but he’s trying not to show it too much.
“I’m glad it went well,” he said.
“We always wanted this to be your choice, Jared. You don’t owe anyone an apology.”
“I just didn’t want you to think I was looking for something better,” I said.
“You gave me an amazing life. I love you both.”
My mom reached across the table and held my hand.
“We know.
And we love you. This doesn’t change that. You’ve always had room for more love.”
That stuck with me.
I still don’t know when or how the next part will happen.
It will be the moment my biological and adoptive parents are in the same room. They’ve met before, back when I was a baby, but never like this.
Never as adults, sitting down together, talking about me as a person instead of as a name on paper. That day will come.
And when it does, I believe it will be something beautiful.
Finding Serena and Edward wasn’t easy. It was emotionally exhausting and filled with fear, guilt, and hope. But I’m so glad I did it.
Their reactions, the hugs, the tears, the stories, and the memories they still held onto made it all worth it.
Sometimes I still can’t believe it happened. That I found them.
That they turned out to be kind, loving people who never stopped thinking about me. I know not everyone gets that kind of reunion, and I don’t take it for granted.
So to every birth parent who’s made the painful decision to let go — thank you.
Because of your sacrifice, kids like me got a chance at a life full of love. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you even get to find your way back. Just like I did.
