My wife and I adopted a newborn baby girl. When she was seven years old, my wife got pregnant. I WAS STUNNED when I heard WHAT my wife said, leaving the hospital
But unlike his wife, his attitude toward Emily didn’t change at all. The child was definitely not at fault in this situation. And then something unexpected happened.
Mary couldn’t believe it until she saw the doctor’s note. The term was five weeks. Mary was thirty-seven, John thirty-nine.
«John, we’re going to have a son, just like we dreamed!» Mary beamed with happiness. For some reason, she had no doubt she’d give her husband a son. Michael was born a bit early, small and weak.
«John, now we have a son, our own son!» Mary said when she was discharged from the hospital with Michael a month later. «Let’s give Emily back to the orphanage!» «Give Emily away?» «Mary, tell me you’re joking!»
«What jokes! Emily isn’t our biological daughter! I’m ready to give her up!» She had been thinking about it for a long time but hadn’t dared suggest it to you. «I’m tired of the gossip!» «We just need to tell people the truth, that Emily is our adopted daughter. Then the gossip will stop.»
«But you don’t want to?» «Now I have a son! And Emily? If you don’t want to give her to the orphanage, raise her yourself!» Emily loved her little brother from the first days. She tried to help her mother.
She was the first to run to Michael when he started crying in his crib. «Don’t touch him!» Mary snapped. «Why, Mommy? I wanted to calm Mikey so he wouldn’t cry!»
«You’re too little! You might hurt him! Don’t touch him, I said!» Mary gave all her attention to her son, and her non-biological daughter ceased to exist for her. Michael was five months old when Mary learned she was pregnant again.
«John, we’re having a second child!» Mary hurried to delight her husband. «Third, Mary, not second!» «For you, let it be third, but for me, second!»
In the fall, when Emily started third grade, her second little brother, David, was born. Mary lived for her little boys, doted on them, and ignored Emily. The girl tried to help her mom, really wanting her mom’s attention and affection.
But Mary was very tired with the boys so close in age, not getting enough sleep. She took out her anger on Emily, nitpicking over trifles. Mary understood she was unfair to Emily, but she couldn’t help herself.
The adopted daughter was a burden to her. Emily quietly cried into her pillow but never defended herself to her mother or complained to her father. If her mother scolded her, it must be fair.
John, returning from work, tried to give attention to his daughter, helped her with homework, checked her assignments. «Mary, you could help Emily with her lessons,» he reproached his wife. «I have no time at all for Emily, I have two little sons on my hands, my own.»
«Enough bullying the daughter,» John flared up. «She’s not our biological daughter,» Mary stubbornly repeated. It was September outside.
Emily had just started school, fourth grade. She came home in tears. «What happened?» Mary asked dryly.
«I fought with one girl.» «It’s okay, you’ll make up.» Mary had no desire to hear about Emily’s school problems.
«She told me my dad isn’t my real dad.» «She told you right,» Mary replied without thinking. «And I’m not your real mom. We took you from the orphanage when you were tiny.»
«No, I don’t believe it,» the girl screamed. «Emily, you’re big now. You’re ten. You should understand. Look at yourself and at us. You’re dark, we’re both light. It doesn’t happen like that.»..
