Then came the part that left me unable to breathe.
And if your wife is willing, I would like her to know that this little girl could become part of your family. Not because she replaces the daughter you dreamed about, but because she deserves a home filled with love.
I lowered the letter.
“James…”
He was crying now.
“I couldn’t do it without you.”
I looked toward Rachel.
She was crying too.
PART 5 — THE QUESTIO
I walked over to Rachel.
“You want us to adopt her?”
Rachel shook her head.
“No.”
That surprised me.
“Then what do you want?”
She looked at her daughter.
“I want her to have people who will love her.”
She paused.
“But I’m not asking you to become her mother.”
I looked at James.
Rachel continued.
“I don’t want to disappear from my daughter’s life. I don’t want anyone pretending I’m not her mother.”
I nodded.
“I understand.”
She wiped her tears.
“But I also know I can’t give her everything she needs by myself.”
Then she looked directly at me.
“Daniel believed you could.”
My chest tightened.
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
She smiled faintly.
“He talked about you often.”
I looked down at the baby.
The little girl opened her eyes.
For some reason, she seemed to look directly at me.
And then she wrapped her tiny fingers around mine.
I started crying.
PART 6 — THE BOX IN THE GARAGE
That evening, James and I returned home.
Neither of us spoke much during the drive.
When we arrived, he walked straight into the garage.
He pulled down the old cardboard box.
The same box I’d wanted to give away dozens of times.
He opened it.
Inside were the tiny sleepers, the blankets, the little hat and the newborn clothes.
Everything we’d saved for a daughter we believed we’d never have.
James picked up the smallest pink sleeper.
“I kept this because I couldn’t throw away the dream.”
I touched the fabric.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Rachel?”
“I wanted to.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because I was afraid you’d think I had betrayed you.”
I looked at him.
“You didn’t betray me.”
He started crying again.
“I made one mistake.”
“What?”
“I thought protecting you meant making decisions without you.”
I took his hand.
“You don’t get to do that again.”
