It was a beautiful, sunny day, and birds were chirping merrily in the skies. Nothing seemed wrong with the world outside. But for 33-year-old Brian, it was the darkest day of his life. Brian’s loving wife, Lyra, and his only daughter, Amy, were killed in a car accident that morning. He shuddered as he rushed to the police station for identification and saw their pale faces hidden beneath thin white covers. How could God be so cruel? How could he take his family away from him?
He changed the browser tab to his Facebook account, and a post about a little girl with Down syndrome appeared out of nowhere. Brian would have missed it if the message on the post hadn’t said: “…Rejected by 15 families and in desperate need of a loving home. Andrea is a lovely young lady with special needs who longs for a family.” Brain sighed and locked his gaze on the post for a few moments. He and she both needed a family. Life had been cruel to both of them in different ways, and this could be God’s way of finally relieving him of his suffering.
Brian pondered the Facebook post all night, wondering if she should adopt the girl. He knew the process would be difficult as a single father, but this girl desperately needed a loving home, and he knew he could provide it. “All right,” he said to himself. “I’ll do my best.” Brian called the number listed in the Facebook post the next day and expressed his desire to adopt Andrea. The woman on the other end gave him the phone number of the social worker in charge of Andrea’s case.
Brain’s eyes welled up when he saw little Andrea for the first time a few days later. She was a lovely six-year-old girl dressed in a blue floral frock and staring at him puzzledly. Unfortunately, her single mother abandoned her due to her disability. As she entered the room, Brian thought to himself, “How sad.” “Hello, Andrea,” Brian said softly. “My name is Brain. I’ve come to be your parent. Do you want me to be your father?” Andrea said nothing but smiled and nodded at him. Brain knew at that moment that he would do anything to provide her with a loving home. And he did exactly that.
Brian became Andrea’s adoptive father after a lengthy documentation process, background check, and parenting classes, and his life took on new meaning. They were overjoyed to be with each other. He was overjoyed to be a father to a little girl again, and he couldn’t have asked for anything more. They shared her birthdays, and Brain’s parents adored Andrea as well. He tried to be the best father he could be to her, making sure she never missed out on anything because she was different from other children.
Brian had no idea Andrea had turned 15 years old. He couldn’t believe it had been nine years since he had brought his little girl home. He was overjoyed with the direction his life had taken. However, things began to deteriorate a few months later. Brian lost his job due to workplace issues and had to look for a new one. He lived off his savings while looking for work, which proved more difficult than he anticipated.
Things eventually got to the point where he didn’t have enough money for necessities. He had to downsize his home and was struggling to make ends meet. However, help appeared out of nowhere one day. A man claiming to be Andrea’s mother’s lawyer called Brian. “So, how about that? What are you doing with my child now?” Brain was enraged. “Do you think I’d be willing to talk to you now if that woman abandoned my daughter right after birth?”
“Mr. Hoffman,” the lawyer said. “Believe me. You’d like to meet with me in my office for this. You will receive Andrea’s mother’s million-dollar legacy on her behalf as her legal guardian. And there is someone else you should meet. I’ll send you all of the information after the call. I’m hoping to see you on Friday “He then hung up the phone.
Brian was understandably taken aback. Why did Andrea’s mother leave her such a large inheritance if she had no interest in her child? Brian went to the lawyer’s office on Friday and met an elderly man who turned out to be Andrea’s grandfather. He claimed he had no idea about his granddaughter until his daughter died and took her last breath.
“Andrea,” she’d said softly as she took his hand in her own. “This is Andrea…” “I’ve missed out on so many years with my granddaughter,” he lamented to Brian. “I’d like to be available to her. I know you legally took her in, but I just want to be there for my grandchild. In her final days, my daughter regretted abandoning her child… She was well aware of her error, which is why she bequeathed her assets to her.”
Brian was overjoyed to learn Andrea had a family. He didn’t want to separate a granddaughter from her grandfather. Brian began taking Andrea to her grandfather’s house on a regular basis so that they could spend time together. And with the inheritance money, he paid off his debts, moved into a larger home, and saved a significant amount for Andrea’s future studies. He felt a sense of relief in his heart whenever he visited Andrea’s mother’s grave. It led him to believe that she is happy that her daughter has a good life and a loving home.