I felt anger rise up in me, but before I could say anything, Bobby stepped forward.
‘Why didn’t you keep me?’ – He asked, looking straight into the eyes of his birth parents.
‘We…we didn’t know how to help you,’ the woman replied in a shaky voice.
Bobby frowned. ‘I don’t think you even tried…’
Then he turned to me.
‘Mummy,’ he began. ‘I don’t want to go with the people who left me. I don’t like them. I want to be with you and Daddy.’
Tears filled my eyes as I knelt down beside him.
‘You don’t have to go with them,’ I whispered. ‘We’re your family now, Bobby. We’ll never let you go.’
Jacob put a protective hand on Bobby’s shoulder.
‘Yeah, we’ll never let you go,’ he said.
The couple didn’t say anything in response, just shifted awkwardly from foot to foot. Their body language said they were ashamed, but not a word of apology escaped their lips.
As we left the mansion, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. Bobby had chosen us that day, just as we had chosen him.
Through his act, I realised that we weren’t just his foster parents. We were his real family.
After that day, Bobby blossomed, his smile grew even brighter and his laughter filled our home. He began to trust us completely, sharing his thoughts, dreams, and even his fears.
Watching him thrive, Jacob and I felt like our family was finally complete. We loved it when Bobby proudly called us ‘Mommy’ and ‘Daddy.’
And every time, it reminded me that it’s love, not biology, that makes a family.