My adopted son looked at his birthday cake in silence. Then tears streamed down his cheeks.
‘My birthday was yesterday,’ he whispered.
I got a chill inside – the paperwork showed today’s date.
What else had been kept from me?
‘Do you want a boy or a girl?’
‘I just want to be a mum.’
It was the only thing I was sure of. I didn’t dream of family pyjamas or making homemade baby food. But I knew I could be the kind of mother who would change someone’s life.
Content
- Finally, that someone was Joey.
- Joey’s birthday came a week after he moved in with me.
- But something wasn’t right.
- ‘I wish I could be with him right now,’ Joey whispered.
- Finding that beacon was harder than I expected.
- The next day I packed sandwiches, drinks, and a plaid.
- On the road, he clutched his drawing in his hands, absent-mindedly tracing lines with his finger.
- The coastal town was full of tourists.
- ‘I’m sorry…but you’d better leave.’
- What is she hiding?
- So he’s here.
That someone was finally Joey.
He didn’t realise this day would be crucial. In the weeks before, during every visit, he’d gradually approached me, his tiny hands clinging to the edge of my jumper and his dark eyes peering into mine with the mute question, ‘When?’
That day I walked into the foster home with a plush dinosaur in my hands. Big, soft, with funny short legs. Joey noticed it instantly – his fingers trembled slightly, but he didn’t move from his seat. I knelt down next to him.
‘So Joey, are you ready to go home?’
He looked at me, then at the dinosaur.
‘We’re never coming back here again?’
‘Never. I promise.’
There was a pause. Then, slowly, he reached for my hand.
‘Okay. But just so you know, I don’t eat green beans.’
I struggled to hold back a smile.
‘I’ll remember that.’
And just like that, I became a mum. I knew the adjustment wouldn’t be easy, but I had no idea how many secrets Joey brought with him from the past.
Joey’s birthday came a week after he moved in with me.
I wanted to make it special. His first real birthday in his new home. Our first real family holiday.
I thought of everything: balloons, garlands, a mountain of presents – nothing too lavish, just enough to make him feel loved.
The day started off perfectly.
We made pancakes together in the kitchen. Or rather, turning the kitchen into sheer chaos.
Flour covered the floor and even the tip of Joey’s nose. He chuckled as he clapped his hands together, lifting the cloud of flour into the air, watching it swirl around like a snowstorm.
‘Are we making pancakes or just trying to repaint the kitchen?’ – I teased.
‘Both,’ he replied proudly, stirring the batter.
He looked relaxed. Perhaps even safe. And for that, any mess was worth putting up with.
After breakfast, we moved on to the presents. I wrapped each one carefully, choosing something I thought he’d love: superhero figures, dinosaur books, and a huge toy Tyrannosaurus.
But something was wrong.
Joey unwrapped the presents slowly. But instead of joy, his delight seemed to be fading.
‘Do you like it?’ – I asked, trying to sound casual.
‘Yeah. They’re great.’
Not exactly the reaction I was expecting.
And then it was time for cake.
I lit the candle, smiling at him.
‘Well, birthday boy, time to make a wish.’
Joey didn’t move. He didn’t smile. Just sat there looking at the candle like it didn’t exist.
‘Honey?’ – I motioned my plate toward him. ‘It’s your day. Go ahead and make a wish.’
His lower lip quivered. His hands clenched into fists.
‘It’s not my birthday.’
I blinked. ‘What?’
‘My birthday was yesterday.’
‘But…the paperwork says it’s today,’ I muttered.
‘They got it wrong. My brother and I always celebrated together. But I was born before midnight, so we had two birthdays. That’s what Grandma Vivi said.’
It was the first time he’d ever talked about his past. The first time I’d had even a small glimpse into his former life.
I swallowed, blew out the candle, and sat down next to him.
‘You have a brother?’
Joey nodded, drawing a circle on the table with his finger.
‘Yes. His name is Tommy.’
‘But… I didn’t know. I’m so sorry, honey.’
Joey sighed heavily and set the spoon aside.
‘I remember our birthdays. The last time I was four, and then he turned four. Grandma Vivi used to throw us two separate birthday parties. With friends. And then…I was taken away.’
Just a year ago. The memories are still fresh. The wounds are still open.
‘I wish I was with him right now,’ Joey whispered.
I reached out and gently squeezed his palm.
‘Joey…’
He didn’t look at me. Instead, he rubbed his eyes quickly and stood up.
‘I’m a little tired.’
‘Good. Let’s get some rest.’
I tucked him into bed in the middle of the day, feeling how exhausted his little body was.
As I was about to go out, he slipped his hand under his pillow and pulled out a small wooden box.
‘My treasure box.’
He opened it and took out a folded piece of paper, holding it out to me.
‘This is the place. Grandma Vivi always took us there.’
I unfolded the paper. A simple drawing. A lighthouse.
My heart clenched.
And in that moment, I realised: before I could build our future, I needed to heal Joey’s past.
Finding that lighthouse was harder than I expected.
The next day, I sat in front of my laptop screen, rubbing my forehead as pages of search results filled the screen.
Google didn’t care about Joey’s drawing or the memories associated with it. It simply produced lists: tourist attractions, historical sites, even abandoned lighthouses.
‘There must be a way to narrow it down.’
I looked at the drawing again. A simple lighthouse, neatly shaded in pencil, and a single tree next to it. That tree was the key.
I changed the search filters, limited the area to our state, and started going through image after image until….
‘There it is!’
I unfolded the laptop.
‘Joey, does this look like the place?’
He leaned closer, his small fingers touching the edge of the screen. His eyes widened.
‘Yes! This is it!’
‘So, mate, are we going on an adventure?’
‘Yes! A real adventure!’
The next day I packed sandwiches, drinks and a plaid.
‘We may not find it right away,’ I warned. ‘But we’ll have fun looking for it.’
Joey didn’t seem to hear me. He was already pulling on his trainers, his movements faster than usual with excitement.
He clutched his drawing in his hands as he travelled, absent-mindedly tracing the lines with his finger.
I turned on an audiobook about dinosaurs, but I could see from his face that his thoughts were far away.
‘What are you thinking about?’ – I asked.
‘What if she doesn’t remember me?’
I reached out and squeezed his palm.
‘How could she forget?’
He didn’t answer.
The coastal town was full of tourists.
People scurried between antique shops and seafood stalls. The salty breeze and the smell of fried food mingled in the air.
I slowed down, glancing at Joey.
‘Let’s ask someone.’
But before I could stop myself, Joey leaned out the window and waved frantically at a woman passing by.
‘I’m sorry…but you’d better leave.’
I felt Joey squeeze up next to me. His small fingers clutched the drawing and his eyes filled with pleading.
‘But, Grandma Vivi, I’m really here!’ – he stepped closer. ‘I drew this place, remember? I also brought a present for Tommy!’
Vivi pressed her lips together. The cup in her hands trembled, and I noticed her swallow hard.
What was she hiding?
I took a cautious step forward.
‘Look, Miss Vivi, I don’t want to disturb you, but Joey remembers you. He remembers his brother. And if Tommy’s here…’
‘I said go away.’ – Her voice grew firmer.
But Joey didn’t back down.
‘Where’s Tommy?’ – he asked, barely audible.
Vivi turned away, but I caught a glimpse of her hand clenched into a fist.
So he’s here, then.
‘Miss Vivi,’ I tried to speak softly. ‘I realise this is hard. But Joey won’t forget Tommy. Doesn’t he deserve to at least meet him?’
Vivi closed her eyes.
The silence dragged on.
And then…
The door creaked open.
I turned round.
A boy, a little older than Joey, stood on the doorstep. Dark eyes. A slight wariness. And something…native.
‘Joey?’ – The voice trailed off at the half-word.
Joey held his breath.
‘Tommy!’
And before anyone could say a word, he rushed forward, hugging his brother.
Joey’s face darkened.
‘Please,’ I said quietly. ‘He just wants to see his brother.’
‘No need to dig into the past.’
And then, without another word, she closed the door.
I stood there like a dumbfounded person for a moment, anger, confusion, and sadness overwhelming me. I wanted to knock again, to make her talk, to demand an explanation. But I couldn’t.
Joey stared at the door. His small shoulders slumped. I crouched down next to him.
‘I’m so sorry, honey.’
He didn’t cry. Instead, he took a slow breath and gently placed the drawing on the threshold.
Then, without another word, he turned and walked back to the car. My heart was broken. I started the engine as I drove away from the house. I was already cursing myself for bringing him here. For making him hopeful.
But then.
‘Joey! Joey!’
I saw a blurred silhouette in the rearview mirror.
Joey looked up.
‘Tommy?’
I hit the brakes hard just as a boy identical to Joey ran toward us, swinging his arms, panting. Before I could stop him, Joey swung the door open and ran out.
They collided, hugging each other so tightly I thought they’d never let go of each other. I covered my mouth, unable to hold back my emotions.
Behind them, Vivi stood in the doorway, her hand pressed to her chest and her eyes glistening.
Then she slowly raised her hand and nodded slightly. An invitation. I swallowed hard and turned off the car. We weren’t leaving yet.
Later, Vivi stirred her tea, her gaze fixed on Joey and Tommy, who sat shoulder to shoulder, whispering as if they’d never parted. Finally, Vivi spoke.
‘When the boys were a year old, their parents died in a car accident.’
I tensed. I didn’t know that. Vivi continued to stare at her tea.
‘I wasn’t young. I wasn’t strong. I didn’t have money. I had choices to make.’
She raised her eyes to me.
‘I kept the one who was like my son. And I let the other one go.’
My breath caught.
‘That day on his birthday. It was goodbye. I thought it was the right thing to do. But I was wrong.’
There was a long silence between us. Then Joey reached out and placed his small palm on hers.
‘It’s okay, Grandma Vivi. I found Mummy.’
Vivi’s lips quivered. Then, with a restrained breath, she squeezed his hand.
From that moment on, we made a decision. The boys would no longer be separated.
Joey and Tommy moved in with me. And every weekend we’d drive back to the lighthouse – to the little house on the cliff where Grandma Vivi always waited.
Because family isn’t about making the right decisions. It’s about finding your way back to each other.
If you enjoyed this story, read this one: I thought I was rescuing a homeless woman, but I didn’t know who she really was. When my husband saw her sitting in our kitchen, his face turned pale. Then he whispered the word that changed everything – Mum? Read the full story here.
