Years after adopting little Sam, David received a phone call from a lawyer. “Mr. Wallace,” the man said. “I’m calling on behalf of your adopted son’s birth parent…”
“What do you want?” Dave asked sharply.
“I would like to talk to you…” the lawyer said.
“I’m not interested,” Dave said. “Those people abandoned my son. There’s nothing you could say that I want to hear.”
“Please, Mr. Wallace,” the lawyer said. “For Sam’s sake.”
Reluctantly, Dave agreed to meet the lawyer. As soon as he arrived, the man handed him a letter. “This will explain everything so much better than I ever could, Mr. Wallace,” he said.
David hesitated, staring at the sealed envelope in his hand. He could feel his heart pounding, unsure of what to expect. He had spent years protecting Sam, giving him all the love and care he could after finding out his birth parents had given him up. The last thing he wanted was for someone to come back now and disrupt the life they had built together.
“What’s in this letter?” David asked, glancing up at the lawyer.
The lawyer’s expression was gentle, almost sympathetic. “It’s from Sam’s birth mother,” he said. “She wanted to tell her story and explain why she made the choices she did. I know this must be difficult for you, Mr. Wallace, but I urge you to read it before making any decisions.”
David hesitated for a moment longer, then slowly tore open the envelope. He unfolded the letter, his hands shaking slightly, and began to read.
“Dear Mr. Wallace,”
You don’t know me, but my name is Anna. I am Sam’s birth mother, and I’ve wanted to write this letter for a long time. I know I have no right to ask anything of you, and I understand if you choose to stop reading right here. But I hope you can find it in your heart to hear me out, if only for Sam’s sake.
When I gave Sam up for adoption, it was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I was young, alone, and in a place where I couldn’t take care of myself, let alone a baby. I was struggling with addiction, and I knew I wasn’t capable of giving Sam the life he deserved. Every day, I wanted to hold him, to tell him I loved him, but I was terrified that if I kept him, I would only end up hurting him.
So, I made the decision to let him go, hoping and praying that he would find a family who could give him everything I couldn’t. It broke my heart, but I thought it was the best thing I could do for him. And for years, I kept that pain buried, telling myself that he was better off without me.
But life has a way of giving us second chances, Mr. Wallace. I’ve been in recovery for the past four years, and every day I work to be a better person. I know I can never make up for the time I’ve lost, but I want to be there for Sam in whatever way you see fit. I don’t want to take him away from you, and I don’t want to disrupt his life. I just want him to know that he was always loved, even when I was too broken to show it.
I understand if you don’t want me to have any contact with him. But please, at least let him know that his birth mother never stopped thinking about him, that she loved him so much she chose to give him a better life. I am grateful to you, Mr. Wallace, for taking care of my son, for giving him the love and stability I couldn’t provide. You are his father, and I will always respect that.
Thank you for reading this. I wish you and Sam all the happiness in the world.
With deep gratitude,
Anna
David sat in silence, the words blurring on the page as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He had always imagined Sam’s birth parents as people who had simply walked away, uncaring, but reading Anna’s letter forced him to see a different side of the story. She had struggled, fought, and ultimately made the hardest choice she could — for Sam’s sake.
He looked up at the lawyer, who was watching him carefully. “Why now?” David asked, his voice rough. “Why did she reach out after all these years?”
“Anna has been trying to get her life together for a long time,” the lawyer said. “She was hesitant to contact you because she didn’t want to disrupt Sam’s life. But she felt that if there was even a small chance she could let him know how much he was loved, it was worth trying.”
David nodded slowly, processing everything. Part of him wanted to tear the letter apart, to protect Sam from anything that might confuse or hurt him. But another part of him — the part that had seen Sam grow and flourish, the part that loved him more than anything — knew that this was important. Sam deserved to know the truth, even if it was painful.
“What does she want, exactly?” David asked, still wary. “Is she hoping to see him?”
“Only if you and Sam are open to it,” the lawyer said. “She’s willing to take it as slow as you need, or not pursue it at all if that’s what you decide. Her primary concern is that Sam knows he was never abandoned, that his birth mother made a choice out of love.”
David’s heart ached as he thought about what this could mean for Sam. He knew how much his son struggled with questions about his past, even if he didn’t always show it. And while David had tried to be as honest as possible, there were things he simply didn’t know. Maybe this was an opportunity to give Sam some of the answers he’d been searching for.
But there was also fear — fear of opening a door that could never be closed, fear of losing the bond they had built if Sam decided he wanted to reconnect with his birth mother. David didn’t want to lose his son, the boy he had raised, loved, and cherished every day since the adoption.
“Can I think about it?” David asked, his voice barely above a whisper. “I need some time.”
“Of course,” the lawyer said. “Take all the time you need. And if you want to reach out to Anna, you can do so through me. There’s no pressure.”
David nodded, folding the letter carefully and slipping it back into the envelope. As he left the office, he felt like he was carrying a weight he hadn’t anticipated. The letter had opened old wounds, but it had also given him a glimpse of hope — hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a way to bring some peace to Sam’s heart.
When David got home that evening, he found Sam in the living room, building a model airplane. “Hey, kiddo,” he said, trying to keep his voice light. “How was your day?”
“It was good,” Sam said, not looking up from his project. “I got an A on my science project.”
David smiled, ruffling Sam’s hair. “That’s awesome. I’m proud of you.”
For a moment, he just stood there, watching his son work, thinking about everything he had just learned. He knew he couldn’t make this decision alone. Sam was old enough now to understand, to make choices about his own life, and David had always promised to be honest with him.
“Hey, bud,” David said, sitting down next to Sam. “There’s something I want to talk to you about. It’s… kind of a big deal.”
Sam looked up, curious but not worried. “What is it?”
David took a deep breath, his heart pounding. “I got a letter today. From your birth mother.”
Sam’s eyes widened, and he froze, the tiny pieces of the model airplane forgotten in his hands. “From… my real mom?”
“She’s not your real mom,” David said gently, placing a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “But yes, from the woman who gave birth to you. She wrote to explain why she made the choices she did, and to tell you that she never stopped caring about you. She didn’t want to disrupt our life, but she hoped you might want to know more about her. Maybe even meet her someday, if that’s something you want.”
Sam was silent, his eyes searching David’s face, trying to read his expression. “And what do you think?” he asked quietly.
“I think…” David hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “I think it’s up to you. I’ll support whatever you decide. But I want you to know that no matter what happens, I’m your dad. That’s never going to change.”
For a long moment, Sam didn’t say anything. Then he put down the model airplane and leaned against David, resting his head on his shoulder. “I want to know,” he said softly. “I want to understand.”
David hugged him close, tears stinging his eyes. “Okay,” he whispered. “Then we’ll do this together.”
