Rachel’s adoption was reviewed.
The court determined she had acted in good faith.
Her original adoption paperwork had been built on fraud, but she had not known that.
She was also the only mother Lucas remembered.
I never asked to remove him from her.
People found that difficult to understand.
Some relatives said:
“He’s your child.”
I answered:
“He is also hers.”
Biology explained how Lucas began.
It did not erase eight birthdays.
Bedtime stories.
School lunches.
Fevers.
Comfort after nightmares.
Love was not paperwork.
I wanted a relationship with my son.
I did not want to punish him for Adrian’s crime.
A child psychologist helped all of us build a plan.
At first, Noah and Lucas met for two hours at a time.
Then afternoons.
Then sleepovers.
The boys moved much faster emotionally than the adults.
Noah became obsessed with the fact that they were identical.
