Because of Her Cancer, Nobody Wanted Her — I Adopted Her Anyway, and a Month Later, a Limo Came to My Door

Mrs. Patterson, a kind woman with gentle eyes and a weary smile, greeted me at the front desk. She invited me to look around and take my time. I walked slowly through the rooms where children were building towers with blocks, coloring at tables, and playing tag in small groups. Their laughter should have been carefree, but I could sense the weight each child carried. Every smile seemed to hide a story too heavy for their young shoulders.

Then I saw her. A small girl sitting alone by the window, curled up as if she wanted to take up as little space as possible. She wore a knitted hat pulled low over her head, and her thin fingers gripped a popsicle tightly. Our eyes met — hers were huge and brown, filled with a sadness that seemed far too old for a child her age. When I smiled, she returned it hesitantly. I knelt beside her and asked about her drawing.

“A house,” she whispered.

“Is it your house?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No. It’s the one I want someday, with big windows so I can see the stars.”Continue reading…