When my husband begged me to adopt his ten-year-old niece Callie, I hesitated. I’d always imagined having our own baby, and I was scared to take on a child I didn’t know.
But after meeting Callie—a quiet girl in a worn pink hoodie with no one left—I said yes. The first weeks were hard, but slowly she opened up. One day she drew our family as three stick figures: my husband, me, and her. That moment changed everything.
Months later, I found out I was pregnant. Callie hugged me and whispered, “I get to be a big sister?” She became the best one.
Years later, when she filled out a family tree, she chose to start with us.
That’s when I knew: I hadn’t lost my dream—I’d grown it.
