“Can adopted kids get sent back when their parents have other babies?”
“No, sweetheart. Adoption means you became our son permanently, and having Ben and Nora doesn’t change that.”
Eli listened quietly, but his next question revealed how deeply Marilyn’s words had affected him. He wanted to know why his grandmother believed he should leave if adoption truly meant he belonged to our family forever.
I promised to address that question with the adults responsible. As I stood to leave, however, I noticed a spiral notebook partially hidden inside his backpack.
Eli initially tried to keep it from me, but eventually handed it over. On the first page, written in his careful third-grade handwriting, was a heading that made my chest tighten.
Things I Can Do So Mom Can Keep Me
Beneath it, Eli had listed ways to become less expensive and less demanding. He planned to fold baby clothes, make his own cereal, stop requesting baseball shoes, give me his birthday money, and avoid complaining whenever the twins cried.He had even decided not to ask for another birthday party. At the bottom of the page, he had written one final sentence about hoping we might change our minds if he didn’t cost too much.
