Simon and Claire had spent years dreaming about having a family of their own. After heartbreak from multiple failed pregnancies and the exhausting emotional rollercoaster that followed, they turned to adoption, hoping it would finally fill the emptiness in their lives. When they first met Sophie, a bright-eyed four-year-old with wild brown curls and a sweet scent of baby shampoo, Simon felt an instant connection. She ran straight into his arms like she had been waiting her whole life to find him. At that moment, Simon believed they were finally complete. Claire seemed just as certain as he was, her smile radiant as they signed the final papers with their social worker, Karen. They both agreed they were ready for the responsibility, the commitment, and the challenges that came with adopting a child who had already experienced pain and uncertainty.

Karen had cautioned them that love alone wasn’t enough. Sophie had faced a tough start in life and would test their patience as she adjusted to a new home. But Claire was confident, reassuring Karen—and Simon—that they were prepared. She reached for Simon’s hand and said Sophie was their perfect little angel. Simon believed her. He believed in them. But he had no idea how quickly things would change.

A few weeks after Sophie moved in, Simon came home from work to an unsettling quiet. He barely had time to process it before Sophie threw herself at his legs, her little body trembling as she pleaded, “I don’t want to leave, Daddy.” His heart broke as he knelt to meet her eye-to-eye, asking what she meant. With tears in her wide brown eyes, she begged him not to send her away. Simon promised her she was safe, but a sinking feeling told him something was deeply wrong. Sophie spent all her time at home with Claire or their mothers—so where had this fear come from?

Then Claire stepped into the hallway. Her expression was distant, her arms crossed tight against her chest as though holding something in. She didn’t answer Simon’s question about Sophie. Instead, she demanded that he send Sophie to her room so they could talk. Sophie hesitated, her tiny fingers gripping Simon’s shirt, but eventually obeyed. As soon as her door closed, Claire said the words that shook Simon to his core. “We need to give her back.”

At first, Simon thought he’d misheard her. But Claire stood firm, her voice low but steady. She said Sophie was ruining everything—her books, her files, even her wedding dress. Claire recounted how Sophie had touched the dress with paint-covered hands, leaving bright blue handprints on the delicate fabric. In Claire’s mind, Sophie had done it on purpose, as part of some manipulative plan to come between them. Simon couldn’t believe the woman standing in front of him was the same one who had cried tears of joy the day they met Sophie. He tried to reason with her, saying Sophie was just testing boundaries like any child would. But Claire wasn’t moved. She gave Simon an ultimatum: either Sophie went, or she did.

Simon didn’t hesitate. There was no question in his mind. He wasn’t about to abandon the little girl who had already been abandoned too many times. Sophie was his daughter now. Claire left that night, slamming the door behind her.

Three weeks later, they sat across from each other at a mediation meeting. Claire was calm, composed, and said she had made a mistake. She claimed she let fear overwhelm her and wanted to come home. But for Simon, too much had happened. Claire had walked away not just from him, but from Sophie. And after she left, Sophie cried herself to sleep for weeks, waking up in the middle of the night calling for a mother who wasn’t there. Simon told Claire there was no fixing this. He couldn’t trust her not to leave again. He chose Sophie.

A year later, Sophie still hesitated sometimes, flinching at loud noises and holding Simon’s hand a little too tightly in crowded places. But she laughed more now. She was learning that love didn’t always leave. As Simon tucked her into bed one night, she wrapped her small fingers around his and whispered, “You won’t leave me, Daddy?” He kissed her forehead and said, “Never.” She sighed and relaxed into his arms, finally safe. Finally home. Simon knew he made the right choice.