We both looked out at Amy, who was blowing a dandelion and had no idea that a life-changing talk was going on just a few yards away.
“Now what?” Lauren spoke quietly.
I had no idea what to do. I wasn’t ready for this. There isn’t a parenting book that tells you what to do when the original mother of your adopted child ends up babysitting them.
I slowly replied, “I guess that depends.” “What do you need?”
“You should know that I didn’t come looking for her.” I gave up that right, so I wouldn’t have.
I told her, “I know.”
“The agency sent me here because I needed a job,” she said. “But I felt… from the first time I met her.” I’m not sure. Something to do. I thought I was good with kids.
I put my hand on hers. “Do you want Amy to know the truth?”
She shook her head hard and wiped her tears with her free hand. “No.” She has a mom. You’re her mom. You brought her up. You stuck with her.
From the look in her eyes, I could tell she loved Amy deeply and was in pain.
“How about you?” I asked. “Since you know what you know, can you keep watching her?”
She was quiet for a long time. “Can I still be a part of her life?” “What if she never finds out who I am?”
I said in a soft voice, “I wouldn’t take that away from either of you.”
But on Amy’s birthday a few months later, Lauren showed up with balloons, flowers, and a cake she had made herself. She said she couldn’t watch that day because she had a migraine, so I was surprised when she showed up at our door.
She took a big breath and smiled even though she was crying.
“I gave her up. She might be interested in me one day.” You could tell her. I just want to be there for her right now, even if it’s just to watch her kids.
When I asked her to come to the party, tears came to my eyes.
She said in a whisper, “Thank you.” “Being there for her in every way I could.”
I told them, “Thank you for giving me the best gift of my life.”
It’s possible that this was meant to be. What was even better was that Amy was thrilled to see Lauren that day.
Lauren became a quiet part of Amy’s life over time. She was always there and willing to help, but she never went too far. She never told Amy the truth, but she loved her and celebrated every new step and success as if it were her own.
She knew that every night when she sang Amy those special lullabies, she was giving her something that was truly hers, a thread that would connect them across time and space.
That was enough.
This work is based on real people and events, but it has been made up for artistic reasons. To protect privacy and make the story better, names, characters, and circumstances have been changed. Any similarity to real people, living or dead, or real events is completely accidental and not on purpose by the author.
thecelebritist.com is the source.
