A lawyer called David on the phone years after he adopted little Sam. It was “Mr. Wallace,” the man said. “I’m calling on behalf of your adopted son’s birth parent…”

“What do you want?” Dave asked in a sharp voice.

The lawyer said, “I’d like to talk to you.”

“I’m not interested,” Dave said. “Those people left my son behind. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.

The lawyer told Mr. Wallace, “Please go ahead.” “For Sam’s sake.”

Dave didn’t want to meet the lawyer, but he did. The man gave him a letter as soon as he got there. “This will explain everything so much better than I ever could, Mr. Wallace,” said he.

David thought for a moment as he looked at the sealed envelope he was holding. He didn’t know what to expect, so his heart was beating fast. Once he learned that Sam’s birth parents had given him up, he spent years keeping him safe and giving him all the love and care he could. It was the last thing he wanted—someone to come back and mess up the life they had made together.

“What’s in this letter?” David looked up at the lawyer and asked.

The lawyer’s face was soft, almost sympathetic. “It’s from Sam’s birth mother,” he said. “She wanted to talk about her life and explain why she did the things she did.” Mr. Wallace, I know this must be hard for you, but please read it before you decide anything.”

After he thought about it for a moment longer, David slowly tore open the envelope. He took the letter out of its envelope and started to read it, his hands shaking a little.

“Dear Mr. Wallace,”

My name is Anna, but you don’t know it. This letter has been on my mind for a long time. I am Sam’s birth mother. It’s okay with me if you stop reading now. I know I don’t have the right to ask you anything. But I really hope you can hear me out, even if it’s just for Sam’s sake.

It was the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make to give Sam up for adoption. I was young, by myself, and in a place where I couldn’t even look after myself, let alone a child. I knew I couldn’t give Sam the life he deserved because I was having trouble with addiction. Almost every day, I wanted to hold him and tell him I loved him, but I was afraid that if I did, I would hurt him.

I chose to let him go because I hoped and prayed that he would find a family that could love him as much as I did. I felt bad about doing it, but I believed it was the best thing for him. I hid my pain for years by telling myself he was better off without me.

But, Mr. Wallace, life does give us second chances. For the past four years, I’ve been getting better, and I work at it every day. Though I can’t get back the time I’ve lost, I want to be there for Sam in any way you think is best. I don’t want to take him away from you or mess up that man’s life. I want him to know I loved him even when I couldn’t show it because I was hurt.

If you don’t want me to talk to him, that’s fine with me. But at least tell him that his birth mother thought about him all the time and loved him so much that she chose to give him a better life. Because you took care of my son and gave him the love and stability I couldn’t give him, I’m thankful. I will always honor the fact that you are his father.

Thanks for reading this. I hope everything goes well for you and Sam.

With great thanks,
Cathy

David sat there in silence, his feelings almost too strong for him to handle. The words on the page were getting fuzzy. His idea of Sam’s birth parents had always been that they had just left without caring, but Anna’s letter made him see another side of the story. For Sam’s sake, she had fought and struggled and finally made the hardest choice she could.

The lawyer was keeping a close eye on him as he looked up. “Why now?” David asked in a rough voice. “Why did she reach out after all these years?”

The lawyer said, “Anna has been trying to get her life together for a long time.” “She didn’t want to get in touch with you because she didn’t want to get in the way of Sam’s life.” There was a small chance she could tell him how much she loved him, but she thought it was worth a shot.

David slowly nodded as he thought about what was going on. He wanted to rip the letter into pieces to keep Sam safe from anything that could hurt or confuse him. And the part of him that loved Sam more than anything else and had seen him grow and do well knew this was important. Sam had the right to know the truth, even if it hurt.

“What does she want, exactly?” David asked, still being careful. “Is she hoping to see him?”

The lawyer said, “Only if you and Sam are okay with it.” “She’s ready to go at your own pace or not go after it at all if that’s what you choose.” Her main goal is for Sam to understand that he was never left alone and that his birth mother made a decision out of love.

When David thought about what this might mean for Sam, his heart hurt. Even though his son didn’t always show it, he knew how hard it was for him to answer questions about his past. David tried his best to be honest, but there were some things he just didn’t know. There might have been a chance to give Sam some of the answers he’d been looking for.

However, there was also fear—fear of losing the bond they had built if Sam decided to get back in touch with his birth mother and open a door that could never be closed. David didn’t want to lose his son, whom he had raised, loved, and cared for every day since they were adopted.

“Can I think about it?” David asked in a voice that was almost a whisper. “I need some time.”

“Of course,” the lawyer replied. “Take as much time as you need.” You can also get in touch with Anna through me. There isn’t any stress.”

David smiled and carefully folded the letter before putting it back in the envelope. He felt like he was carrying a weight he hadn’t planned for as he left the office. The letter hurt him deeply, but it also gave him a glimmer of hope—hope that there was a way to make Sam’s heart feel better.

Sam was building a model airplane in the living room when David got home that night. “Hey, kiddo,” he said in a silly voice. “How was your day?”

“It was good,” Sam said, not taking his eyes off his work. “I got an A on my science project.”

David smiled and messed up Sam’s hair. “That’s great. “You’ve done a great job.

He thought about everything he had just learned as he stood there and watched his son work for a moment. He knew he couldn’t decide this by himself. It was now Sam’s turn to understand and make decisions about his own life. David had always promised to be honest with him.

David sat down next to Sam and said, “Hey, buddy.” “I need to talk to you about something. It’s… a big deal.”

Sam looked up, interested but not scared. “What is it?”

David took a deep breath. His heart was beating fast. “Today I got a letter. “From your birth mother”

Sam’s eyes got really big, and he stopped moving. He forgot about the tiny airplane parts he was sitting on. “From… my real mom?”

“She’s not your real mom,” David told Sam gently as he put his hand on his shoulder. “But yes, from the woman who gave birth to you.” She wrote to let you know that she cared about you and to tell you why she made the decisions she did. She didn’t want to get in the way of our plans, but she thought you might be interested in learning more about her. You might even get to meet her one day if you want to.

Sam didn’t say anything. He looked at David’s face, trying to figure out how he was feeling. It was a quiet question, “And what do you think?”

“I think…” David hesitated because he was having trouble putting it into words. “I believe you should decide. I will support whatever choice you make. But I want you to know that I’m your dad, no matter what. That won’t change ever.”

Sam didn’t say anything for a long time. After putting down the model airplane, he leaned against David and put his head on his shoulder. He said in a soft voice, “I want to know.” “I want to understand.”

David gave him a tight hug while tears filled his eyes. “Okay,” he said in a low voice. “Then we’ll do this together.”