Older Lady Sells House to Help Grandson and Disappears, a Year Later She Returns — Story of the Day

55-year-old Winona sells her house to save her orphaned grandson Tommy's life. She places him in foster care, promising to return. But Winona's plans crumble when Tommy's adoptive parents refuse to let him go. Determined to gain custody, Winona takes drastic measures and does the unthinkable.

Each passing minute outside the operation theater started weighing heavier. It had been five agonizing hours since 55-year-old Winona's precious grandson, Tommy, 5, was rushed in for heart surgery.

Winona paced back and forth outside the OR, desperately pleading with God for a miracle to save her only family, Tommy, who was plugged onto life support while doctors were operating on his tender heart. Finally, the door swung open, and the doctor came out, taking off his scrub cap, as Winona ran to him anxiously...

"Mrs. Taylor, great news! The operation was a success. Your grandson will regain consciousness shortly," said the doctor as Winona teared up.

It felt like a thousand tonnes were lifted off her shoulders when Winona heard those words. She smiled through her tears at seeing little Tommy in the hospital bed.

"Mrs. Taylor?" The doctor interrupted Winona. "Sorry for asking you this…I overheard you talking on the phone earlier about selling your house. Did you have to sell it for your grandson's heart surgery?"

A grave silence and an untold agony flushed into Winona's face as she tearfully looked up at the doctor. "It's just a house, doctor…I would do anything for my grandson…even trade my life to save his life if that was what God wanted. Tommy's all I've got…"

Having said that, Winona retired to the hallway outside the ward and slipped out her phone. "Yes, I'm at the City Hospital…" She informed child protective services. "I'm ready to sign the necessary paperwork and hand over my grandson…will be waiting for you."

It was an unbearably difficult decision for Winona. She had sold her humble house on the outskirts of town to afford Tommy's surgery. Now with no roof over their heads and nothing much left in savings, she decided to put him in foster care until she got back on her feet.

When the CPS arrived, Winona tearfully explained her situation to them. "...but it's just a temporary arrangement, Sir," Winona told the social workers. "I'll hopefully return in a year to take my grandson with me once I stabilize my finances and get a new house. Till then, I want Tommy to have someone to look after him."

As soon as she signed the placement agreement, Winona gingerly walked into Tommy's ward and brushed his soft chestnut hair while he was still unconscious.

"Goodbye, sweetie," Winona teared up. "Grandma will come back for you. I promise. Just hold on, love. And forgive me. I have to do this…for us. Just one year. Time will fly!"

Deep inside, a creeping sensation settled in Winona's heart. She was plagued by the thought of whether she would ever be able to keep her promise. Gathering her broken pieces, Winona kissed Tommy on his forehead and left the ward with tears brimming in her eyes.

Winona's heart started pounding when she stood on the street and stared at the void ahead. She barely had $100 in her old, withered floral purse. That feeling of having no money and a roof over her head, paired with the promise she had made to her little grandson…it haunted Winona.

That's when she remembered her rich friend, Doris, who lived in Missouri, over a thousand miles away. Winona slipped out her phone from her overcoat pocket and hastily rang Doris.

"Hey, Doris, it's me," Winona spoke. "You told me about a vacant spot in your seafood processing company some time ago, remember?"

"...yeah, that's the one I'm talking about. I want to fill in for the role. I want this job…I really need it, Doris. Please help me."

Following a cross-country drive spanning almost a day, Winona arrived in Missouri. She landed a job as a packer in her friend's company. And as days passed, Winona worked really hard, day and night, to save as much money as she could.

She barely slept for three hours a day. Winona juggled between her overtime at the factory and a part-time night shift as a gas station attendant.

The Grandma was ready to move mountains for her grandson, even if it came at the cost of her health. And before Winona knew it, a year had passed, and the time had finally come to return to Montana, get her cozy little house, and bring Tommy back.

Winona pooled all her savings, but the money was still not enough to get the little cottage she wanted back in her hometown. To her relief, her friend Doris helped her with the money as a token of appreciation for all her hard work and dedication.

A year had gone by. With heartfelt gratitude, Winona bid a teary goodbye to her friend and set off on her journey back home. She was so excited to see Tommy and take him back home from the foster system.

"Jesus...I'm going to see my baby again!" Winona whispered as she settled on the bus by the window seat and looked out. "I hope I don't cry...God! Please, I can't wait anymore to hold my boy. Grandma is coming for you, sweetie. Just a few more hours...you'll be in my arms forever!"

Winona finally arrived at her destination, and the first thing she did was call the social workers. "Yeah, it's me! I'm on my way to take my grandson home."

But Winona's excitement faded, and what she heard on the other end of the line stabbed like daggers in her heart.

"Mrs. Taylor, your grandson Tommy isn't here anymore. He was adopted a few weeks after you transferred his custody," the person informed. There was dead silence as Winona's heart started to crack.

"What do you mean someone adopted him?" She retorted. "I told you I would be coming back to take him in a year…."

"Mrs. Taylor, your grandson was put in a foster system…and we did what was best for the boy when a kind, rich couple expressed interest in adopting him. That's how our system works. Moreover, you had signed the paperwork."

"Fine…Can I please have the name and address of his adoptive parents? Please, it's important. I need to meet them."

Winona sighed with relief when she noted down the address. It belonged to a family that lived in the same town. She immediately hailed a taxi and drove to their house.

With each step she took toward the doorstep, Winona's heart started racing with worry. She rang the doorbell and pulled a confident face when the door creaked open.

"Yes?" A petite woman with her apron on answered. She was Aileen, Tommy's adoptive mother.

"Hello…I'm Winona, Tommy's Grandma…Can I see him?" Winona said, getting to the point as she peered through the door crack behind the woman, looking for any signs of her grandson.

"Dave…Can you come here for a second?" Aileen anxiously called out loudly for her husband. "Dave…honey!"

When Dave came, and Aileen told him who Winona was, his face drained of color, just like his wife. They had probably never expected their adopted son's grandmother to show up on their doorstep out of the blue and ask to meet the boy.

But the couple was courteous. They invited Winona inside to know why she had come. "So…Mrs. Taylor, it's a pleasure to meet you…" Dave said, making big eyes, gesturing for Winona to speak up.

Winona took a deep breath and explained the circumstances under which she had to sell her house and give up her grandson to the foster system. "...but I did tell them I would be coming for him a year later once I get a house," she said. "I'm so thankful to you for taking care of my grandson."

At this point, the couple's expression drastically changed, and they exchanged worried glances. "We're pleased you came to visit us, Mrs. Taylor. But what exactly do you want? See your grandson?"

"See him…and..." Winona paused. "Listen, kids, I know how this looks. But the thing is, I couldn't afford to pay for his surgery. I had to sell my house and leave him in foster care as I had no money or house. I worked really hard to save money after that. Bought a small house recently so that I could move in with my grandson. Do you understand what I'm trying to say? I think Tommy will be better off with his grandma now…and that's why I've come…to take him…"

When Winona finished saying that, Dave and Aileen grew unsettled. They had never expected such a massive blow. Tommy's arrival filled the hollow in their lives, and they could not imagine a life without him.

"Well, Mrs. Taylor…we've been living with Tommy for almost a year now," Aileen said. "We love him like our son…we definitely don't want to part with him. Tommy loves us, and we love him."

"My wife's right," Dave took it from there. "See, the thing is, we have the ability to provide the boy with everything he needs growing up. Education. Job. Everything. We own a small café at the end of this street."

Dave paused as Winona listened with disbelief etched all over her face. "Mrs. Taylor, we would still be glad if you visit him…we're okay with that…you can come anytime and see Tommy, alright?" Dave finished.

"Visit him??" Winona angrily rose from the couch. "I'm not a guest…I'm Tommy's Grandma. Do you hear me? I'm his mother's mother. I raised him all his life after he lost his parents in a car crash. I don't want your permission to visit him."

When Winona started raising her voice, Aileen and Dave decided not to keep quiet. They were ready to do anything not to send Tommy with his grandmother. Although they were ready to allow Winona to visit the boy, after witnessing her attitude, even that option was ruled out.

"Remember that you're standing on our property, Mrs. Taylor," Dave sternly said, pointing at Winona. "You're taking the boy nowhere. And that's final."

"He's our son now," Aileen fumed along. "We legally adopted the boy. We signed the paperwork. Everything's done and dusted. Tommy is our son. And he stays here with us."

Winona wanted to burst out crying. A part of her even urged her to fold her hands and plead with the couple to let her have her grandson back. But she knew they would never let Tommy go so easily.

"Well, if this is how it's going to be, so be it. I would've never wanted to do this, but you've left me with no choice. I'll see you in court," Winona challenged the couple.

"You go wherever you want, lady," Dave yelled. "Tommy is now legally our son, and nothing is going to change that. Get the hell out of my house before I call the cops. WE WILL NOT GIVE YOU OUR SON! Get out…!"

With a heart shattered to shreds, Winona disappointedly walked out of the house and slowed down on the streets. She burst into tears under a street lamp and hailed a cab to meet the lawyer.

"Mrs. Taylor, after analyzing your case, I see no reason why the court should hand over the boy's custody to you," the lawyer said. It hit Winona like a bag of bricks.

"What do you mean, Mr. Benjamin?" Winona gasped. "He's my grandson. I don't understand why I should fight for his custody when he's rightfully my grandson."

"I understand, Mrs. Taylor," the lawyer explained. "But to be brutally honest, the chances of winning in court are slim to none. Tommy's adoptive parents are wealthy people…with stable incomes and a good reputation in society...catch my drift, Ma'am?"

This was not what Winona had expected to hear. She disappointedly left the lawyer's office and walked home. Suddenly, she ran into two homeless drunkard men who blocked her way.

"Hey, lady…" one of the guys said, extending his soiled hand. "Mind giving us a few bucks to buy a shot?"

Winona was already in a terrible mood. And now, the annoying drunkards were fueling her temper. "You think I'm some kind of ATM, you fools?" Winona yelled at them. "Go away before I call the cops and get your butts whipped!"

The guys backed off when a strange plan suddenly brewed in Winona's mind. "Hey, wait a minute…come back…" she went after the two guys.

"What if I give you $1,000…in exchange for a small favor?" Winona proposed a deal.

The drunkards were puzzled and, at the same time, stunned at the mention of a thousand bucks. "Did you say $1,000?! Of course, lady! What do you want us to do?"

Later that night, the two guys were right outside Brewz & Cupz Café. Adorning black masks, they paced back and forth, waiting for the right time.

"Pal, the coast is clear…let's start!" One of them said as the other man pelted a stone and broke the café window. The men emptied bottles of gasoline into the cafe and threw a Molotov cocktail, setting the eatery on fire.

"The job's done!" The guys bumped their fists and fled the spot as the building burned down. Fire engines swarmed the site, but the café was utterly destroyed by then.

The next morning, Winona's phone rang loudly, shattering the silence around her. "Mrs. Taylor, it's Attorney Benjamin here…we still have a chance!"

Winona's face lit up as she sprang out of bed. "We do?"

"Yes! Last night, somebody set Mr. Dixon's café on fire. The whole building burned down. The thing is, their house is on a mortgage. The family has a lot of debt…and their only source of income, the café, is now reduced to ashes. It'll take a lot of time until he can spring back on his feet and rebuild his business. That buys us a chance in court!"

A week later, Winona was in the courtroom, explaining everything she could in an attempt to regain her grandson's custody. "...and I sold my house to pay for his heart surgery, Your Honor. I was ready to do anything to save my grandson's life. I worked two jobs after that. Saved money. And bought a little cottage where I can raise him…and give him a good life."

As the case intensified, Aileen and Dave were called to present their side. They felt uncomfortable explaining their health complications, due to which they could not have children.

"...we dreamed of adopting a child," Dave spoke up. "And when we met Tommy, we fell in love with the boy. We took him in to raise him as our son…be his family."

"Mr. Dixon, your café recently burned down. Would it in any way affect how you intend to raise the boy? Can you please detail your present financial condition?" Winona's lawyer chimed in.

There was a brief pause as Dave did not know how to answer that question. He painfully looked at his wife, Aileen, before speaking up.

"...My wife and I are looking for a job until we renovate the café," Dave said.

"Mr. Dixon, your house is on a mortgage, am I right?" the lawyer added. "And you're yet to find jobs…make money…get your business back on track. May we please ask you to tell us how much you have left to pay in mortgage?"

"We…uh…we are yet to settle a little over half the sum," Dave said.

"Well, your business is down...mortgage is still pending. And you and your wife are jobless. And you still want to raise the boy! That's all, Your Honor!" Winona's lawyer finished.

A grave silence engulfed the courtroom when the judge said, "Ladies and gentlemen...before we proceed with delivering the final verdict, I am declaring a brief recess. We will reconvene in 30 minutes. The court is adjourned."

Half an hour later, everybody gathered back in court for the final hearing. A strange sensation of fear and anxiety crawled up Winona's gut when the judge began to read the verdict.

"Based on the evidence and opinions of both sides, the court recognizes Mrs. Taylor as the legal guardian of Tommy L. and requests the transfer of parental rights to her with immediate effect."

Winona's happiness knew no bounds at that point. Tears of joy gushed into her eyes as she thanked her lawyer, everybody who congratulated her, and God. "Thank you, Jesus…Thank you!" She constantly whispered, finding herself at a loss for words.

While Winona was over the moon after getting her grandson's custody, the boy's adoptive parents, Aileen and Dave, broke into tears. Winona took a moment to notice them and decided to rub salt into their wound.

"Well…well! I told you that it would have been much better if we settled the matter without dragging things to court!" Winona sneered. "I want my grandson back as soon as possible."

Aileen and Dave were tormented. "Mrs. Taylor, you can come and take your grandson in two days...we'll pack all his stuff and be ready."

Winona arrived at the couple's house two days later to pick her grandson up. Aileen answered the door, and Winona noticed the woman's tear-stained face and puffy, red eyes.

"We're almost ready, Mrs. Taylor," Aileen said, trying her best to hold back her tears. "Please wait inside."

Winona smiled, and when she walked inside, she saw crates of children's items and luggage in the living room. There were toys, books, and colorful clothes and shoes. There were plenty, even the kind Winona had never been able to afford to give her grandson earlier.

"Everything is for Tommy," Dave said while carrying out another crate of things. "Tommy is in his room. He's been crying all day. No worries, Mrs. Taylor. My wife will calm him down and get him ready. Just give us five minutes. I'll load the things in the cab."

Ten minutes later, Winona was all smiles as she led little Tommy to the taxi. His face was red and swollen from crying. He sat by the window, pressing his teary face against the glass. "Take care, champ! Daddy loves you!" Dave mustered the courage, even with tears brimming his eyes, and waved at the boy.

Just as the driver started the engine, Aileen ran toward the cab, shouting at the top of her voice. "Stop! Please…stop the taxi…stop!" The driver hit the brakes, and Winona turned around in shock.

"Tommy, sweetie, you forgot to take Bugs!" Aileen panted, handing Tommy's teddy bear through the window. "Sorry, Mrs. Taylor…he doesn't sleep well without hugging his teddy."

Before anybody could process anything, Tommy leaned through the window and hugged Aileen tightly.

"Mommy…please…I don't want to leave you and Daddy," he cried.

Winona was awestruck by the emotional scene that unfolded before her eyes. She stepped out of the taxi as Aileen and Dave noticed she was teary-eyed.

"I'm sorry…" Winona sobbed. "It was me…I set your café on fire. I regret what I've done. I'm sorry for being so terrible. In my quest to win my grandson's custody, I stopped being human. I forgot all that mattered was Tommy's happiness…not mine. I'll sell my house and compensate for the damage caused to your café."

An electric jolt of disbelief surged through Aileen and Dave when Winona turned to the taxi and said, "Tommy, sweetie…come here!"

Tommy bolted towards his adoptive parents and threw himself into their arms. Winona could no longer hold back her tears as she watched the heartwarming reunion. Dave then looked up at her and said, "It's alright, Mrs. Taylor! We don't want this conflict anymore."

What can we learn from this story?

• Put your children's needs and well-being before your own desires, even if it means giving up something you want. In her rush to take her grandson Tommy back home, Winona devised a cunning plan and caused his adoptive parents' downfall. However, she regretted it when she realized Tommy wanted to stay with his adoptive parents and started considering them as his family.
• When you truly love someone, you will move mountains for them. Despite knowing they would have nowhere to live, Winona sold her house to pay for her grandson Tommy's heart surgery. After that, she worked hard and bought a new home to give her grandson a better life.

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When rich business tycoon Caleb spots a scar on his cleaning lady, he remembers seeing it on his mother, who died 28 years ago. Their DNAs match, and Caleb sets on a mission to seek answers from his father, who had lied to him about her death. Click here to read the full story.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.