Childless Couple Adopts a Biracial Toddler and Faces Judgment from Their Neighbors – Story of the Day

After years of miscarriages, Jonathan and Jessica Green decided to move to Jonathan's parents’ hometown. Jonathan reconnected with his friend, Patrick, a single father with a baby daughter. When Patrick died unexpectedly, the couple was forced to make a decision, and others judged them for it in a way they never imagined.

“Let’s go, darling. Let’s move to Aurora, Colorado. My parents are near, it’s a beautiful area, and we can start over before you think of anything else crazy,” Jonathan begged on his knees, resting his head on his wife’s lap. Jessica had just startled him with a conversation about divorce.

“Are you sure? You could divorce me and find another woman. A real woman. One who can give you all the kids you desire. I can’t do that… I can’t do that,” his wife insisted, sobbing into her hands. But that was the last thing Jonathan wanted. He was in love with her. Jessica was his family.

“Listen to me, Jessica. There are many ways to start a family, and pregnancy is not the only one. Actually, not every family has kids, and they can be happy. We are already a family. You and I. I take my vows seriously. How about you? Were those lies?” he asked, raising his head and looking into her eyes.

Jessica took her hands away and shook her head. “No, they were not lies. I meant them with all my heart. But I don’t want you to resent me somewhere down the line when we’re older and everyone around us is watching their kids. And later, their grandkids,” Jessica responded, her hands touching Jonathan’s face.

“So, let’s do it. Let’s move. We need a new start.”

That’s how they ended up on the road. They were leaving their California life behind and going to Aurora. Jonathan grew up there, and his parents were ready to welcome them. His mom helped them find a rental, but they had plans to buy a house later. For now, a rental would work perfectly.

They moved happily into their home. Jonathan’s mother only demanded Friday-night dinners every single week. The couple agreed and enjoyed those nights. During one of those gatherings, his mom pulled Jessica aside and had a serious talk with her. Jonathan never discovered precisely what they talked about, but his wife was much calmer after it.

“She just said that we’re young, and we have all the time in the world to figure things out. It helped. Honestly, that’s it,” was all Jessica said about that conversation. He didn’t buy it but let it go because she smiled, and things settled.

Another benefit of moving back to Aurora was that Jonathan reconnected with his old friend, Patrick. Shockingly, Patrick revealed that he had become a single father when his girlfriend disappeared. His baby, Ariana, was just three months old at the time her mother skipped town, and they had not seen her since then.

Ariana was now seven months old and Jessica fell in love with her as soon as she met her. The couple would frequently hang out with Ariana and her father after that. “She’s so gorgeous. Aren’t you, baby?” she cooed at the baby in her highchair at a restaurant where they were having dinner one night.

“Yeah, she’s beautiful. I’m just worried about her future,” Patrick chimed in while forking a piece of lasagna and eating it.

“Why?” Jonathan asked.

“Being biracial in this country is not easy. I mean, being African-American is no treat either, but I worry she might feel like she doesn’t belong anywhere. I worry people will judge her. Insult her. Bully her. It’s a harsh world out there. I wish I could do more,” their friend revealed. Jonathan and Jessica didn’t know what to say.

They were both white, while Patrick was African-American. They didn’t know his struggles. Not really, anyway. They read the news, but no one can understand those battles until they experience them in the flesh.

“I don’t know how we can help, but we’ll be here to support both of you. You’ve been so nice to us since our move. It’s the least we can do,” Jessica stated, patting the little girl’s tiny head. Ariana babbled in delight and smiled at Jessica.

Patrick thanked them for the kind words and was glad that his daughter had a female influence in her life. He thought about asking the couple to become Ariana’s godparents, but he ran out of time. Patrick suffered a severe heart attack while working at a canning factory and was gone immediately.

Although they were waiting to see if Patrick’s former girlfriend would come back for her daughter, Jonathan and Jessica took Ariana in. And when the mother never showed up, they started the adoption process, which would take some time. The only thing is that they decided not to change Ariana’s last name, so she would never forget her father.

Sadly, Patrick’s words that day at the restaurant came true in a way they never imagined. People saw them walking down the streets with a biracial child and gave them awful looks. Jonathan wanted to fight anyone who judged them, but Jessica told him to take the high road.

Some people even suggested to Jonathan’s parents that Jessica might have cheated on her husband, and that’s why Ariana was biracial. Of course, those folks had no idea that Ariana was adopted. And Jonathan’s parents stopped associating with anyone who spread those rumors.

But the gossip continued. For years. When it was time for Ariana to go to school, some teachers started talking about it. They were all convinced Jessica had an affair. But she didn’t care. She just loved her adopted daughter and the family they had together.

One teacher, Miss Blanchard, expressed her concerns during a parent-teacher meeting with Ariana’s adoptive parents. All this time, they had refused to correct anyone. They didn’t care what others thought. But Ariana’s teacher made a pretty significant point.

“Mr. and Mrs. Green. I’m afraid if we don’t nip this in the bud right now, this kind of thing could follow her in the future. Right now, Ariana is young, and her friends are young, so they don’t care. But when kids grow, they start listening to their parents. So, I just want to know what happened. How did she end up with you?” Miss Blanchard asked.

She looked sincere, and finally, the couple decided to address the gossip. “It’s the simplest answer in the world, Miss Blanchard. Ariana is adopted. My friend died of a sudden heart attack. Ariana’s birth mom took off when she was three months old, and we couldn’t let her go into the system. We took her because we already loved her,” Jonathan said, shrugging his shoulders and holding Jessica’s hand.

Miss Blanchard breathed deeply. “Oh! I can’t believe this. People like to start drama for no reason. If you don’t mind, I’m going to share this with a few people so that the rumors will stop once and for all,” she said.

“We didn’t think it could be detrimental to her future, but thanks for pointing that out, Miss Blanchard. We, including Jonathan’s parents, thought we were doing the right thing by ignoring everyone. But I guess problems don’t go away by ignoring them,” Jessica chimed in. “We’ll also start clearing things up.”

The real story traveled through their town quickly, and people stopped talking about it soon enough.

The only remaining concern afterward was how to raise Ariana in the best possible way. But they started with the simplest thing in the world: love.

What can we learn from this story?

• Ignoring problems or rumors doesn’t make them go away. Sometimes, you have to face those things to solve them. Some tales can be dismissed, but not forever or if they will hurt your loved ones.
• Families come in all shapes and sizes. A couple is a family. A single person and their daughter is a family. A person and their dog are a family too. Don’t feel pressured by what others think. Just be happy.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a waitress who helped a homeless man, and he repaid the favor years later.

This account is inspired by our reader’s story 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.