Woman Visits Her Old Friend’s House with Adoptive Son, ‘I Lived Here Years Ago,’ the Boy Says – Story of the Day

A woman who adopted a child takes him to visit her best friend and is stunned when her adoptive son recognizes the house -- and his true identity is revealed.

All that Linda Kersey had ever wanted was to marry John Allen and have his babies. The two had been dating since the beginning of high school, and on prom night, John proposed.

Linda loved him but she refused. "When you come back from college and if you still want to marry me, ask me again."

Four years later, John asked again and Linda said 'yes.' She thought she was getting her fairytale 'happily-ever-after,' but she was wrong.

They had a fairytale wedding and her bridesmaid was her best friend from high school, Karen. Linda was so happy! John's family was wealthy, and he was a talented engineer with a great job.

Linda wanted children straight away, and so did John, but month after month, she was disappointed. Worried about Linda's growing anxiety, John took her to a specialist, and the result of the test he put them through was devastating.

"I'm afraid you can't have children, Mrs. Allen," the doctor said gently. "I would suggest you think about accepting an egg donation and a surrogate pregnancy or adoption."

Linda took a long time to accept the doctor's diagnosis, but with John's help, she came to terms with it. She told John she would like to adopt to give a child the love of a good family, and he agreed.

It takes strength and courage to forgive.

The adoption process was grueling and John and Linda agreed to adopt a four-year-old little boy rather than a newborn. The child's name was Adam and Linda and John fell head over heels in love with their son.

Linda was contented. Finally, she had everything she ever dreamed of -- John, the love of her life, and a wonderful little boy who loved and needed her. Nothing could spoil her happiness, or so she believed.

When Adam was eight, Linda was stunned to receive a DM on Instagram from her old friend Karen. Karen had dropped out of Linda's life after the wedding and they had lost touch.

Karen had been living in New York for the last four years, and now she was back and living in her parents' old house. She invited Linda to visit her and bring her son along.

Linda was very excited, but John didn't seem keen on the whole idea. "I never liked Karen," he said. "Honestly, her disappearance was a boon! She's a loose cannon and God only knows what she's been up to!"

"How can you say that?" Linda cried. "She's my oldest friend and she'd always been very loyal. Loyalty means a lot to me, John, and I don't care what she's been doing!"

The next day was a Saturday and so Linda took Adam to visit Karen. They arrived at Karen's house and Adam looked around him with a strange expression on his face. "Hey, have we been here before, mom?" he asked Linda.

"Nope," Linda told him. "I used to hang out with Karen here when I was in high school, but I haven't been here in years."

"I know this place..." Adam insisted, but at that moment, Karen opened the door and the two friends started hugging and kissing and talking a mile a minute.

Linda introduced Karen to Adam and she shook his head solemnly. "What's your name, young man?" she asked. "And how old are you?"

"I'm Adam," he said. "And I'm eight."

Karen looked startled. "Eight?" she asked.

She threw a surprised look at Linda who explained, "Adam is my special boy. We adopted him."

"Adopted?" Karen looked stricken. "You adopted?"

Linda was surprised by Karen's reaction, but she was worried to see Adam looking around the house with a strange expression on his face. "There's a room with a red curtain through there..." he said.

He got up and opened the door before Linda could stop him. Linda jumped up and followed him and was stunned to see there WAS a red curtain. "I was here, mom," Adam whispered. "I lived here years ago...when I was small..."

"What?" gasped Linda. She turned and looked at Karen who was sobbing. "What is this? What's going on?"

"He's my son!" Karen cried. "I...I had to give him up! My parents died right after Adam was born, and I was broke... By the time he was three I was broke, in debt... I couldn't raise him."

"But what about his father?" Linda asked, and saw Karen's face drain of color.

"I couldn't tell him!" Karen said. "I could NEVER tell him! We had a...a...thing, one night, a huge mistake. Telling him would be...wrong."

A horrid suspicion dawned on Linda's mind. "Who was he, Karen? I need to know!"

Karen whispered: "It was John. The night before the wedding...we were drunk...I'm so sorry..."

Linda grabbed Adam by the hand and ran out. Driving home, all she could think about was that the man she loved and her best friend had betrayed her and that this child by her side was theirs.

When Linda arrived at their home, she sent Adam upstairs to play and confronted John. "So," she said. "Do you know who Adam's mother is?"

John looked puzzled. "No, how could I?" he asked. "Did she try to contact Adam?"

"Not exactly," Linda said. "I discovered it by accident -- actually, Adam did. And I even know who his father is."

"Who?" asked John, curious.

"You," Linda said. "You fathered Adam the night before our wedding when you slept with my best friend. You are the father and Karen is the mother. I'm leaving you, John, but I'm taking Adam. He's the one good thing in all of this."

"Linda," John cried. "Please, I love you! It was a mistake, a stupid mistake, and I never cheated again! Please..."

"Loyalty is very important to me, John," Linda said with tears in her eyes. "Please go now."

Over the next few months, John tried to apologize to Linda again and again, but she wouldn't listen. Then one day, an envelope arrived in the mail. Inside were several bank books, legal documents, and a letter from John that read:

"I want to give everything I have to you, and start a new life. I am very sorry for everything I have done, but I am glad that my son will be raised by a woman like you, Linda. I love you. I will always love you.”

Linda was moved. She picked up the phone and called John. The two talked for hours, and the next day they met for coffee. Little by little John won her trust and moved back in with his wife and son.

Linda forgave him, and Karen too, and even allowed her old friend to visit her son. Out of the pain of the betrayal, there had come one good thing: the wonderful little boy who was now Linda's son.

What can we learn from this story?

• It takes strength and courage to forgive. Linda forgave John and Karen and it made her a stronger person.
• We can all make mistakes. John and Karen made a mistake when they cheated on Linda, but they both regretted it and learned from it.

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 an adopted 18-year-old girl who believes that her 'real' mother would be a better parent than her adoptive mom until she finally meets her,

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