Man Swears to Adopt Dying Best Friend’s 3 Sons, ’Kids?! No Way!’ His Wife Protests — Story of the Day

A man promises his dying best friend to adopt his 3 sons and give them a loving home. But things take a wild turn after he tells his wife about it. "Kids?! No way!" she protests, throwing him a disgusted look.

"You gotta do just one thing for me, mate. Adam, Mike, and Henry need you. Those boys don't have a family, Bernard. Please do this one thing for me…"

Bernard could never get those words out of his heart and mind. He had promised his best friend and fellow firefighter, Frank, that he would take care of his sons.

Frank was a courageous firefighter who was severely injured while rescuing a baby from a burning building. Unfortunately, he died before he could make it to the hospital, holding Bernard's hand and asking him to be there for his children.

Adam, Mike, and Henry didn't have anyone except their father. Their mother had died soon after giving birth to the youngest, Henry, and since both their parents were orphans, they had no extended family.

"Perhaps this was why God has decided not to bless me with a child," Bernard thought on the day of Frank's funeral. "Even if that wasn't His intention, I can't break my promise to Frank. I will give the kids a loving home," he promised himself.

But his wife, Fae, didn't feel the same way.

Sometimes all you need to do is try without worrying about the consequences.

"Kids?! No way!" she protested. "Bernard, you can't just bring someone else's children home and ask me to raise them!"

"Honey," he said calmly. "Those boys got no family. Besides, I can't break my promise to Frank."

"So?" she asked, irritated. "That's not my problem, Bernard! I'm not the one who made the promise. YOU did, so YOU should come up with a plan to deal with this!"

"Fae…" he said gently. "What happened to you? I thought you loved children!"

"All right, let's get this straight!" she said. "I DON'T want children now, alright? I'm not ready to become a mother, so I've been taking contraceptives!"

"You're taking what?" asked Bernard. He was stunned. He couldn't believe Fae was taking pills to avoid getting pregnant.

Bernard and Fae had only been married six months. A simple coffee date brought them together, and three months later, they tied the knot and became husband and wife.

Bernard wanted to start a family soon. He had always wanted to become a father, but he never forced it on Fae, which is why he was shocked she lied to him about having trouble conceiving.

"Fae!" he cried, dejected. "You need to explain this! I thought your gynecologist said something else!"

"I said I'm not ready to become a mother, Bernard! I'm sorry, but I've been lying to you. I didn't have the heart to disappoint you because you were always so enthusiastic about having children. Look, Bernard, I don't hate children. I'm just not ready..."

Bernard sighed. "No one's ever ready for children, Fae," he said gently. "You think I'm confident I'd be a good dad? No, I'm not. I'm certainly not. That doesn't mean we don't try. I am not forcing this on you, but I'm asking you to give it a thought."

"We can go meet the kids tomorrow if you'd like that. I don't want to do anything without you, Fae. I love you, and I respect our marriage. I want you to be there for me, and I want us to make this decision together."

Bernard didn't have a very good childhood. After his mother died, he was left with his father, who had been inebriated for most of his life and succumbed to his drinking habits when Bernard was only 15 years old.

After that, Bernard's uncle and aunt raised him. Bernard had promised himself that he would be a good father to his children, something his father had never been.

So when God sent him three young boys, he was confident he'd do anything for them. He just didn't want to do it without Fae's support.

***

"So, what do you think?" Bernard asked Fae over breakfast. "You wanna meet the kids?"

"I'm ready to meet them, Bernard. But I'm not sure I'm ready to call them my children. You must understand... This is a life-changing event for both of us. I don't want to rush it."

"Thank you, darling," Bernard said. "I agree with you. I'm willing to give you as much time as you need."

So Bernard and Fae met the kids, who were living at a shelter, and decided to foster them at first. They took things slowly, as Fae wanted, and together, as Bernard wished.

Within months, Fae couldn't imagine her life without the children. She not only looked after them, but she also made sure they never felt like they weren't hers. She baked cookies for them, went to their school events, and it was her idea to watch movies together as a family on Friday nights after the boys said they loved watching movies with their dad.

One night before going to bed, Fae told Bernard she was ready to adopt the children. "I think they changed me, honey, and I think they've made our marriage stronger," she said. "You were right. I wouldn't have known what it was like to have children until I tried with all my heart."

"I'm so happy, Fae. Thank you very much, honey," Bernard said. "I feel blessed and lucky to have you by my side! Let's talk with the social worker tomorrow, alright?"

And another couple of months was all it took for Fae and Bernard to become Adam, Mike, and Henry's parents officially.

"Fae!" little Henry said one day. "Can I call you mommy now? I don't want to call you Fae! All the kids call their mommy, mommy!"

"Oh, will you do that too, little boy?" she asked in tears as she scooped him into her arms. "Really?"

Henry nodded. "I will!"

"Thank you, honey. I didn't want to force it on you guys. Thank you for loving me!"

So Henry began calling Fae mommy, and Mike and Adam followed in his footsteps.

In no time, the three boys became Fae and Bernard's life, and soon after, God decided to bless their family again.

Two months after the adoption, Fae found out she was pregnant with triplets, and their family blossomed from five to a BIG, happy family of eight!

What can we learn from this story?

• Family is more than just biology. Fae and Bernard adopted Frank's children, raising them as their own. And nothing has changed for them since they had their own children. They are a big and happy family.
• Sometimes all you need to do is try without worrying about the consequences. Fae was hesitant to become a mother so soon, but after only a few months of caring for Frank's children, she realized she could be a mother—a loving one.

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 woman who adopts her late best friend's child, only to be met face-to-face with his biological father 13 years later.

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.