Woman Learns That She Is Actually the Biological Mom of Her Adopted Son – Story of the Day

Nadia has spent years battling her loss after she gave her baby up for adoption. But now, she and Aaron are ready to expand their family, and with that, comes adopting a child. One night, the family meet an accident. When the blood compatibility results come back, Nadia is shocked.

Nadia felt the pain ripple through her. She knew what was coming, and she was dreading it. She sat at the edge of her bed, holding tightly to the pillows her mother had insisted on buying for her. Nadia knew it was out of love, but she didn't like the clutter and the fuss of removing them before getting into bed at night.

Now, she was grateful because squeezing the pillows gave her something to transfer all her pain to. She wanted to cry out but was afraid of what would happen next. She knew her father would come running into her bedroom if she did. And she knew that he would take matters into his own hands.

He had been threatening to do so for the past nine months. Nothing would change his mind. She knew that.

Instead, Nadia clutched the pillow tighter, the veins in her hands struggling against her skin. Her lower back was on fire, and her stomach tightened with agony. She closed her eyes and thought of the box under her bed – the box that she had to hide away from her father.

In it were the clothes she had bought over the past months, the toys, and the blanket. A navy blanket with silver stitching and silver stars. She hoped it would stay with him forever, wherever he ended up.

She hoped he would end up with her.

Years later...

"So, we're happy with the house? With the renovations?" Aaron asked Nadia while swiping through the photos on his phone.

"I am," Nadia said, sitting on the couch beside him. "The kitchen is my favorite room in the house, all that light! You did good."

Aaron winked at her and laughed.

He was an architect and had been designing Nadia's dream home for the better part of the year. Finally, things were coming together, and they were almost ready to move in. Since they were married three years ago, Nadia felt that everything was finally falling into place for her.

Her life had been a series of misadventures, and she was always late to the party for most things. She had finished school later than she should have because she needed to take time off after the 'incident.' When she had finally graduated from high school, she took a year off from everything, backpacking her way around Europe after winning a writing competition that paid for the trip.

At first, she left like she was running away like she was prolonging her life.

But if she was honest with herself, the truth was that she needed to escape, to heal from everything that she had simply pushed aside, waiting for a day when she was ready to deal with it all.

So, she entered the writing competition, writing about pain unfurling around one's heart, making them into a stranger to themselves. Nadia thought that once she won it, she would get a tattoo, marking something about the day that changed her life forever. Then, she would spend the rest on her mother.

But then, the competition results came out, and Nadia felt pushed back into the void. She needed to escape from herself. She needed to look at the world and not hate everything in it.

She signed up for a backpacking trip, and that was it. She was going to go and heal herself. She would see new places, eat new food, and meet new people. She was going to live, and she would forgive herself. She had to; if not, she would never go home.

Nadia sat on the dining table, her feet dangling in the air, while Aaron carefully packed all the delicate crockery they owned. Most of them were wedding presents that they had received and had never used. Nadia preferred brightly colored plates and bowls, and Aaron was happy with anything, as long as food was piled high on it.

She watched as he carefully took each out, wrapped it in thick sheets of newspaper, and put them in sturdy cardboard boxes, ready to be taken to their new house.

"So," Nadia began.

"So, you want to actually help me?" he asked hopefully.

"Pass," she laughed. "I'll do anything and everything else – well, nothing that involves fragile things. You know how clumsy I am, Aar."

"I know," he said, pulling the chair beside her. "What's on your mind?"

"We have the jobs, we have the house, we have each other," she said. "You know what's missing now?"

"Yes, and there's already a room painted white but otherwise left untouched for that very reason."

"So, we can start trying?"

"Nadia, we can begin the paperwork tonight," he smiled.

That night, years ago...

Nadia moved from being curled up on her bed to crouching on the floor. She held tightly onto the duvet covering her bed. She knew that her face was red and dripping in sweat. She knew what she needed to do - she could feel her body directing her into it.

But how could she? She wanted to ignore her body for a little longer, to just breathe and let herself know he was safe, loved, and protected by her, just for a little longer.

She closed her eyes and put her head on the edge of the bed, breathing in the scent of the fabric softener. The smell reminded her of her mother, and that was enough to calm her down. Nadia knew all she needed to do was call for her mother, and everything would be fine.

But if her mother came into her bedroom, surely her father would follow, and she didn't want him there.

She remembered her mother was shocked and worried when she first told them. Of course, she was. If Nadia were in her position, she would have been too. Her father threw his mug of hot chocolate at the wall just behind Nadia. She remembered how when the mug collided with the wall, the splatter of hot chocolate covered the back of her lime green sundress.

"You are just a child," he said. "This has to be another one of your delusions."

"I'm sorry,' she stammered.

"Sorry? That's all you have to say, Nadia?" he spat. "You have brought shame and embarrassment to my house."

Nadia looked from him to her mother, who looked up at her and shook her head slightly. She didn't want Nadia to say anything that she could regret. Nadia understood. Instead, she let her father continue ranting about the fact that dishonor had now fallen on the entire family. And that he didn't know what he would tell people.

Nadia wanted to scream. She wanted to say that it wasn't about him, that it was about her. And that she just wanted someone to ask how she was. Whether she was okay, or scared, or confused.

Her father paced the kitchen in such a fury that Nadia was certain there would be burn marks on the tiles beneath his face. He continued to mutter under his breath, occasionally screaming something out.

Then, he stopped abruptly, causing Nadia to flinch at the possibility of what would come next.

"Who's the father?" he demanded.

She shook her head, keeping her eyes low to the ground.

"Who?" he repeated.

"It's not important," she said. "None of my decisions will be made regarding him."

"It's not important?" he repeated. "You're seventeen, in your final year of high school, and now you're pregnant. But the father isn't important?" he exploded.

Then he turned to her mother.

"Irina," he said. "Fix this."

He picked up his phone from the kitchen table and walked to the front door, slamming it as he went.

"Nadia," her mother said, pulling her up from the chair. "Come, let's sit outside. And then, I need you to tell me everything..."

Now, Nadia stood up slowly, trying to get herself to the other side of the bed. She picked up her phone and messaged her mom.

It's happening. Come, please.

A few minutes later, her mom pushed her into Nadia's room.

"Oh, Nadia," she said. "Why didn't you call sooner?"

"You know why," Nadia replied, locking eyes with her mom.

"Well, we can't do it here. We have to go to the hospital now," her mother said, sliding Nadia's slippers onto her feet. "Have you packed a bag?"

Nadia nodded and pointed to the duffle bag she had packed quickly when the pain started.

"I'll call your father," her mother said. "Hush, I know you don't want to, but he made all the arrangements for the … after. I'll ask him to stay outside the entire time, okay?"

Nadia nodded.

When they got to the hospital, her mother kept her promise and ensured that her father remained out of the room. Nadia did not want to see him, she did not want to hear him, and she did not want to smell his cologne. She didn't even want the baby to interact with him at all.

"Five minutes," the nurse said after the baby arrived. "You can hold onto him for five minutes before I take him in."

Nadia looked at her with unforgiving eyes. It wasn't the nurse's fault. She knew that. But it was easier to take her feelings out on someone else.

"Five minutes are all we need," her mother said solemnly.

Nadia watched as her mother took the baby from the nurse and brought him to her. Nadia shut her eyes immediately.

"You have to say goodbye, Nadia," her mother said. "You have to kiss his forehead and send him with blessings. He needs his mother's blessings to go out into the world. He needs you to bless him with everything you have because your love runs through his veins."

Nadia didn't say anything at first. Her mother's words threatened to release the well of tears that she had held since the first contraction rippled through her body.

"Nadia," her mother whispered. "Open your eyes."

And she did. Nadia opened her eyes and saw him.

She kissed him on his forehead and breathed in his scent. She tried to commit it all to memory.

"Don't name him, Nadia," her mother said, standing beside her.

Nadia nodded. She had decided on a name months ago but never said it out loud before.

"I'm really sorry to do this," the nurse said, moving closer to the bed. "But I really have to take him away now."

Nadia looked up at the nurse, her eyes heavy with tears rising. She offered up the baby in her arms, ignoring every fiber in her body yelling at her to take him and run.

But where would she go? Her father was on the other side of the door, and Nadia knew that he would fight her to the ground if it meant giving up the baby.

"Because you're a minor," the nurse said, holding the baby in her arms. "Someone will have to sign with you, allowing the baby to be taken in and adopted by a loving family."

"Her father will do it," Irina said.

"Wait," Nadia said. "There's a blanket in my bag. Can you wrap him in that? And can it go with him?"

Her mother went digging into the duffle bag and pulled the blanket out. When Nadia saw it, the first tear fell down her left cheek.

The nurse took the navy blanket from Irina and looked at Nadia for a moment. There was a tenderness in her eyes that Nadia knew she would never forget.

"I'll see what I can do," the nurse said, taking the baby away.

"Good girl," her mother said, holding her tightly.

Nadia and Aaron had moved into their new home. For the first time in a long time, Nadia felt everything was exactly as it should be. She felt safe, loved, and content. Well, almost content. She and Aaron had already started with their adoption application, so the thought of being called about a baby brought her the most joy.

Nadia had always wanted her own children. She loved the idea of her body making the little love that would grow into a baby during all those months inside her.

But a year into their marriage, and months after trying to conceive, Aaron had pushed Nadia to go to a doctor for a check-up.

"If there's a problem, then we'll know, and we can deal with it," he had said.

"What if you're the problem and not me?" she asked, trying to be funny.

"I've already got an appointment booked for next week," Aaron said. "You didn't think I would assume it was you, right? No way, we share things in this house. So, I'm going to get myself checked out too."

She knew that he would have done exactly that.

"Fine," she surrendered. "I'll do it."

After that, all optimism went out the door when Nadia was diagnosed with endometriosis. She was grateful that Aaron had meetings and could not meet her at the appointment.

"How hasn't any of this bothered you before?" the doctor asked her after listing symptoms that were synonymous with endometriosis.

"I just thought that it was normal," Nadia said. "I had a baby when I was seventeen, and my period was never quite the same after that."

"And how was that pregnancy?" the doctor asked.

"Forbidden," Nadia said, watching the doctor's features change to resemble something like concern.

"My parents were not exactly thrilled," she said. "But the pregnancy itself was fine, other than the usual things we're told to expect during the third trimester mostly."

"Pain?"

"More discomfort than pain."

Nadia was growing uncomfortable. She could feel the sweat forming on her upper lip. She hated talking about this. Even her mother knew not to ask about it. Nadia knew her only way of surviving was to push it all away. To push it right to the back of her mind and leave it right there. Aaron did not even know about any of it.

But at this moment, this conversation was unavoidable. She knew she had to speak about her first baby to try and understand whether she could have another.

"Nadia, can I be honest with you?" the doctor asked.

Her stomach turned.

"Of course, please," she said. "Give it to me straight, Doc."

"It doesn't look good. The lining has covered a significant area outside of your uterus. We can try medication and see if the situation improves at all during the next few months. I need you to be hopeful, but I also need you to be realistic."

Nadia nodded at the doctor, ringing the bottom of her dress in her hands.

"Thank you. I appreciate the honesty," she said.

She figured that she should know all the facts before making any decisions. And if life had taught her anything so far, hope was a great thing. It was a great layer to have in all her choices, but reality had to weigh more.

She went home that evening and made dinner while contemplating how she would tell Aaron everything. She didn't want to break his spirit with the fact that they may never have biological children. She knew that he would have his feelings about it, but he would perk up and talk about adoption immediately. He simply wanted to be a dad.

"I think adoption is noble," he said, spooning roasted vegetables onto her plate.

"I agree," she said slowly.

"So, we're open to that?"

"Yes, we are," Nadia said. "But I'll do the course of treatment that the Doctor suggested. I mean, look, there's no cure. But she said that the situation may improve."

"Okay, good," he said between mouthfuls. "But if it gets too much, we pull the plug. Deal?"

"Deal," she agreed. If she allowed herself to be honest for a moment, she would admit that she was terrified of what she could be putting her body through.

*

"Do you think we should actually go and buy things for the nursery?" she asked one morning while cutting up fruit for their breakfast.

"I just feel like maybe once we put something other than a carpet in the room, we'll get a phone call about a baby."

"I get what you're saying," Aaron said, making their coffee. "But when it came to the age groups we wanted, we ticked everything from newborn to sixteen years old."

"Right," she said. "It doesn't make sense to buy a crib if we may end up with someone older. Okay, the logic is flowing again," she grinned.

"How about a dresser? We can get a neutral dresser and maybe even a mirror?"

Nadia smiled to herself. "Yes, okay. Let's do that," she said.

*

Nadia and Aaron spent hours looking for the perfect dresser.

"It can't have personality," he said. "Not when we don't know who will use it."

Nadia watched the salesman look at Aaron with confusion. She wanted to laugh out.

"Just stick to white," she said. "We can always do something with that."

When they were done shopping, Nadia asked Aaron if they could visit her mother before they went home.

"And what if your Dad is there?" he asked, pulling up to her parent's home.

"Then we just eat the pizza and cake we've brought and leave straight after."

"You need to find a way to exist with him," Aaron said. "One that involves actual conversation."

"Not now," Nadia said. "Besides, I just want to tell my Mom that we've gone ahead and done all the applications, that's all."

*

Years ago, when Nadia returned from her backpacking adventures, she was finally ready to enroll in University and study. It came as no surprise that she chose psychology.

"You want to be a psychologist?" her father asked, overhearing her conversation with Irina.

"Yes," Nadia said. "I met a psychologist on my trip, and she said that it was rewarding. But I won't further my studies and become a psychologist proper."

"Then what will you do other than waste time?" he asked.

"I'll go into HR, where humanity is always needed in the workplace. But, I've decided to look into courses on trauma counseling as well. You know, for situations where mothers have their babies taken from them minutes after being born."

To his credit, Nadia's father held his anger in.

"Nadia," she gasped instead.

Since she had returned, she had gotten braver and better at standing up to her father.

Now, all these years later, Nadia's being a trauma counselor was going to help her form a bond with the child she and Aaron would choose to adopt. "You've got to take the time to really understand the child in your care," Alice, the social worker, told Nadia.

She and Aaron were excited. They had finally been offered a meeting with a social worker, making Nadia think they were closer to being matched with a child.

"And you must know, both of you," Alice said. "That some of these kids have trauma which runs very deeply. Some of them have not had easy childhoods, through no fault of their own, and have been in and out of the foster system. This is your chance to give them that forever home. To give them that chance at a life they have deserved since their first breath."

Nadia smiled. She had taken to Alice immediately, and hearing her words made Nadia feel that the children who interacted with her were loved and cared for – in as much capacity as her role allowed.

"We're ready," Nadia said.

*

Two months after their home inspection and a visit from Alice, they finally received a call about a thirteen-year-old desperately needing a home.

"Alice said he was in and out of the foster scene," Aaron told her over the phone.

"And that he was sent back because he loves to paint. And apparently, the foster mother couldn't take the smell of wet paint any longer. Unbelievable."

"That's ridiculous," Nadia said, almost spilling her tea onto her laptop. "So, did Alice say what the next steps were?"

"I'm coming to get you," he said. "Alice said we can meet him and take it from there."

"This is Kai," Alice said, opening the door to a craft room.

"Hi, Kai," Nadia said, smiling at the boy.

If she was honest, she did not expect to adopt a thirteen-year-old boy; she always assumed that she would adopt a baby and have as much of their childhood as possible. But standing in front of Kai, with his beautiful deep brown eyes and sad smile, made her feel otherwise.

Aaron had already walked up to the boy and shook his hand.

"I'm Aaron," he said. "And this is Nadia."

Kai smiled at them both, but Nadia saw he was lost. There was a sense of sadness that clung to the air around Kai. She wanted to run forward and wrap him in her arms. But she knew that she had to approach things slowly. Kai didn't know her, so he did not need to trust her and her intentions.

"Look," Kai said. "If you hate the smell of paint, maybe it's time to leave now."

Nadia's heart broke. Kai was definitely dealing with more pain than he could handle.

She caught Alice's eye, and Alice nodded.

"Are you kidding me?" Nadia began. "Leave now and miss our opportunity to have an artist in the family?"

Kai looked up at her with wide eyes.

"My sister is a painter, too," Aaron said. "I grew up with the smell of paint," he chuckled.

"So, it's not a problem?" Kai asked, astonished.

"Not even close," Nadia said.

Alice gave her a thumbs up.

"Unless you paint sharks. We may have a problem there," Nadia said. "I'm terrified of them."

Kai burst out laughing, and Nadia realized that it was a sound she wanted to continue hearing.

Nadia asked Alice to meet her one day. Alice agreed, saying that she'd meet Nadia at her office.

"I just wanted to know Kai's background," Nadia said.

"All we know is that he has come from tragedy. His father passed on from a heart attack when Kai was about three years old, and then his mother was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What do you mean?" Nadia asked.

"She was at the scene of an active robbery, and a stray bullet hit her. Kai was about six years old. Since then, he's been in and out of the foster system."

Nadia just looked at Alice; she did not think she had the words to describe her feelings.

"Please, Nadia. Kai comes from a past that is tinged with loss. But I see how you are with him. You connect to him because of your own loss. That shared sadness can help him grow into himself. I'm telling you all of this because you asked. But more than that, I am telling you that this child is incredible. And all he needs is a chance."

*

Nadia walked into the tattoo studio a few weeks after she had given her baby up for adoption.

"Are you sure about this?" her mother asked before Nadia jumped out of the car.

"Mom, I need to have something about him."

Her mother nodded.

"Go ahead, I'll be right here," she said.

Nadia ended up getting the baby's birth date tattooed onto her ankle. It wasn't big. But it was right there, a reminder of her boy.

Back to the present...

All the paperwork was filled out two weeks later, and Kai was on his way home.

Alice would drop him off, making everything as official as needed.

Nadia was in the kitchen with Aaron. She was decorating a cake, and Aaron was cooking their dinner. They were both nervous about the fact that this was it. Their yearning to be parents was finally over. Now, the real thing began.

They heard Alice's car on the gravel outside and looked at each other.

"He's here," Aaron said, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

Nadia smiled. She couldn't believe that this was finally happening to them.

They showed Kai around the house and to his bedroom. Where Nadia had taken extra time choosing everything that went into it. She needed him to know that this was his home no matter what.

Whether he did something that got him into trouble at school or whether, when the time came, he experimented with alcohol and left him passed out on the stairs, it would always be his home.

In the weeks leading up to the final adoption, Nadia and Aaron spent as much time as they could with Kai, getting to know the little things about him – things they could learn and translate into his bedroom.

When Aaron had led Kai to the spare bedroom downstairs, Nadia could see the confusion on the boy's face. He had already been shown his room, so what was this? But that confusion quickly turned to joy when Kai saw that the room had been turned into his own art studio.

"You can do your homework here and paint," Nadia said simply.

Kai ran toward Nadia, throwing his arms around her.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"But," Aaron said, causing everyone to turn around and look at him. "Your first task will be to paint a terrible portrait of Nadia."

Kai laughed and hugged Nadia tighter.

That night, Nadia couldn't sleep. She walked to Kai's room and peered in. He was asleep with his arms wrapped tightly around a throw pillow. She had a flashback to the day her baby was born and how tightly she had held onto the pillows, too.

Kai had unpacked his belongings before dinner, and when Aaron offered to help, Kai had agreed immediately.

He needed all the attention, Nadia thought as she watched him. He deserves this.

She couldn't imagine his mental state after losing his parents and then having to seek solace in the homes of strangers, not knowing whether they would allow him to stay forever or just for a few weeks at a time. She couldn't imagine that uncertainty.

She couldn't imagine living with the fear of getting close to people, knowing they could push him away at any moment.

Nadia walked into the room and sat on the bed. She gently ran her hand through his hair so as not to wake him. She was breaking her own rules. She didn't want this. She didn't want to rush anything with him. She wanted him to feel at home first.

As she was about to wake up and go back to bed, Kai reached out and took her hand.

"Thank you," he said for the second time that day.

*

"He's a lovely kid," Aaron said the next morning while making breakfast together. Kai was still asleep.

"Do you think he's comfortable here?" she asked.

"I think that he's testing the water. I think he loves being here, but he's afraid."

"Can you blame him?"

"Not at all. I've taken a week off work to spend time with him. Why don't you do the same thing? School will reopen soon, and we need to get Kai into school here. We need to look for schools with good creative extra-curricular activities."

Nadia laughed. She loved seeing Aaron's transition over the past few weeks. He had settled into the role of 'dad' with ease.

"Good morning," Kai said, walking into the kitchen. "It smells great in here."

A year passed, and Nadia felt she had everything she ever needed. It took her a while to get there, but now she is the mom of an almost fourteen-year-old. She and Aaron had quickly slipped into their roles of parents because it was all they had wanted after moving into their new home.

He had begun to call them "Mom" and "Dad".

Nadia rearranged her hours, ensuring she would be home when Kai got home. She molded everything in her life to fit him, and that was the only thing she wanted to do. Aaron felt the same, and he did whatever Kai wanted. Even when Kai was in his art room, Aaron would take his laptop to the table in the studio and work from there.

Nadia and Kai bonded over swimming in the backyard, Kai impressively beating her at backstroke. One afternoon, she decided to sit at the edge of the pool with her feet in the water instead of swimming. Kai wanted her to time how long it took him to do four laps of freestyle.

"You have a tattoo," he said, bobbing by her feet.

"I do," she said, lifting her leg to show him. "It's of a special date. Well, just a day that I want to remember."

"That's my birthday," he laughed.

"I know! Not a chance of forgetting your birthday, huh?"

"Nope," he said, splashing her.

Nadia let her mind wander for a second. It was a coincidence. Of course, it was.

Nadia knew that Aaron was upset with himself. He had double-booked a meeting at the same time as Kai's gallery debut. The gallery owner's son was in Kai's class, and he had seen a few of his pieces when the school had their annual Creative Evening. He had been so taken with Kai that he offered him a showing at his gallery.

One weekend only.

"Mom, all these people are here for me?" he asked with his eyes shining. "There's nothing else going on here?"

"No, baby. They're all here for you."

Nadia walked arm-in-arm with Kai. Looking at his work displayed for everyone to see. There was a surprising turnout from the school, and even Alice showed up.

"He's doing great, Alice. He has blossomed into himself," she told Alice as they sipped on wine and nibbled on dried fruit and nuts.

"I can see that," Alice beamed. "This is what I've always hoped for him. Where's Aaron?"

"He's at a meeting, but he'll meet us here the moment it's over," Nadia said.

"I see that Kai has found a muse in you," Alice said, nodding to the part of the exhibit covering Nadia's face in a series of A5 portraits.

Nadia laughed.

"I guess so. Aaron teases us both about it," she said. "But I know Kai is working on something for him, too."

"And he has adjusted?" Alice asked.

"Yes, perfectly so."

*

Nadia did not grow tired of hearing how talented her son was. Every single time she listened to a compliment, her heart grew.

Aaron eventually showed up, looking flustered.

"He's just around the corner," Nadia told him, kissing him and fixing his tie. "He's explaining something or the other to Alice."

Aaron took off, looking for Kai, hugging him when he saw him.

It began to rain when everything was over, and they were getting into the car.

"Let's go for dinner," Aaron said. "Let's celebrate! Kai, what would you like to eat?"

"Are you sure?" Nadia asked. "Look at the rain."

"It still seems okay, Mom," Kai said. "It's just a drizzle."

"So, where should we go?"

"Let's go to Mom's favorite Italian place," Kai said from the backseat, buckling himself in.

When they got to the restaurant, the rain fell harder, and Nadia was grateful they were indoors rather than on the road. Kai ordered their favorites and began telling Aaron about everything he had missed.

Nadia sipped on her wine and watched the scene.

*

They were almost home when the rain began to come down harder.

"Aaron, should we stop and wait it out?" she asked. There was a little shopping complex a few minutes away. They could stop there.

"Yes, I think so," he agreed.

But just as they were about to turn, a car sped into them. Kai's side of the car taking the biggest impact.

Nadia stood in the rain, barefoot after kicking her heels off as she knelt by Kai's side. Aaron was on the phone, trying to get an ambulance to them immediately.

"Aaron," she said. "There's so much blood."

At the hospital, Kai was taken into the theatre immediately. He had severe head trauma.

Nadia paced the hallway in her soaking clothes and cold bare feet. Aaron had sunk to the ground at the end of the hallway.

Nadia wanted to reassure him that everything was okay.

But how can I, she thought. I don't know if it is true.

"Nadia!" Aaron said. "Nadia!"

She looked up and saw him standing with a nurse.

"We need more blood for him. What is his blood type? And who is a match?"

Nadia could hear the nurse speaking, but she could not understand a word she had said.

"Nadia," Aaron said, wrapping his arms around her. "We need to focus."

Nadia nodded.

"I can't recall what the form said," Nadia said.

Aaron looked at the nurse.

"Our son is adopted," he said. "We're not sure."

"Okay, that's fine. We can do it now and see if you are a match or universal donor. Our bloodstock is critical, and the surgeon will use everything that he needs to, but he would like for there to be more on hand. Just in case Kai needs it."

"Where do you want us?" Aaron asked. "And can you find something for my wife to wear?"

The nurse nodded.

"I'll get you a pair of scrubs, ma'am," she said.

When Aaron saw that Nadia's hands were shaking, Nadia and Aaron had their blood tested and were waiting for the results.

"I'm going to get you some tea, Love," he said, getting up from the hard plastic hospital chairs.

Nadia nodded, her teeth chattering behind her lips. But she wasn't cold. She was just frozen in fear. She could not lose another child.

"I have the results," the nurse said, sitting beside Nadia. "In a few minutes, I'm going to take you to donate some blood, okay?"

"Yes, anything," Nadia said.

"But there's something else. You said that Kai was adopted."

"That's correct," she said. "He's been with us for a year."

"So, your husband doesn't know?" the nurse said, frowning slightly.

"Doesn't know what?"

"You're Kai's mother. The markers are clear. Genetically, you're his mother."

The knot in Nadia's stomach released before tightening again. She had a feeling that he was hers. It was those eyes. She remembered them from the hospital all those years ago. But then she remembered where they were. And that Aaron was somewhere in the hospital looking for tea for her. He didn't even know that she had had a baby.

"Come," the nurse said. "I'll tell you more while we take some blood."

"And all of that happened when you were seventeen? Is that why you and your father have such a fractured relationship?"

Nadia nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I needed to heal, Aaron. I promise you. It wasn't about you. It was about surviving this entire thing."

"No, I get it," he said.

And Nadia believed that he did understand.

"You were healing when I met you," he said. "I knew that you were haunted from the first day, and I knew that you'd tell me all about it when the time was right."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Don't be," he said, taking her hand. "It doesn't matter. We met him together, and we began to love him together. It's just a bonus that you made him."

Aaron kissed her on her forehead.

Nadia believed that it was okay. And that Kai was going to be okay.

And then, they waited.

Kai was only released from the hospital two weeks later. And Nadia was fine with that. She wanted everyone to be sure he was okay before returning home.

He recovered quickly because he wanted to return to life as usual. He wanted to swim, and he wanted to paint, and go check out new restaurants and diners with Nadia.

*

"Will you tell him?" Aaron asked one night when they were sitting by the pool.

"Should we?" she asked, lighting a candle.

"I think it's up to you," he said.

"No, it's up to us."

"I'd support you if you wanted to," he said, handing her a slice of cake.

"I don't think I want to," she said. "Like you said at the hospital that night, we met him together and began to love him together. I loved that. And I agree. But more than that, he has beautiful memories of his first mother. And so, to tell him this would make him question that. I don't think we can do that to him."

Aaron smiled at her.

"I think that's the best decision we could ever make," he said.

"Kai!" Aaron shouted, calling him outside. "Come get some cake."

"Coming, Dad," he called from inside. "I'm making some tea for Mom."

Nadia smiled. This was everything.

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