Young Man Adopts an Orphan Boy and Finds out He Is His Biological Son – Story of the Day

When Sandra and I faced the challenge of not being able to have kids, we adopted a six-year-old boy who had been returned to his orphanage after a failed adoption and looked just like me. It was then my mom dropped a shocking revelation.

"Honey, he looks exactly like you. It's amazing!" my mom couldn't hide her astonishment during her first encounter with Thomas, the six-year-old boy Sandra and I had recently adopted. We had instantly fallen for him during our visits to the local orphanage.

Despite the financial and emotional hurdles, we were overjoyed to finally bring him home. Sandra and I had faced our share of challenges in trying to start a family since getting married after graduating from NYU, but none of that mattered now.

Today, we were at my parents' house, introducing them to their grandson. Thomas seemed to be taking to his new life with remarkable ease.

"I know. I think that's partly why we felt such a connection with him, but it's a little odd, right?" I found myself responding to my mom's observation as I watched Sandra play with Thomas and Jiggle, my parents' dog, in the yard.

"Well, it's meant to be. I'm glad you took him in, darling. I'm so proud of you because some people don't take in grown kids," Mom continued, offering a comforting pat on my back, her gaze fixed on the heartwarming scene unfolding in her backyard.

"Yeah, well. Apparently, he was adopted as a baby, but the adoptive parents chickened out, and he has been part of the system since then. It's so sad. I can't believe someone would do that," I shared.

"Oh my God. I can't believe you can just return a kid. Who would do that? What about his birth parents?" Mom's voice was filled with incredulity and concern.

"They hadn't completed the adoption, so they were allowed to return him. Otherwise, it would be considered a crime. And according to the orphanage director, the birth mother disappeared after giving the baby up," I explained.

My mother frowned.

"It was supposed to be an open adoption," I continued. "That's when the birth parents are involved in the process. But she gave them the baby and was gone. The social workers tried calling her when Thomas was returned, but they couldn't reach her."

"Then I'm even more glad that he has you and Sandra in his life. However, I do find it odd that he looks so much like you," Mom said, her expression turning contemplative.

"What?" I pressed, frowning at her sudden shift in demeanor.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it. Let me go play with my grandson too," she deflected, quickly changing the subject and joining the joyous play outside.

Later that day, Thomas fell asleep after all the playing around and eating delicious food, so Sandra carried him to our car. But I stayed behind, as my mind had raced since earlier.

"Mom, is there something you're not telling me? About my son? I need to know what you were thinking back there," I asked.

She sighed. "Oh, dear. My poker face is the worst," she started, licking her lips. "Look, I'm not certain, and I want to be wrong. I just... years ago, Haley came here to talk."

"Haley? My ex-girlfriend?" The name brought back a flood of memories.

"Yes. It was a few months after you left for college. She came here and said she was pregnant. I didn't believe her. Her belly was not big, you guys had broken up, and it was so dramatic. You told me you were not talking to her at all. I thought she might be trying to trap you into returning, so I told her to get lost and forget about us," she disclosed, looking down in shame.

"Mother… I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" My mouth was open, and I couldn't make sense of anything.

"She never came back, honey. I thought maybe it was a lie, or she moved on. I'm so sorry. But it can't be Thomas. It just can't be," Mom said, her hands nervously wringing.

"If she was pregnant right after we split... Thomas could be mine. He's exactly the right age," I pointed out, the gears in my head turning faster.

Haley was the only girl I dated before Sandra. We broke up when I moved to New York for college, and she stayed behind in Tampa. She tried reaching out a few times, but I ignored her calls, not ready for a long-distance relationship. Now, I wondered if she had been trying to tell me something more important.

"What will you do if he is Haley's son?" Mom asked, her voice laden with worry.

"We'll find out the truth," I said firmly, looking into Mom's worried eyes. "Don't worry. I think she tried to tell me what happened all those years ago, but I didn't answer her calls. We both turned her away. But we're going to do the right thing now."

I hugged Mom and walked out to where Sandra was waiting in the car.

At home, I told her everything. She was quiet for a moment, then said, "I always thought the resemblance was striking, but I assumed it was a coincidence. What are we going to do?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe the orphanage has more information. It was supposed to be an open adoption," I mumbled, unsure.

Suddenly, Sandra jumped up. "Wait!" She rummaged through some folders and pulled out Thomas's birth certificate. "Look! Haley… last name Dorsey. I saw it but didn't think to mention it. Could Thomas actually be your son?"

I was stunned. "It makes sense. The timing fits unless she moved on immediately."

"We should get a DNA test. But Ryan, no matter what, Thomas is our son," Sandra said firmly, gripping my hand.

"Absolutely. He's our son. But knowing for sure would help," I agreed.

The DNA test confirmed it: Thomas was my biological son. Haley hadn't been lying. Unfortunately, we found out Haley passed away in a car accident shortly after Thomas was born, which explained why the orphanage lost contact.

This discovery didn't change how we felt about Thomas. When he became a teenager, I explained everything to him, apologizing for not being there for Haley. He forgave us, knowing he was loved and cherished all the same.

But the thought that I had, in a twist of fate, adopted my biological son never ceased to amaze me.

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