I’m Melanie, and I’ll never forget the most pivotal day of my life. After a tough day at work, I was ready to relax with a rom-com when my best friend Christina showed up at my door, desperate for help. She had to see a doctor urgently and asked me to watch her two kids, Dylan and baby Mike, for just an hour.

That hour stretched into days, then weeks, with no sign of Christina. I filed a missing person report, and as the weeks turned into months, I found myself raising Dylan and Mike. They began calling me “Mom,” and I decided to adopt them, a decision that brought joy and challenges alike.

Seven years later, on vacation, Dylan spotted a woman who looked like Christina. Dylan ran to her, only to be rejected. Heartbroken, he shouted that I was his real mom, leaving Christina stunned.

Later, we discovered Christina working as a hotel cleaner under the name Alice. Overwhelmed and regretful, she explained she had been in a dark place and couldn’t care for her children. Despite her apology, Dylan offered her a dollar for the bathroom cleaning, and we left, seeking closure.

Back home, we focused on our new normal. We had faced abandonment and heartache but emerged stronger and more united as a family.