It was a very ordinary Tuesday. We woke up a little tired because the day before, after signing the documents for our new house, we had gathered with our loved ones to celebrate with pizza and sodas. We got ready for the day and each of us went our own way. I dropped my daughter off at school and headed to the office.
I had many things on my mind, but the one that stood out the most was calling the agency to begin the process of updating our home study. I kept putting it off, searching for the perfect moment to make the call. Deep down, I also felt a little embarrassed, our social worker had advised me to wait to buy a new house until after the baby arrived. But I hadn’t listened; I wanted everything ready for when our new family member joined us.
Finally, late in the afternoon, I closed my office door and picked up the phone. After greeting the receptionist, I asked to speak with our social worker. I was put on hold and, to my surprise, the person who answered wasn’t her...it was the agency’s director.
I remember her voice full of excitement. She told me they had been just about to call me; in fact, they had planned to do so the day before, but something had come up. Then she asked if I was with my husband… and my heart skipped a beat. I called him right away.
At that time, my husband worked at a bank, so it was unusual for me to interrupt him during work hours unless it was a real emergency. He took a while to answer, and as the phone kept ringing, my mind raced through endless possibilities. I imagined every scenario: from the chance that we would have to jump in the car that very same day (like with our first adoption) to the possibility that… they were twins!
As soon as he answered, I added him to the call. The director, together with the social worker, told us the words we had been longing to hear: we had been chosen. A couple had selected us as the family for their baby. They explained a few details, though the more specific ones would be sent by email, along with the acceptance documents we needed to sign. Honestly, I barely registered their words, tears streamed down my face the whole time.
I left the office with an indescribable feeling, as if I were walking on clouds. I went straight to pick up our daughter from school, and from there we would meet my husband at my parents’ house.
He arrived first and waited for me in the parking lot. We got out of our cars, and with tears in our eyes, we hugged tightly, our daughter in between us. She didn’t quite understand what was happening, but we told her with joy that she was going to be a big sister.
We entered my parents' house, our hearts full, to share the news. In my family, Christmas has always been the most special time, when everyone from the oldest to the youngest awaits the arrival of Baby Jesus with excitement.
So, filled with excitement, we told them... This year, Baby Jesus will bring us the best gift! We're going to be parents to a baby boy, who will be born on December 21st.
hat week went by so quickly. Suddenly, we no longer had “all the time in the world”...we now had only eight weeks until the baby’s arrival. There was so much to do: loan applications, remodeling the new house, selling the old one, moving… but above all, the most important appointment of all: our second blind date.
The date when we would meet the biological parents of our future son.
Grateful to have you here, heart to heart.
Melli
