My heart pounded as I looked down at the little girl in front of me. She had the same deep brown eyes, the same soft curls, and even the same small **dimple on her left cheek** as my daughter, Emily. But what sent a chill through my entire body was the **birthmark**—a small, star-shaped mark on her wrist, identical to Emily’s.
My wife, Claire, gripped my arm. I could feel her trembling.
The little girl tilted her head, still holding out her hand. **”My name is Lily,”** she said with a bright smile.
Lily.
I swallowed hard. “Lily… how old are you?”
She held up five fingers. **The same age as Emily.**
Claire and I exchanged a look. This couldn’t be a coincidence. **It was impossible.**
The orphanage director noticed our stunned expressions and walked over. “Is something wrong?”
I turned to her, my voice shaking. **”Where… where did Lily come from?”**
The director’s face softened. “Lily was brought here when she was just a baby. She was left at the hospital with no information about her parents.”
My stomach twisted. **A baby left at a hospital… five years ago.**
That’s when my knees nearly buckled.
**Five years ago, my ex-wife had twins. But I was told one of them didn’t survive.**
My world started spinning.
“Lily,” I said, kneeling to her level. “Do you remember anything about your parents?”
She shook her head. “Nope. But I always knew my real family would come back for me. And when I saw you, I just knew… you’re my daddy.”
Claire covered her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.
And I knew, deep in my soul, that she was right.