“Give Her Back?”
For years, Claire and I had longed for a child. We tried everything—fertility treatments, specialists, even considering surrogacy. Nothing worked. Adoption felt like our second chance, our destiny.
Then came Sophie.
She was **perfect**—bright-eyed, full of laughter, and desperate for love. The moment she called me “Daddy,” my heart melted. I knew she was meant to be ours.
But now, just **one month** after we brought her home, Claire stood in front of me, pale and tense.
*”We need to give her back.”*
I blinked, sure I had misheard. “What?”
Claire wrapped her arms around herself. “I… I made a mistake,” she whispered.
Sophie’s words from moments ago echoed in my head. *”I don’t wanna go away again. I wanna stay with you and Mommy.”*
“You’re joking,” I said, my voice unsteady. “She’s our daughter, Claire.”
Claire swallowed hard. “I thought I could do this, but I **don’t feel anything for her**.”
My breath hitched.
“I keep waiting for that motherly instinct, but it’s not there,” she continued. “I feel like a stranger living with someone else’s kid.”
Then came Sophie.
She was **perfect**—bright-eyed, full of laughter, and desperate for love. The moment she called me “Daddy,” my heart melted. I knew she was meant to be ours.
But now, just **one month** after we brought her home, Claire stood in front of me, pale and tense.
*”We need to give her back.”*
I blinked, sure I had misheard. “What?”
Claire wrapped her arms around herself. “I… I made a mistake,” she whispered.
Sophie’s words from moments ago echoed in my head. *”I don’t wanna go away again. I wanna stay with you and Mommy.”*
“You’re joking,” I said, my voice unsteady. “She’s our daughter, Claire.”
Claire swallowed hard. “I thought I could do this, but I **don’t feel anything for her**.”
My breath hitched.
“I keep waiting for that motherly instinct, but it’s not there,” she continued. “I feel like a stranger living with someone else’s kid.”
“Claire,” I said slowly, anger bubbling beneath my shock, “she’s **not** someone else’s kid. She’s ours. You wanted this.”
She shook her head. “No. **You** wanted this.”
The words hit like a slap.
I stumbled back, gripping the wall for support. Sophie wasn’t just some child we were *testing out*—she was a little girl who had **already lost too much**.
I thought Claire and I had the same dream. But now?
I looked toward Sophie’s room, where I knew she was probably curled up, listening.
And I made my choice.
