{"id":846,"date":"2024-11-18T09:56:15","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T09:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/?p=846"},"modified":"2024-11-18T09:56:17","modified_gmt":"2024-11-18T09:56:17","slug":"we-adopted-a-4-year-old-girl-a-month-later-she-came-to-me-and-said-mommy-dont-trust-daddy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/momentsunfolded.com\/archives\/846","title":{"rendered":"We Adopted a 4-Year-Old Girl \u2013 A Month Later, She Came to Me and Said, ‘Mommy, Don’t Trust Daddy’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A small girl\n
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A month after adopting Jennifer, she looked up at me with wide eyes and whispered, “Mommy, don\u2019t trust Daddy.” Her words echoed in my mind as I began to wonder what secrets my husband could be hiding.\n\n

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I looked down at Jennifer’s small face, taking in those big, watchful eyes and the shy, uncertain smile she wore. After all those years of hoping, trying, waiting, here she was, our daughter.\n\n

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A small happy girl\n\n\n

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Richard was practically glowing. He couldn’t stop looking at her, like he was trying to memorize every feature, every expression.\n\n

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“Look at her, Marla,” he whispered, his voice filled with awe. “She’s just perfect.”\n\n

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I gave him a soft smile, my hand resting on Jennifer’s shoulder. “She really is.”\n\n

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A happy family and their daughter\n\n\n

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We’d come such a long way to get here. It had been doctor’s appointments, long talks, and an endless paperwork of adoption. When we finally met Jennifer, something in me just\u2026 knew. She was only four, so little, and so quiet, but she already felt like ours.\n\n

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It’s been a few weeks since we’ve officially adopted Jen, and we decided it was time for a small family outing. Richard leaned down to her level, smiling warmly. “Hey. How about we go get some ice cream? Would you like that?”\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A man talking to his young daughter\n\n\n

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Jennifer looked at him, then glanced up at me, as if waiting for my reaction. She didn’t answer right away, just gave the smallest nod, pressing herself closer to my side.\n\n

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Richard chuckled softly, though I could hear a hint of nervousness in it. “All right, ice cream it is. We’ll make it a special treat.”\n\n

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A man playing with his daughter\n\n\n

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Jennifer stayed close to me as we walked out. Richard led the way, glancing back every now and then and smiling hopefully. I watched him try to coax her out, to make her feel at ease. But each time he asked a question, Jennifer’s grip on my hand tightened a little, her gaze drifting back to me.\n\n

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When we got to the ice cream shop, Richard stepped up to the counter, ready to order for her. “How about chocolate? Or maybe strawberry?” he asked, his voice bright.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A man picking out ice cream\n\n\n

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She looked at him, then looked at me again, her voice barely a whisper. “Vanilla, please.”\n\n

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Richard seemed taken aback for just a second, then smiled. “Vanilla it is.”\n\n

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Jennifer seemed content to let him order, but I noticed she barely looked his way as we sat down. Instead, she ate quietly, staying close to my side. She watched Richard with a cautious sort of interest, not saying much, and I wondered if it was all just too much for her.\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A serious young girl\n\n\n

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Later that evening, as I tucked Jennifer into bed, she clung to my arm a little longer than I expected.\n\n

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“Mommy?” she whispered, her voice hesitant.\n\n

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“Yes, sweetie?”\n\n

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She looked away for a moment, then back up at me, eyes wide and serious. “Don’t trust Daddy.”\n\n

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\"A\n\n

A serious girl talking to her mother\n\n\n

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I froze, my heart skipping a beat. I knelt beside her, brushing her hair back. “Why would you say that, honey?”\n\n

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She shrugged, but her lips turned downward in a sad little frown. “He’s talking weird. Like he is hiding something.”\n\n

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It took me a moment to respond. I tried to keep my voice gentle. “Jennifer, Daddy loves you very much. He’s just trying to help you feel at home. You know that, right?”\n\n

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A smiling woman talking to her daughter\n\n\n

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She didn’t respond, just curled up a little tighter under her blankets. I stayed there, holding her hand, wondering where this was coming from. Could she just be nervous? Maybe adjusting was harder for her than I realized. But as I looked at her small, serious face, a faint unease crept in.\n\n

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When I finally left her room, I found Richard waiting by the door. “How’d she do?” he asked, his face hopeful.\n\n

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A serious man\n\n\n

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“She’s asleep,” I replied softly, watching his expression.\n\n

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“That’s good.” He seemed relieved, but I noticed how his smile wavered just a little. “I know it’s all new for her. For all of us. But I think we’ll be fine. Don’t you?”\n\n

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I nodded, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of Jennifer’s words echoing in my mind.\n\n

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A woman deep in thought\n\n\n

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The next day, as I stirred the pasta on the stove, I heard Richard’s voice drift in from the living room. He was on the phone, his tone low and tense. I paused, wiping my hands on a towel, and listened as his words floated into the kitchen.\n\n

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“It’s been\u2026 harder than I expected,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “She’s\u2026 sharp. Jennifer’s noticing more than I thought she would. I’m afraid she might tell Marla.”\n\n

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A man talking on his phone with his back to the camera\n\n\n

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I felt my heartbeat quicken, my mind racing to make sense of what I’d heard. Jennifer might\u00a0tell\u00a0me? Tell me\u00a0what? I tried to shake it off, telling myself there must be an explanation. But as I listened, my pulse only pounded harder.\n\n

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“It’s just\u2026 so hard to keep things under wraps,” Richard continued. “I don’t want Marla to find out\u2026 not until it’s ready.”\n\n

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A serious suspicious woman\n\n\n

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I froze, clutching the countertop. What wasn’t I supposed to find out? What could he possibly be keeping from me? I strained to hear, but then his voice dropped lower, and I couldn’t make out the rest of his conversation. A few moments later, he ended the call and started walking toward the kitchen.\n\n

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I turned back to the stove, my mind whirling. I stirred the pasta with more force than necessary, trying to act normal as Richard stepped in, looking pleased.\n\n

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A smiling man looking at his wife cooking\n\n\n

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“Smells good in here,” he said, wrapping his arms around me.\n\n

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I forced a smile, my hands gripping the spoon. “Thanks. Almost done.” My voice sounded strange to my own ears, and I felt my smile falter as his words echoed in my head:\u00a0I’m afraid she might tell Marla\u2026 It’s hard to keep things under wraps.\n\n

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A woman cooking with a forced smile\n\n\n

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Later that evening, after we’d tucked Jennifer in, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I needed answers. I found Richard in the living room, browsing through some paperwork, and sat down across from him, hands clasped tightly in my lap.\n\n

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“Richard,” I began, my voice steadier than I felt, “I overheard you on the phone earlier.”\n\n

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A couple having a serious talk\n\n\n

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He looked up, raising an eyebrow, a mix of surprise and\u2026 something else crossing his face. “Oh?” he said, clearly caught off guard. “What did you hear?”\n\n

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I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. “I heard you say that Jennifer might\u2026 tell me something. And that it’s hard to keep things ‘under wraps.'” I met his gaze, my heart pounding. “What are you hiding from me?”\n\n

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A sad serious woman hugging her knees\n\n\n

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For a moment, he just stared at me, his face a mixture of confusion and worry. Then, as understanding dawned, his expression softened. He set his papers aside and leaned forward, reaching for my hand.\n\n

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“Marla,” he said gently, “I’m not hiding anything bad. I promise.” His grip on my hand was warm, reassuring, but it didn’t settle the knots in my stomach.\n\n

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A frustrated man\n\n\n

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“Then what is it?” I whispered, barely able to meet his eyes. “What don’t you want Jennifer to tell me?”\n\n

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Richard took a deep breath, his face breaking into a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want you to find out because\u2026 well, I was planning a surprise for Jennifer’s birthday. With my brother’s help.” He squeezed my hand, looking slightly embarrassed. “I wanted it to be a big deal, a special first birthday with us.”\n\n

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A serious man talking on his couch\n\n\n

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I blinked, not quite processing his words at first. “A surprise party?” I asked slowly, the tension in my chest easing just a bit.\n\n

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He nodded. “I wanted it to be perfect for her. I thought we could show her how much we care. That she’s part of our family now.” He smiled, looking a little relieved. “I knew Jennifer might say something, and I was worried she’d ruin the surprise.”\n\n

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A surprise party for a small girl\n\n\n

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A wave of relief washed over me, though I felt a strange pang of guilt. Here I’d been imagining\u2026 well, I didn’t even know\u00a0what\u00a0I’d been imagining. “Richard,” I whispered, lowering my head, “I’m so sorry. I just\u2026 I thought there was something wrong.”\n\n

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He chuckled softly, brushing his thumb over my hand. “Hey, it’s okay. I get it. We’re both just trying to adjust.”\n\n

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Man and woman holding hands\n\n\n

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