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Shane and Ilya met their daughter on a rainy Tuesday in June. They had waited for months for the chance to become parents. The process was very lengthy with many forms to fill out, interviews to be held and home visits. But today they finally got a call.
A little girl had been dropped off at the hospital. A letter was added saying that the mother was too young and that she wanted someone for her daughter to love her and care for her in ways she couldn’t.
The adoption agency decided that the people to love and care for the child would be Shane and Ilya. All the legal actions regarding the mother were already handled and it was time for the little girl to meet her parents.
After the call ended Shane was frantically checking the nursery. Ilya was beaming and followed Shane while he ran around the house and checked every corner. Anya was trotting next to Ilya wagging her tail without knowing what was going on.
After Shane was sure the house was ready for their daughter and he had packed everything they needed for the hospital they were standing in the entryway to leave the house. With a hand on the door handle Shane turned to Ilya.
“We are going to be parents to a little girl today. Can you believe it?”
Ilya, who hadn’t stopped beaming for a second since the phone call, shook his head no.
“No I can’t. But I already love that little girl. Everything will be fine.”
Shane scrunched his face.
“How can you already love her without ever seeing her?”
“Because she is now part of us. So I have no other option but to lover her.”
Shane smiled at that. “You’re right. Everything will be fine.”
The drive to the hospital was a whirlwind of excitement but luckily short. When they entered the hospital they were already fixated on their destination. During the call the woman from the adoption agency had given Shane the room number of the room where their little girl was waiting.
They courtly talked to the nurse. The girl was all healthy and well fed. She was just waiting for her parents to pick her up. Shane and Ilya entered the room slowly. The little girl was laying in her bassinet wide awake. Blue eyes blinking up at the two men. She had small curls of dark hair on top of her head.
Ilya started crying instantly. Shane looked a long time at the little girl before turning to Ilya. After seeing that Ilya was crying he started crying, too.
The nurse, who had stepped into the room behind them told them that they could hold and touch her.
The first contact was timid but after a while they got bolder. After some minutes Ilya finally picked her up while supporting her little head.
They spend a long time with the little girl in their arms, just staring at her blue eyes and playing with her little fingers. Ilya held her for a while and then Shane. But neither of them could take his eyes off her.
After a while she fell asleep in Shane’s arms.
While she slept they organized everything at the hospital to take her home. Then they packed her up to leave the hospital. The drive home was silent. Both men in disbelief. They arrived home and settled her in.
In the evening they lay in their bed, the crib with the little girl beside them. Both starring at the sleeping baby with love in the eyes.
“I told you I already love her,” Ilya whispered.
“You’re right. We had no other chance. She is part of us now. And to be part of our family means to be loved.”
It took a long time for Shane and Ilya to sleep because neither one of them wanted to miss a second of the little wonder that was now part of their family.