The next day, Abby was awake before the morning sun. There was a new bounce to her step, and the smile I had once loved so much had returned to her face. Her blue eyes sparkled with new light. Her hair was washed and combed, her clothes covering everything that they should. She threw her arms around me, and that brought tears to my eyes, for it had been a long time since I had been hugged by her. Tyler seemed uninterested, as teenage boys often are, and didn't understand the happy tears we shed. He simply rolled his eyes and went about his business.
We were to meet Grace at a park that was only ten minutes from our house, so I was surprised when she drug me out the door an hour early, when she was well known for being ten minutes late on her good days.
As we waited at the park, Abby paced back and forth, barely noting the chill in the air. I took a seat at a picnic table, giving thanks to God for making my little girls dream come true, for my little girl she would always be in my mind.
A red Ford pulled up at ten o'clock on the dot, and a woman stepped out. In many ways Grace looked very much the same as she had on the day she had left, though there was a different light in her eyes, one that I couldn't place no matter how hard I tried to do so.
Abby watched her mother for a moment, her eyes filling up with tears. "You left me," she whispered, her voice catching on every word.
"I know baby, and I'm so sorry," Grace said, not even attempted to hold back her own tears as she opened her arms. It was the only invite Abby needed, as she threw herself in her mother's arms, clinging for dear life.I could only watch the two embrace while wiping away my own tears which threatened to fall. There was no hesitation from Abby, she had no harsh feelings toward her mother, only gratefulness and love. The hard shell she had built around her crumbled as she sobbed into her mother's shirt, telling her how even though she hadn't seen her since she was a baby, that she had missed her more than anything in the world. It was almost as heartbreaking as it was heartwarming.
I watched the two smile through their tears, then laugh. It was if God had reunited them to place the light back in their eyes once more. The two were truly happy, reunited as they should have been. I watched them play, running and laughing, as if they were both kids again, instead of mother and daughter, or no exactly as mother and daughter.
It filled my heart with joy to see Abby happy again, and the two settled down to talk for hours. For weeks they spent time, getting to know each other. Grace told of her husband, Josh, and of her job at the bakery, while Abby talked about school and celebrity gossip. I watched, in the distance, as Abby and her mother grew closer until the day came that Abby came to me, telling me that she wanted to live with her mother. I had seen Grace's place, and met her husband. I was sure that Abby would have the life she deserved, so I agreed. The legal system wasn't so willing, but after a few months, Grace was given temporary custody of Abby, a trial period to see if she could really raise her daughter.
I helped Abby pack her belongings,while going over all the things she had to do in order to remain in her mother's house, including staying out of trouble and going to school. There would be biweekly meetings to determine how well Abby was doing in her mother's house, and how well Grace was doing in her job as a mother. The trial period would last for one year, at which point Grace could then file for full custody of Abby, if she wished to do so. If at any point Abby was withdrawn from Grace's household, she would be returned to my care.556Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIebdgWurQV
I gave Abby one last hug before she climbed into Grace's car, making her promise me that she would behave. I waved goodbye, but Abby never looked back, well on her way to the new life God had planned for her. I could only watch as the vehicle pulled out of sight, taking with it the little girl I had raised as my own. Once again, the good Lord came through, giving Abby and Grace what they had both wanted more than anything in the world-each other. My house was now almost empty, only Tyler and I, and the memories of the children who had roamed this halls, played in these rooms, and brought joy and laughter to the house. It was full of good memories and bad, saw happy smiles, sad tears, and the love that only a family can share, a family not restricted to only blood. A family whose faith in God saw them through. 556Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3XgptR3rT
I hoped and prayed for Abby's happiness, not knowing she was finding out just what it meant to be the daughter of Grace, which wasn't an easy task. And the fact of the matter was, things weren't going all that well.
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