My Sister Returned Her Adopted Daughter—So I Stepped In

When I arrived to meet my sister’s newborn son, the house felt… off. The slide Lily once loved was gone. Her drawings, her toys—erased. Still smiling, Erin cradled her baby as I looked around and asked, “Where’s Lily?” Without hesitation, she said it: “I gave her back.” I froze, convinced I’d misheard. But Erin kept going, casually explaining how now that her biological child was here, there was no need for the little girl she’d raised for two years. I looked at her, heart pounding, and said…

When my sister gave birth to her son, we all gathered across state lines to celebrate the newest addition to the family. It was a big moment. Erin had always longed to be a mom, and now baby Caleb was here.

I came with a trunk full of baby gifts—and a soft teddy bear for Lily, Erin’s adopted daughter and my godchild. Lily had been part of our family for over two years, and I couldn’t wait to see her.

But something felt off the second we pulled up to Erin’s house. The slide I helped build for Lily was gone. The little vegetable garden we planted together that summer? Erased. I chalked it up to home renovations and rang the bell, holding my bags of gifts.

Erin opened the door beaming, Caleb in her arms. “Meet my son!” she announced proudly.