The news of Raquel being pregnant at fourteen shocked the family, so her parents gave her two options. Either she could give the baby up for adoption or leave the house permanently. Being too young, she knew she would not be able to take care of the baby and had no other place to go; thus, the decision to find an adoption family for the baby was taken. The pregnancy went smoothly until the final term, and a family for her baby girl was also found. However, the most challenging walk she ever had was the one where she had to walk out of the hospital after placing her little angel in another mother’s arms, knowing she might get a chance to reunite with her first baby.
The grief she carried for years was the heaviest as the wish to meet her girl had never faded away; however, she was also forced to accept the harsh reality that adoption does not promise you a good life nor a reunion, and so, all she could do was pray. Raquel gathered courage and asked the adoptive family for permission to send her biological daughter letters and gifts or to see her daughter. However, she was allowed, but a long list of restrictions was put forward. They agreed on the conditions that the visit would be once a year, and gifts and letters would only be sent on the girl’s birthday and every Christmas. Not just this, but they were unwilling to update Raquel regarding the baby, and agreed to twice-yearly updates.
The first time Raquel visited her daughter, the moment was bittersweet as even love for her felt like a burden. Her mind had hundreds of questions regarding whether her daughter would like her presence and would understand what her mother had to endure to give her away. The only thing that kept her at peace was seeing how her baby lived with a family that loved her, and for a mother, it is everything. Raquel was scared that her daughter might fear the rejection she had gone through because of the kinship care; however, she could do nothing about it. After the first meet-up, Raquel did not know when the next time she would meet her daughter, and just like that, in grief and in distant years passed.
When Raquel found herself mature and responsible enough to take hold of her life, she saw this as an opportunity to run away from all the neglect and abuse she had been going through for years. She ran away and became emancipated. Not just the, Raquel did not delay getting married, had another baby, and also adopted her infant half-sister. On a casual day, Raquel received an unexpected call, and what she heard on the other side of the phone was surprising, which left her nervous. Her first baby, her daughter, wanted to meet Raquel and her siblings! Upon hearing this, with a mix of emotions, she agreed.
This happened a decade ago, and now her first daughter is nineteen. She is a bright and confident child who is also a significant part of Raquel’s life. Not only this, but when they met during a family photo, her daughter took the first step to fade away the nervousness and told her to put her arm around so the pictures would not turn out awkward. Since then, it has never felt like the mother-daughter had ever been apart, as the closeness beats all the distance.
The family also went on a family vacation to Florida, where a supporter from Raquel’s adoptive community, one she has built wholeheartedly, wanted to surprise her with a professional photoshoot of the family together. Although the fear that someday Raquel’s daughter might no longer want to meet her has always been a part of her, seeing the pictures, it seemed like she was at ease with the family and chose to stick with them. The nine years of grieving for her daughter feel like nothing when she is close to her mother again. The firstborn, she will love forever!
