I always dreamed of being a mom, but life had other plans. That changed when I met Joey, a boy who needed a home, just as I needed him. I planned Joey’s first real birthday, but when he opened his gift, his smile faded. “My birthday was yesterday,” he whispered, revealing the truth: his brother, Nathan, had been separated from him in foster care.

Joey showed me a drawing of him and Nathan—two boys, one with red streaks in his hair, the other with brown. They had been together every year until the system tore them apart. Joey’s quiet pain broke my heart. I promised him I’d find Nathan.

Determined, I worked with the adoption agency, making calls until I found Nathan in a foster home nearby. We arranged a visit, and the brothers reunited in a heart-wrenching moment of joy and tears.

Weeks later, Nathan joined our family. Together, Joey and Nathan brought light into our home, healing each other’s wounds. After many legal hurdles, both boys were officially adopted.

The lesson? Love isn’t always immediate, but when it’s meant to be, it’s worth every effort.