My parents were so unsupportive of my decision that they even stopped calling me!
People would whisper, loud enough for me to hear, behind my back, “What’s a man like him doing with nine girls who look nothing like him?”
People called me insane.
But I didn’t care. All I could think about was the girls. I had a deep desire to save them. For Charlotte, and for the love I still carried for her.
I’d never married or had children of my own, so the concerns people had were valid. And honestly, life wasn’t easy as a new parent of nine.
***
At first, the girls were afraid and didn’t trust me. Even social workers worried I might hurt them.
But every single day, I proved that I deserved to be their father.
I had a deep desire to save them.
I sold everything I owned that would give me a leg up. Luckily, I already had stable housing and some savings.
I also worked double shifts until my hands bled. At night, I spent time learning how to braid hair from YouTube.
Slowly, we started growing closer, and I was allowed to adopt them.
As time passed, I began to forget that they weren’t actually my biological daughters. I grew to love them more than anything in this world, and I did everything in my power to make them happy.
The years passed, but we remained close, even after they grew up.
I also worked double shifts.
CONTINUE READING…>>
On the 20th anniversary of Charlotte’s death, my babies showed up at my house without warning.
