The Sixty-Third

She arrived at the orphanage one year ago.
She had no name, no history, and no voice.
Her only possessions were the clothes on her back, the shoes on her feet, and a tattoo on her neck.

John and Diane, a well-to-do couple, hoped to add a daughter to their existing family of two adopted boys. Laying eyes on the little girl in the flowered dress with freckles sprinkled across her nose, Diane immediately fell in love. Despite protests from her husband and the matron at the agency, she insisted on moving forward with the adoption. Her belief that love, structure, and a place to finally call home would help the girl open up overrode every opposing argument.

The first few months required adjustments from the entire family, but as Diane predicted, their adopted daughter finally began to show her true personality. Instead of showing signs of growth or accepting the love given to her by her family, the child quickly became their worst nightmare. Just as Diane began to question her decision to adopt, the agency reached out with news that a new child had arrived and she had a tattoo that matched their daughter’s exactly. But this child did have a history and a voice. After hearing her stories, Diane and John realize their nightmare is only beginning.