Six-year-old Alan was an orphan who often felt sad and alone. Every day, he missed his mother and wondered why he didn’t have a family like other kids. Alan wanted nothing more than for his mother to come back and take him home.
One day, feeling especially sad, he went to a nearby church. Alan sat alone in a quiet corner and began to cry, praying to God with all his heart. “God, please bring my mom to take me,” he whispered, “Everything would be better if she were here.” He spoke through his tears, telling God how much he missed having a family.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t notice someone standing behind him. Suddenly, a gentle voice spoke up. Alan turned around, surprised. “I’ll take you,” said the stranger, looking kindly at Alan. The unexpected voice and the warm offer made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time—hope.
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Little Alan, an orphan, often felt lonely. One day, he went to a church, knelt in prayer, and cried out, “Dear Jesus, they say you hear everyone. My foster home says I can ask you for anything. Please, send my mom to me.”
With tears streaming down his cheeks, Alan kept his eyes on the crucifix, hoping for an answer. He cried out, “Nanny said you answer prayers, so why aren’t you answering mine?” His guardian, Nancy, gently told him to keep his voice down, but Alan was heartbroken. Other kids at the shelter teased him, saying no one would ever adopt him, calling him a crybaby.
Suddenly, a woman’s voice spoke behind him, saying, “I’ll take you.” Startled, Alan and Nancy turned around to see a woman with a child. “Alan, my boy! I’ve come to take you home,” the woman said, teary-eyed.
Nancy asked, “Who are you, and how do you know Alan?” The woman introduced herself as Annette, claiming she was Alan’s mother. She showed Nancy an old photo of herself holding a newborn Alan, explaining she’d left him at the shelter’s doorstep six years ago because she’d been too young to care for him.
Annette explained her story. At 16, she had fallen pregnant, but her boyfriend left her when he found out. Her parents, wanting to protect their family name, told her to abandon the baby or lose her inheritance. Feeling lost, she left Alan at the shelter and tried to move on, but she could never forget him. She eventually married and had another daughter, Amy, who was with her now, but she often came to watch Alan from a distance.
Hearing Alan’s prayers that day, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She wanted to bring him home. Annette soon completed the legal steps, including a DNA test, which confirmed she was indeed his mother. Finally, Alan could go home with her, but her decision came at a cost.
Annette’s parents disowned her, and her husband, Jason, was furious. Though he’d known about her past, he couldn’t accept her taking Alan in. “I thought you wanted to move on from your past, not bring it into our family. Our marriage is over,” he said, filing for divorce soon after.
Despite everything, Annette felt complete. She had her son back, and she was willing to raise both her children on her own. Without her parents’ support or Jason’s, Annette moved abroad with her children, started a new job, and looked forward to a fresh start with her new family.
