Chapter 1
Cassie lost her entire family in a fierce fire when she was just two years old. She remembered little about her birth family, just a pleasant feeling of gentle warmth, love and well being.
Steve and Martha Hayes had put in an application to adopt a baby, as they were not able to have one of their own. When unspeakable tragedy struck their closest friends, leaving their Goddaughter Cassie an orphan, they immediately stepped in and took over her care. Since Cassie was familiar and secure with them, it didn’t take long for them to adopt her, as all their paperwork had already been verified when they had applied for adoption earlier on.
Little Cassie came into their lives, and just like that, Martha became a mother. They were blissfully delighted with the little angel who made them parents and completed their family.
Life was perfect until a 12-year-old Cassie came to them crying one day and asked, “Am I not your daughter, mommy?”
Outraged, Martha cried, “Who says you are not our daughter? Do we not love you enough? Do you ever feel neglected with us?”
“No, mom,” said little Cassie, “Please don’t cry. I know you and dad love me a lot. It’s just that Trudy called me an orphan today when she missed the ball, and I caught it. When I told Mrs Graham what Trudy had said, she got very serious and asked me to talk to you.”
“Why, that insensitive witch,” said Martha. “I will file a complaint against her. This is no way to handle kids. Come here, baby,” she pulled me onto her lap and said, “You know you are fortunate, as you have two sets of parents who love you so much. Cassie, dear, even though your birth parents had to leave you, but believe me, they are always looking out for you from the heavens to ensure your wellbeing.”
She explained all the details about how they became my parents and how much they loved me from the day I was born, and how privileged they felt first to become my godparents and then my parents.
“Though we will always be sad about how your birth parent’s life was cut short, we will always be thankful you survived that dreadful fire that took your parents.” said Martha, hugging little Cassie. “We see your birth parents, our dearest friends, in you.” Hearing that, Cassie smiled and felt reassured.
That night Cassie slept with her parents, something she had not done since she was five. She slept with a smile on her face and dreamt of a beautiful angel. Somehow she knew it was her birth mother. “Cassie, darling, your dad and I love you very much. We are and will always be with you.” said that angel lovingly.
“It’s okay to accept Martha and Steve as your parents,” she continued. “Loving them and calling them ‘mom and dad’ does not mean that you are being disloyal to us. In fact, I am so indebted to Martha and Steve for cherishing you as their own and raising you to become a kind and beautiful person.”
Little Cassie was surprised that the angel knew about her dilemma without her even voicing it out for fear of hurting her adoptive parents. After that dream, she felt calm, and everything went back to normal.
Cassie thanked God every day for blessing her with parents like Hayes, who loved and cared for her with utmost sincerity. It was on the 15th birthday that God gave her another blessing. Her mom was pregnant, it was something of a miracle, but she was so nervous about Cassie's reaction to this news that she couldn’t even be openly happy about it. Once Cassie realised why her mom was so agitated, she tried her best to assure her.
“Mom,” Cassie said, “I am super happy and excited to become a big sister. If you are accepting any requests, then I’d like to put in an order for a little girl.”
“I’ll see what I can do, dear,” said Martha laughingly and hugged her tightly as if her life depended upon it.
When She delivered a baby girl, Cassie couldn’t have been any happier. She passed the baby into Cassie's arms and said, “Here’s your sister. What would you like to call her?”
Cassie was so shocked that she couldn’t compute what her mom was stating. It was her dad who then whispered to her and said, “Sweetheart, we want you to christen her.”
Cassie felt so important and loved at that moment that any slight doubt she had about the baby taking over her share of love disappeared.
Gushing, Cassie said, “That is a big responsibility, mom. I’ll have to give it some thought. After all, I don’t want her to be stuck with a name she won’t like.” Her parents nodded.
Cassie spent all day in front of her computer or phone looking at baby names and finally decided upon a name.
“Mom... Dad”, said Cassie, “I want to call her ‘Leah’” Her parents loved the name and hugged her.
Her mom was always tired, having given birth at 45, so Cassie gladly took over as much of Leah’s care as school and extracurriculars allowed.
Life was ideal until one day, a drunk driver collided with their parents’ car and made her an orphan once again. Leah was only three years old when Cassie became her sole guardian. There was no way she would let anybody take her baby sister, her precious Leah, away from her, into foster care, so that’s how an 18-year-old college student became a mother to her little sister overnight.
