We Adopted a Teenage Brother and His Little Sister After Other Families Turned Them Down – A Month Later, Their Former Foster Mother Called and Asked, ‘They Still Haven’t Told You Why They Picked You?’

His mouth tightened.

“But I get it now. Whenever you’re ready, you can unpack,” I said.

He didn’t answer.

And the next morning, the bags were still exactly where they’d been.

So were they the morning after that.

I made myself stop checking.

If unpacking was going to mean anything, it had to be his decision.

***

A week later, I walked past Jace’s bedroom and stopped.

The duffel bags were empty.

One had been folded into the closet. His books were on the shelf. Shoes were scattered under the bed, and a hoodie hung badly from his chair.

For anyone else, it would’ve looked like a messy teenager’s room.

To me, it looked like an answer.

Jace appeared behind me with a bowl of cereal.

“What?”

“You unpacked.”

His ears turned red.

“I’m not.”

“You look like you’re going to cry.”

I wiped my cheek.

“Go eat your cereal.”

He smiled and went downstairs.

For the first time since he’d arrived, there wasn’t a packed bag in his room waiting for someone to change their mind.