{"id":11553,"date":"2024-07-15T15:13:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-15T13:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/?p=11553"},"modified":"2024-07-15T15:13:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-15T13:13:25","slug":"single-mom-of-2-adopts-dying-friends-4-kids-their-father-only-shows-up-10-years-later-story-of-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/?p=11553","title":{"rendered":"Single Mom of 2 Adopts Dying Friend\u2019s 4 Kids, Their Father Only Shows up 10 Years Later \u2013 Story of the Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

A single mother of two promises her dying best friend that she will raise her four children. But after ten years, the ex-husband shows up to stake his claim.<\/p>\n

Laura Marlow looked down at her childhood friend, and tears filled her eyes. She had known Stephanie Horton all her life, and she\u2019d never imagined this. Her friend was dying at the age of thirty-two.<\/p>\n

Stephanie reached out a pitifully thin hand and grasped at Laura\u2019s arm. \u201cPlease,\u201d she whispered. \u201cPlease, Laura, look after my children\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n

Laura nodded, and tears ran down her cheeks. \u201cI promise, Stephy,\u201d she said. \u201cBut you\u2019re going to get better\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie smiled wanly. \u201cNo,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI\u2019ve been fighting this cancer for five years, Laura. It\u2019s over now. I just want to know the kids are going to be OK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI promise you I will raise them as if they were my own,\u201d Laura said quietly, holding her friend\u2019s frail hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Stephanie whispered. \u201cIt\u2019s a burden you weren\u2019t counting on, but I don\u2019t have anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

What you give is what you get.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not a burden,\u201d Laura assured her. \u201cI love them; you know that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephanie smiled. \u201cI know,\u201d she said weakly. She stretched out her hand. \u201cLaura?\u201d It was the last word Stephanie spoke. Her eyes closed, and her head fell back on her pillow.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n

Laura wept silently, then she wiped her tears and prepared herself to break the news to Stephanie\u2019s four children. Stephanie\u2019s husband had walked out three years before, unable to deal with his wife\u2019s failing health.<\/p>\n

Somehow Stephanie had still managed to work and raise her four kids. Chloe was now eight, Cara was six, and the twins \u2014 Charles and Cory \u2014 were five.<\/p>\n

Stephanie had been diagnosed right after the twins\u2019 birth, and they\u2019d seen their mom sick all their lives. The four children were sitting quietly in the waiting room.<\/p>\n

Chloe looked up when she saw Laura. \u201cAuntie Laura?\u201d she said. \u201cCan we see mommy now?\u201d Laura walked over and sat down. She put her arm around Chloe.<\/p>\n

\u201cListen, guys,\u201d she said gently. \u201cI have some news for you. You know mommy\u2019s been very sick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe hurts all the time,\u201d Cory broke in.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source:Pexels<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Laura said, fighting back the tears. \u201cThe good thing is, Cory, she\u2019s not hurting anymore. She\u2019s gone to heaven\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean she\u2019s dead,\u201d Chloe said harshly. \u201cYou don\u2019t need to tell us stories. Mom told us what to expect. She\u2019s dead, and we are all alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Chloe,\u201d Laura said. \u201cYou are not alone. I\u2019m here, and I will take care of the four of you, OK? There\u2019s nothing to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou already have two kids of your own,\u201d Chloe pointed out. She was dry-eyed and rigid with pain. \u201cHow will you be a mom to six kids?\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a good question, Laura told herself, but she answered, \u201cWith love. I love your mom, and I love you, and I love Mae and Roan too. We are going to be a family.\u201d<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t easy, but somehow it all worked out. Laura\u2019s children found themselves sharing their bedrooms. Fortunately, Mae was seven and got on well with Chloe and Cara; and Roan, three, loved the twins.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash<\/p>\n

There were times when money was tight because Laura put the money from Stephanie\u2019s insurance into a trust fund for the children\u2019s education, but she never regretted it.<\/p>\n

Over the next ten years, Laura raised her six children with love, laughter, and the occasional tear. Chloe, the oldest, was the most aware of what Laura had given up raising them, and she adored her adoptive mom.<\/p>\n

Cara, Cory, and Charles called her Mommy Laura; to Mae and Roan, she was just Mommy. Chloe was graduating high school and going on to college, but Laura still had a houseful of teens.<\/p>\n

At her graduation, Laura looked at Chloe proudly. \u201cYou look just like your mother.\u201d She hugged her. \u201cShe\u2019d be so proud of you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe hugged her back. \u201cThank you,\u201d she whispered. \u201cI love you, Aunt Laura!\u201d She ran to where her siblings were standing, taking selfies and fooling around.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, Laura saw a man walking towards her, and she felt breathless. It was William, Stephanie\u2019s ex-husband! He walked right past her without acknowledging her and headed for Chloe.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n

\u201cChloe!\u201d he cried. \u201cIt\u2019s Daddy!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe turned around and stared at him, aghast. William stretched out his arms toward the six children. \u201cCara, Cory, Charley! I\u2019m here!\u201d<\/p>\n

Chloe took a step towards him. \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want my babies,\u201d William said, smiling. \u201cI\u2019ve come to take you home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHome?\u201d asked Chloe. \u201cWe are home with Laura. She\u2019s our mom now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m your father,\u201d William said. \u201cI love you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you love us ten years ago?\u201d asked Chloe. \u201cBecause that\u2019s when we needed you, when mom died. Did you love us thirteen years ago? Because that was when you walked out on your sick wife and us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nFor illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d William said with a forced smile. \u201cLet\u2019s let bygones be bygones, Chloe. I\u2019m here now, and I need my babies!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry,\u201d Chloe said calmly. \u201cWe don\u2019t need YOU.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCory?\u201d William asked in a wheedling voice. \u201cCara, Charley? Come on, kids, it\u2019s Daddy, and I\u2019m sick\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n

Cory and Charles looked at William with contempt, and Cara said, \u201cChloe\u2019s right. You\u2019re nothing to us. Laura is our mommy, and Mae and Roan are our brother and sister. Go away, and don\u2019t come back!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A single mother of two promises her dying best friend that she will raise her four children. But after ten years, the ex-husband shows up to stake his claim. Laura Marlow looked down at her childhood friend, and tears filled her eyes. She had known Stephanie Horton all her life, and she\u2019d never imagined this. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11553"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11560,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11553\/revisions\/11560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newzdiscover.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}