Advertisement

I was ten when my life split in two.

One minute, I was unpacking my school bag at home, and the next, my parents were rushing me into the car with a suitcase, promising we were going to visit Gran for a little while.

A close up of a little girl | Source: Midjourney

“You love it at Gran’s, don’t you, Melody?” my mother asked, tying my hair into a long ponytail.

I nodded.

I thought it was a fun adventure. I didn’t realize “a little while” would mean forever.

It started when my younger sister, Chloe, was five. She’d been doing gymnastics at the local rec center, and her coach swore that she was a natural.

Advertisement

A little girl with pigtails | Source: Midjourney

“She could go all the way,” he said. “I mean, seriously. I’m talking about competitions and the works!”

My parents latched onto those words like a life raft. Chloe wasn’t just a little girl twirling in leotards anymore. Suddenly, she was their golden ticket to life.

Everything became about Chloe. Her training, her competitions, her future. They said uprooting the family would be worth it if she could become an Olympic champion of something.

A happy gymnast | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

But…

They just didn’t want me tagging along.

At first, they framed it as something noble.

“You’re older, Melody,” they told me.

I remember how my mother beamed at me, as though doing this would be the most important thing in my life. As if I was saving them or doing something so meaningful for our family.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

“This will give you a chance to bond with Gran, Mel,” my father said. “And we’ll visit all the time, and you’ll see, it will be fun!”

But they didn’t visit. They didn’t call much, either. Eventually, when I was about to turn eleven, my gran sat me down and explained the truth.

Advertisement

“Your parents think Chloe’s got a real shot at something big, my love. They need to focus on her, so they left you here with me.”

A little girl sitting with her grandmother | Source: Midjourney

Her voice was kind but firm, and I could see the anger simmering beneath her words.

My gran tried her best, but she was getting on in age and could only do so much. She had also stopped driving because of her eyesight, so getting to and from school was becoming a nightmare.

After another few months with my grandmother, my uncle Rob and aunt Lisa took me in. They couldn’t have children of their own, and they called me their “miracle kid.”

An elderly woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

Uncle Rob joked that I’d just been sent to the wrong place.

“You were definitely misrouted by the stork, Mel,” he laughed one evening.

“I agree,” aunt Lisa said. “You’re right where you belong, my sweet girl.”

I didn’t laugh at first, but over time, I started to believe them.

A smiling couple | Source: Midjourney

How could I not?

Aunt Lisa stayed with me before bedtime, getting me into a routine of brushing my hair, and then her braiding it.

“Braided hair means less damage, my love,” she said. “And it will help your beautiful hair grow long and strong.”

Advertisement

She would buy us clothes in matching colors, and she would show up to every single school event. She was the mother I had always needed.

Uncle Rob was just as incredible, always ready to give me advice, take me on sneaky ice cream dates, and provide endless dad-jokes.

A smiling mother and daughter duo | Source: Midjourney

I was at peace.

When I turned twelve, I stopped calling my parents altogether.

I’d been the only one making an effort, and I realized I was holding on to a dream that wasn’t real. My bio-parents didn’t care. They rarely even sent me birthday cards or presents. They didn’t even send uncle Rob and aunt Lisa any money to take care of me.

Advertisement

By the time I was sixteen, Rob and Lisa officially adopted me, cutting the last thread tying me to my so-called parents. Aunt Lisa had made it such a special event. She decorated the backyard and planned an intimate birthday dinner for me, including chocolate cupcakes and a puppy.

An outdoor birthday setting | Source: Midjourney

“Now you’re mine, my Melody,” she told me as I was getting ready for the dinner. “I’ve always loved you since you were a baby. You were the reason that Rob and I even wanted kids. But when you moved in with us, I realized that it wasn’t about being a mother to anyone else… it was about being a mother to you.”

I couldn’t help it. I burst into tears.

“No, don’t cry, sweet girl,” she said, rubbing my back. “Let’s go have your birthday dinner.”

Advertisement

A teenage girl sitting on her bed | Source: Midjourney

And do you know what?

My parents didn’t even show up. They also didn’t object to Rob and Lisa adopting me formally. It was as if they had already relinquished their parental rights years earlier, to make things easier for them and Chloe’s career.

Now, I’m twenty-two, and I hadn’t seen my parents once in the past nine years. I’m working in IT, and I’m thriving. It was during high school when I realized that I was a whiz at IT.

A young woman using a laptop | Source: Midjourney

Advertisement

“If it’s your calling, then it’s your calling, Mel,” Rob had said over dinner one night. I was still in high school and it had been the day of our parent-teacher meeting. My computer teacher had gone on about my “skills.”

“Do you want to study IT after school?” he asked.

I was silent for a moment, unsure. I cut into my piece of chicken and thought about it.

“I think so,” I said. “Would that be okay? Is college on the table?”

“Is college on the table?” Rob asked, amused. “Of course, it is, Mel! We’ve always told you, you’re our own. And we’re going to pave the way for your future, songbird.”