My husband Mark and I had been through countless struggles trying to become parents. After years of grueling infertility treatments, we made the decision to adopt. Every step of the adoption process felt like a test of patience, as we navigated interviews, home visits, and endless waiting lists.

There were days I thought it might never happen for us, that I’d never get to hold a child in my arms. But then we found him—Sam, a sweet, wide-eyed boy with ocean-blue eyes that felt like they were looking straight into my heart. He was three years old, and I instantly knew he was meant to be ours.

Mark and I went together to meet him at the adoption agency. As we walked down the hallway, my heart felt like it might burst with anticipation and a touch of nervousness. “Are you nervous?” I asked Mark, clutching a tiny blue sweater I’d picked out just for Sam. Mark laughed it off, but I could see the tension in his face. This was a huge step, and we both knew it.

When we finally entered the room where Sam was playing, he looked up with those incredible eyes and smiled shyly. I knelt down to his level, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Hi, Sam. I’m your mom. Do you want to come home with us?” He reached for my hand, and in that tiny, tentative grip, I felt a connection that words can’t fully describe. Mark stood beside me, his face softening as he watched. It felt like the beginning of a beautiful new chapter.

The drive home was quiet, Sam holding a stuffed elephant we had brought for him. Every now and then, he’d make small, trumpet-like noises, imitating an elephant, and Mark would chuckle from the front seat. I watched them together, my heart swelling with joy. After years of longing, our family was finally complete.