Bringing young Ioana home was a process that took Mihai and I several months of planning, paperwork, and visits to her home. Although she was reserved, she possessed a spark that we anticipated would soon become more prominent. I was prepared to shower her with all the love that she deserved because I was her mother.
This made Mihai very happy. After years of suffering through the pain of trying to have a family, we finally met Ioana through adoption, which felt like a gift from fate. However, after only a few weeks of our new life together, I became aware of something that was disconcerting.
When Ioana stared at Mihai, she did so with a peculiar anxiety, and she clung to me. I soothed myself, which led me to believe that she was simply adjusting.
Finally, while I was folding laundry one afternoon, Ioana turned her head to look at me and spoke in a gentle voice. To her mother, she said, “Do not put your faith in Daddy.”
My heart was beating as her words caused me to go immobile. There was no animosity; rather, it was a hushed, infantile warning. I got down on my knees and pleaded in a soft voice, “Why, sweetheart?”
Before responding, she gave a brief smile that was marked by a trace of melancholy.
“He’s not who he says he is,” she responded with a little grin that concealed her sadness. Her lips twisted into a sorrowful smile.
