A few weeks later, during a planned dinner, Mark and I calmly and clearly explained to Joyce that her behavior had deeply harmed two already vulnerable children and that we needed to create distance for their emotional well-being. We told her that until she was able to acknowledge the hurt she caused and make changes, she would not be involved in our family life. It was a difficult and emotional decision, but it brought immediate peace to our home. Since then, the boys have begun to flourish again, supported by stability, affection, and the certainty that they belong with us. Mark refers to them proudly as “our sons,” and their adoption process is already underway. Each night, when they ask if they are staying with us forever, I reassure them with the truth they most deserve to hear: they are home, and they always will be.
