and broke every promise he made to me. When I confronted him, he didn’t deny it. “I did it for us,” he said. “Now you’re a mom.” But that wasn’t love. That was betrayal. The next day, I called a lawyer. Daniel hadn’t adopted Evie. What he did was possibly illegal—but I couldn’t imagine life without her. I spoke to Lacey again,
and asked if she’d consider a legal adoption—with just me. She cried, and said yes. I filed for divorce, kept the apartment, and ensured Daniel paid every legal fee. He still texts sometimes, claiming he gave me everything I ever wanted. But he didn’t give me Evie. She chose me. And I chose her. That’s what makes me a mother.