Everyone believed the hearing would be a simple formality. The couple had done everything right—paperwork filed, interviews completed, and home inspections passed. All they needed was the judge’s final approval to welcome their new daughter officially. But as the judge skimmed through the documents, her hand faltered, and the room grew tense.
She raised her gaze, her expression unreadable, and fixed it on the young girl seated between her adoptive parents. The child, quiet and withdrawn, seemed lost in her thoughts. Then, the judge broke the silence. “I need to hear from her,” she said firmly. What followed was not just unexpected—it changed everything.