The Truth Behind Her No

Olive finally found the courage to speak her truth, reassured by the judge’s promise that no one would fault her for her feelings. But her reasons were far from simple. Though she had always dreamed of having a loving family, a part of her still clung to the hope that one day, her birth parents might return to take her home.

It was a quiet, fragile dream she had held onto for years, even if it seemed impossible. Olive didn’t want to give it up. What she needed was assurance—if she joined this family, she wanted the freedom to connect with her past someday. Only then could she move forward.