Taylor Booker, a 21-year-old from Nashville, TN, was determined to chase
her dreams with every fiber of her being. Studying music in college, she had
a passion for singing and playing the piano. An integral part of her church
choir, her lively laughter and outgoing nature made her the center of
attention at any gathering. Her friends treasured her company, and she
always had a circle of people around her.
Growing up in a nurturing household with two loving parents, Taylor was
always aware of her adoption. Despite being happy with her life, she
couldn't shake the longing to discover her biological roots and unravel the
mystery of her birth.
After mustering up the courage, she expressed her desire to find her
birth parents and understand why they gave her up for adoption. Despite
David and Lilly's reassurance and support, the reality of their search hit
them hard when she discovered that the adoption records were sealed, and the
First Step agency, where she was adopted had shut down, along with sealed
adoption records.
Taylor spent hours sitting at her desk, combing through piles of
paperwork and folders, determined to find even the smallest hint or lead.
But with each new search, her expression grew more disappointed as she came
up empty-handed.
"How is it going?" Her mother asked, sticking her head in the
room.
She sighed and looked at her mother with frustration written all over her
face. "I feel like I'm getting nowhere," she expressed. "All I want is to
understand my roots."
Lilly's hand fell gently on Taylor's shoulder, offering comfort. "I
know it's not easy," she said softly. "But we'll figure it out. Sometimes,
the journey to finding answers is a long and winding one."
Despite facing challenges, Taylor refused to give up on her journey
to discover her true identity. She found comfort in prayer, asking for
divine guidance in uncovering the truth about her biological parents.
Several months had passed since Taylor first started her search for her
biological parents.
Despite numerous dead ends and unreturned calls, she refused to give
up hope. She continued to pray for guidance and believed that one day, she
would find the answers she was seeking.
One Sunday after choir practice, Taylor was packing up her sheet
music when Pastor Thomas Rand approached her with a gentle smile. He was a
figure of wisdom and compassion at their church, and Taylor always felt
comforted in his presence.
"Hi Taylor," he said warmly. "Can I have a word with
you?"
"Of course, Pastor Rand," Taylor replied, curious as to why he wanted
to speak with her.
"I heard from your parents about your search for your birth parents,"
he said gently. "And I may have some information that could help
you."
Taylor's heart skipped a beat at his words. "Really? What is it?" she
asked eagerly.
"My wife works at the county records office and she told me that they
recently found some old adoption records," he explained. "They were
displaced during an office renovation but have now been recovered. There may
be records from First Step."
"That's amazing!" Taylor exclaimed, feeling a spark of hope ignite
within her. "Do you think they could be mine?" She glanced up. "The Lord
does answer prayers."
Pastor Rand nodded. "We won't know until we look at them together,"
he replied kindly.
Overwhelmed with emotions, Taylor thanked him profusely for his help
before rushing off to tell her parents the good news.
Together with Pastor Rand, they went to the county records office the
following week and poured over the newly discovered adoption records. After
several hours of searching, they finally found one that matched all of
Taylor's information.
Tears welled up in Taylor's eyes as she read through the file and
discovered details about her biological parents - their names, ages,
occupations, and even a photo of them taken when she was born. "It's them,"
she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
The week after finding her biological parents' information,
Lilly and David drove Taylor to Lorraine's home. "Are you sure you're ready
for this, sweetheart?" Lilly asked, placing a comforting hand on Taylor's
shoulder.
Taylor nodded, her eyes fixed on the door of Lorraine's house. "I've
been waiting for this moment my whole life," she said
determinedly.
As they walked towards the door, it suddenly swung open and a woman
appeared. She had short black hair, styled in a bob cut, and beautiful brown
eyes that looked straight at Taylor. In that instant, both women knew: this
was Lorraine.
Without saying a word, Lorraine pulled Taylor into a tight hug, tears
streaming down both their faces. It felt like an eternity before either of
them let go. "I can't believe it's really you," Lorraine whispered through
tears, looking her up and down.
Taylor could only nod in response as she took in every detail of her
birth mother's face - the same eyes she had inherited, the same nose and
smile she saw in old photos of herself growing up.
They moved into the living room.
Finally, Lorraine spoke up. "I have thought about you every day since
I gave you up for adoption," she said softly. "I always hoped that one day
we would meet again." Tears welled up in Taylor's eyes as she reached out to
take Lorraine's hand.
"Me too." Lorraine's voice trembled as she spoke, "I just want you to know
that not a day goes by where I don't regret the decision we made to give you
up." She quickly wiped away a tear that had escaped her eye. She looked over
at Taylor with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry for everything you've been
through. But you have blossomed into a beautiful young lady."
Taylor choked up. "Your father, may his soul rest in peace, passed
away a year ago. He also had a love for music," Lorraine revealed. "He
played the guitar with such emotion, as if it were a part of him. Music was
our way of communicating, the rhythm that brought us together.”
Taylor felt a sense of loss at the news of her father's passing, but at the
same time, she was grateful for the opportunity to know more about
him.
As they chatted into the wee hours, Taylor discovered more about her
parents' past. Lorraine and Shayne were high school sweethearts who loved
making music together. They dreamed of starting a band, but when Lorraine
got pregnant with Taylor, their plans got derailed. Their folks weren't keen
on their relationship or music dreams, so they convinced Lorraine and Shayne
to give up Taylor for adoption. It broke their hearts, but they believed it
was best for Taylor, so they reluctantly agreed.
As Taylor listened to her mother reminisce about her life before she
was born, she couldn't help but feel a connection to this woman who gave her
life – someone who understood her on a deeper level than anyone else ever
could.
Several hours later, as Taylor bid farewell to Lorraine, she felt a
newfound sense of completeness, her heart filled with gratitude for the
journey that had led her to this moment of discovery. The Lord had answered
her prayer, and she was thankful.
Unable to sleep, Taylor found herself at her dad's grave the next morning.
As she stood there, tears rolled down her cheeks while she gently placed
flowers on his headstone. 'I wish I could've met you,' she whispered softly.
In that moment, Taylor felt a strong connection to her dad, even though
they'd never met. She realized that his love for music still lived on in
her. It wasn't just about finding out where she came from; it was about
sharing a special bond through the music they both loved, even after he
passed away.
