A little orphaned boy cries in church, begging God to send his mother to take him. The next minute, he turns pale when a voice answers from behind, saying, “I’ll take you.”
A string of untold emotions is attached to kids abandoned by their parents. Six-year-old Alan was one such neglected child who yearned to see his mother but never got that chance.
One day, in a serendipitous encounter in church, little Alan’s world shifted. He was crying, begging God to send his mom to him, telling God how different his world would be if his mother were with him.
Amid his loud cries and heartwarming argument with God, a strange voice spoke up from behind, offering to take him…
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Dear Jesus, they say you hear everything. My guardians in the foster home told me to knock on your door and ask for everything I needed. I want my mommy. Can you please send her to me?”
“Alan, my boy! I’ve come for you. I’ve come to take you home.”
Alan cried as he folded his hands in prayer and stared at the crucifix. His eyes were painfully red, and his soft, pink cheeks were wet.
“My nanny told me you answer everyone’s prayers. Then why aren’t answering mine?”
The vestibule echoed with Alan’s loud cries. He was heartbroken. He did not want to return to the shelter, where kids often poked fun at him. They constantly taunted him saying his mom would never return and he had no choice but to wait for someone to adopt him.
“Nobody would be interested in taking a crybaby like you home,” were some of the harshest things he heard from fellow kids in the shelter. Alan cried his heart out that day, demanding God for an answer.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Alan, shhh!” his guardian, Nancy, interrupted. “It’s a church. Be quiet, and don’t cry. People are watching you. Please calm down.”
Alan tried to control his tears. He kept staring at the crucifix until he saw a woman with a child enter the church. He could no longer hold back his tears and started crying again.
“Jesus, you’re not answering me. Please, I want to be with my mommy like that girl. Nanny, why is Jesus not answering? You told me he answered all our prayers, but why hasn’t he told me anything?”
Nancy stared at the boy and grinned at his innocent questions.
“I’ll take you,” a woman’s voice suddenly said from behind them. “My baby, I’ve come for you. Please stop crying.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Alan and Nancy were startled. They turned around, and behind them was the woman with the child Alan had seen moments ago.
“Alan, my boy! I’ve come for you. I’ve come to take you home,” she cried.
“Who are you? How do you know the kid’s name?” questioned Nancy, holding Alan tight.
“My name is Annette. I’m Alan’s mother. I come here daily to see him and ensure he’s fine.”
“Your son? Do you have any proof?”
Annette took out a photo of her holding a newborn baby in her arms. “I left him at the shelter’s doorstep six years ago.”
“This is unbelievable. This was how Alan looked when I first picked him up from the doorstep on that rainy night. I heard the loud cries of a baby outside on the patio and found him there. Why did you leave your baby? How can you be such a heartless mother?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Annette began to cry and disclosed the most saddening story of her life.
Six years ago, she was 16 and accidentally fell pregnant with her boyfriend’s child. After she revealed this to him, he dumped her and moved to another state, blocking her from contact. Annette’s parents advised her to terminate the pregnancy, but she couldn’t do it.
“My parents gave me only one choice—to abandon my baby or to forget them and the legacy I would inherit. I was too naive and young to become a mother, so I left my newborn baby at the shelter and moved on.”
Annette added that she finished college and married another man. The girl with her, Amy, was her daughter from this marriage.
“I tried my best, but I could not forget my son. I visit this church often to watch him from a distance. But after hearing him crying for his mother today, I could not hold back any longer. I want to take him home with me.”
Soon, Annette began the legal formalities to gain Alan’s custody back. She took DNA tests with him, revealing they were mother and son by a 99 percent match. Although she successfully took Alan home and restored their relationship, it came with a hefty price.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Annette’s parents turned against her and cut her off from their lives and their will. Even worse, her husband turned against her despite knowing the truth about her shady past.
“I married you because you were honest about your failed relationship with your ex-boyfriend and thought you would never want that kid again. But now, even your parents have disowned you. Look, I’m not willing to father someone else’s child. I’m ready to support my daughter financially, but our marriage is over,” her husband Jason said, immediately filing for a divorce.
Annette and Jason were divorced shortly after. Annette got custody of her daughter and was delighted to have Alan back.
“Never come to us begging for money again” were the last words she heard her parents tell her, and Annette was fine with that. She felt her life was complete, even without her parents’ approval or their money.
She moved abroad with her two wonderful children, got a good job, and only looks forward to living a happy life.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
What can we learn from this story?
- God answers our prayers. Whenever Alan went to church, he would cry and ask God to send his mother to him. One day, his prayers were answered when he heard a voice offering to take him, and it turned out to be his mother.
- Do not abandon your children and punish them for a mistake you have committed. When Annette fell pregnant at 16, her parents told her to abandon the baby. She obeyed them and moved on, unaware of how it would affect her son as he grew up.
A little girl cries in church, asking God to save her sick grandmother’s life. Suddenly, a voice speaks behind her, offering to help. Click here to read the full story.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
My Wife Left Me and Our Children After I Lost My Job – Two Years Later, I Accidentally Met Her in a Café, and She Was in Tears
Two years ago, my wife walked out on me and our kids during the worst point in my life. After struggling and finally picking my family up again, I spotted her in a café, alone and in tears. What she said next completely blindsided me.
When Anna walked out of our apartment with nothing but a suitcase and a cold, “I can’t do this anymore,” I was left standing there holding our four-year-old twins, Max and Lily.
A man looks sad holding his 4-year-old twin in a cluttered apartment | Source: Midjourney
My dignity was shattered, but not as much as my heart. I didn’t even get a second glance from her. It was like a switch had flipped. One minute, we were a family, and the next, I was alone with two kids and a mountain of bills.
This had all happened because I’d lost my job, and we lived in one of the most expensive cities in the country. I’d been a software engineer at a tech company that promised big returns, but some shady things happened, and it went bankrupt before we knew it. I went from a six-figure salary to unemployment checks overnight.
A man stands on the street holding a box of office things after just being fired | Source: Midjourney
The day I told Anna the news, I saw the disappointment in her eyes. She was a marketing executive and one of the most put-together women I’d ever seen. Even after getting married, I never saw her hair out of place or a wrinkle on her clothes.
She even looked polished while giving birth to our children, like a real-life princess, and that’s what I used to love about her. But I never thought she’d leave during tough times.
That first year was pure hell. Between the crushing loneliness, the constant worry about money, and the exhaustion of juggling work and childcare, I felt like I was drowning.
A man looking tired while caring for his 4-year-old twins in a cluttered apartment | Source: Midjourney
I drove for ride-share companies at night and delivered groceries during the day. All the while, I was juggling childcare. Max and Lily were heartbroken and asked about their mother constantly.
I tried to explain as best as I could to four-year-olds that Mommy was gone for a while, but they didn’t seem to understand.
Luckily, my parents were nearby. They helped with the twins at night and whenever I needed them, but they couldn’t help financially. They were already retired and struggling with the rising cost of living.
An elderly couple playing with their 4-year-old twin grandchildren | Source: Midjourney
Max and Lily were my lifeline, though. Their little arms wrapping around me at the end of a long day, their tiny voices saying, “We love you, Daddy,” kept me going. I couldn’t let them down. They deserved at least one parent willing to lay the world at their feet.
I’m happy that the second year after Anna left was much different. I landed a freelance coding project, and the client was so impressed with my abilities that he offered me a full-time remote position with his cybersecurity firm.
A man smiles while coding on his computer late at night | Source: Midjourney
The pay wasn’t six figures, but it was solid. We moved to a cozier apartment, and I started caring for myself again. I hit the gym, cooked real meals, and created a routine for the kids. We weren’t just surviving anymore; we were thriving.
And then, exactly two years after Anna left, I saw her again.
I was at a café near our new place, catching up on work while Max and Lily were at preschool. The smell of roasted coffee beans filled the air, and the soft hum of conversations made it a good place to focus.
A man drinks coffee while working on his laptop at a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
I didn’t expect to look up and see her.
She was sitting alone at a corner table, her head down, while tears streamed down her face. She didn’t look like the woman I remembered, the polished, confident marketing executive with designer clothes and perfect hair.
No, this woman looked worn. Her coat was faded, her hair dull, and the dark circles under her eyes told a story of sleepless nights.
A red-haired woman sits unkempt, sad, and tearful in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
For a moment, my heart clenched. This was the woman who abandoned us at our lowest.
She had left to make a better life for herself without a jobless husband and twins to take care of, right? That’s what I’d assume from her cold, short sentence back then.
We were burdens to her, and she wanted more.
A red-haired woman in a black dress stands angry in a cluttered apartment | Source: Midjourney
So, what happened? Why was she crying at a random trendy coffee shop? I knew I shouldn’t care. I should ignore her, finish my drink, and leave immediately. But she was, after all, the mother of my children.
Unlike her, I wasn’t heartless. I still seemed to care.
She must have sensed my stare because she looked up. Her eyes met mine, and her expression shifted from shock to shame.
I could’ve stayed in place, but my body moved before I had time to consider it. Leaving my cup and laptop on the table, I walked toward the woman who had broken our home.
A man stands surprised in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
“Anna,” I said, clearing my throat. “What happened?”
Her eyes darted around as if searching for an escape. But there was none. “David,” she whispered, fidgeting with her hands. “I… I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Clearly,” I said, pulling the chair across from her. “You left us. You walked out without any remorse. And now, two years later, I find you crying in a café? What’s going on?”
She looked down at the table, her fingers twisting until her knuckles turned white. “I made a mistake,” she finally said, loudly exhaling as if making a horrible and shameful confession.
A red-haired woman looks ashamed while looking down in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
I leaned back, crossing my arms. “A mistake? You think leaving your husband and kids was just a mistake?”
Her head shook as her eyes filled with fresh tears. “I know it’s not just a mistake. But I thought I… I thought I could do better on my own. It was all too much. The bills and not knowing how to survive. My money wasn’t enough for the life we’d led.”
“I know,” I nodded.
“I thought I could find a more fulfilling life, a better career… a better… I don’t know.”
“A better man?” I suggested.
A man stands in a coffee shop with his arms crossed looking serious | Source: Midjourney
Her head shook again. “No, no. I can’t explain it, but leaving you was so wrong. I lost my job almost immediately after. I survived on my savings; my parents sent me some money, but they cut me off after a few months. The people I thought were my friends disappeared when I needed them most.”
I stared as she began sobbing. My emotions were all over the place. I felt a small sense of vindication, as karma had acted almost immediately, but I also felt pity and hurt. We could have gone through this together and emerged much stronger if she had believed in me and our family.
A man sits in a coffee shop with his fingers crossed looking serious | Source: Midjourney
“I miss you,” she croaked, sniffling. “I want to come back.”
I let her words hang in the air. Because no matter how bad I felt for her, I knew why she said those words.
“You miss me now that you have nothing,” I calmly said. “Convenient timing, don’t you think?”
Anna reached across the table, her hand hovering near mine. “David, please. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll do anything to make it right. I’ve been living in cheap apartments, hopping from one temp job to another. I’ve had time to think. I realize now what I lost.”
A red-haired woman reaches her hand across a table in a coffee shop looking sad | Source: Midjourney
I pulled my hand back. “You didn’t think about Max and Lily, did you? Not once in two years. In fact, you haven’t even mentioned them since I sat down.”
The more I thought of it, the more disgusted I felt.
She flinched like I’d slapped her. “I thought about them too,” she whispered. “I just… I was ashamed. I didn’t know how to come back.”
I shook my head. “You made your choice, Anna. We’ve built a life without you. And it’s a good one. The kids are happy. I’m happy.”
A man sits in a coffee shop with his elbow on the table and his hand on his head looking upset | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll do anything,” she repeated desperately. “Please, David. Just give me a chance.”
I stood, turning my back to her. “No,” I said. “You made this decision. Despite what you’ve gone through, I see you haven’t reflected. You’re just worried about yourself. My kids need someone who’ll put them first.”
I returned to my table, snatched up my laptop, and left. The bell above the door sharply jingled as I pushed through it, but not before Anna’s sobs echoed through the quiet café.
A coffee shop doorway with an exit sign | Source: Midjourney
At dinner that evening, I marveled at how much Max and Lily meant to me. My son was telling a story about a worm he found at school, and my daughter proudly showed me a picture she’d drawn.
“Daddy, look! It’s us at the park,” Lily said, handing me the drawing.
I smiled. “It’s perfect, sweetheart.”
Anna had given this up and ended up with nothing.
A man with twin children laughing and smiling while eating dinner at the kitchen table | Source: Midjourney
But after tucking the kids to bed and going to my room, I considered the consequences of walking away from their mother. A part of me knew that having her back in their lives could be beneficial in the long run.
Maybe, if she reached out and asked about them in the future, I would let her see them. That’s only if I witness real change in her. For now, I had to protect them.
A man looks thoughtful in his bedroom at night | Source: Midjourney
You might think kids as young as mine don’t notice things, but they do. Yet, they are resilient as long as they know someone will always be there. I saw it in their laughter, in their easy affection. Therefore, our chapter with Anna was closed.
But life takes turns. I would focus on giving my children the secure, loving home they deserved and wait…
A red-haired woman walks alone down a street at night looking sad | Source: Midjourney
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