We agreed to foster one child for a few days, but when Liam arrived with his little sister Mia—headed to a separate home hours away—we couldn’t let them be split. We made space with two mattresses on the floor so they could stay together. At first, they barely spoke, but soon Liam was helping at dinner and Mia was drawing pictures of us as a family.

When the agency found a long-term placement, we realized we didn’t want them to go. We rearranged our lives, weathered the hard moments, and embraced the joy that began to grow. Six months later, their mother, in recovery, chose to leave them where they felt safe.

We adopted them. Liam began calling Mark “Dad,” and Mia called me “Mom.” The day the judge finalized it, Liam whispered, “So we’re never leaving?” I told him, “Never.”

They’re teenagers now—messy, loud, and still inseparable. We thought we had space for one, but love made room for two, and in choosing them, they transformed our lives.