Kendall was seventeen when her life fell apart. She had been adopted as a baby by the Jordans, a deeply religious couple who raised her alongside four other children. Their house was strict, silent, and ruled by faith. Birthdays weren’t celebrated, Christmas was forbidden, and joy was often replaced by rules. Still, for years, Kendall believed they were her family. That illusion shattered the day she confessed she was pregnant.
“Get out!” her adoptive mother screamed, voice shaking with fury. Kendall sobbed, trying to explain, but her mother shoved her toward the door. “You disgusting sinner. I won’t have you here corrupting your brothers and sisters.”
She turned to her father, desperate for some sign of compassion. But he simply hunched his shoulders, unable to meet her eyes. He had never once stood up to his wife, and he wasn’t about to start now. Moments later, he returned with a backpack and a small roll of dollar bills. “Your sister packed a few things for you,” he murmured. “I’m sorry, Kendall, but you know your mom…”
“She’s not my mom,” Kendall spat through her tears. “And you’re not my dad. Real parents don’t throw their kids away.” Then she picked up her bag, lifted her chin, and walked out.
The night air was cold, and the street felt emptier than ever. She sat on the curb, counting the money. Just over fifty-six dollars. It wasn’t even enough for a night in a cheap motel. As her stomach twisted with fear, she wrapped her arms around herself. She had no plan, nowhere to go, and a baby growing inside her.
For as long as she could remember, Kendall had dreamed she had a guardian angel. Someone who slipped small gifts into her life when her parents’ strictness felt suffocating. On her birthdays, she’d mysteriously find little trinkets delivered to her locker at school. At Christmas, candy canes appeared outside her window even though her family called it sinful. She never saw who left them, but she believed it was someone watching over her. Tonight, with her future crumbling, she whispered bitterly, “Where’s my miracle now?”
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