My Adopted Son’s Reaction to His Birthday Cake Left Me in Tears

“My Birthday Was Yesterday:” My Adopted Son Broke Down in Tears in Front of His Birthday Cake — Story of the Day

My adopted son silently gazed at his birthday cake. Then his cheeks began to water. In a whisper, he said, “My birthday was yesterday,” The records stated today, and I felt sick to my stomach. What more had I been kept in the dark about?

“Do you want a boy or a girl?”

“I just want to be a mom.”

The only thing I was certain of was that. I wasn’t the gal who envisioned creating homemade baby food or matching jammies for the whole family. But I was aware that I had the capacity to be the kind of mother who transformed a person’s life.

Joey was that someone at last.

He was unaware that it was the day. Every time he visited me in the weeks before, he would slink closer, his dark eyes fixed on mine as his tiny hands curled into the hem of my sweater. “When?” is a silent question.

When I first entered the foster home that day, I was holding a stuffed dinosaur. Soft and large, with amusingly little arms. Joey’s fingers trembled the moment he saw it, but he remained motionless. I knelt next to him.

“Well, Joey, are you ready to go home?”

He glanced at the dinosaur, then at me.

“We’re never coming back here?”

Never. I swear.

A pause. Then he reached for my hand slowly.

“All right. I don’t eat green beans, though, just so you know.”

I suppressed a smile.

“Noted.”

Without warning, I became a mother. Although I was aware that Joey would have a difficult time adjusting, I was unaware of how many secrets he carried from his background.

A week after Joey moved in, he celebrated his birthday.

I wanted it to be unique. It was his first birthday at his new residence. Our family’s first genuine celebration.

Everything was prepared by me. A stack of gifts, balloons, and streamers—nothing too much, just enough to show him how much he is loved.

The day got off to a great start.

We turned the kitchen into a complete catastrophe zone while we were making pancakes together.

The floor and even Joey’s nose tip were covered in flour. As he smashed a cloud of it into the air and watched it spin about like a snowstorm, he laughed.

“Are we making pancakes or just trying to redecorate the kitchen?” I made fun of it.

He triumphantly said, “Both,” while churning the batter.

He appeared at ease. Perhaps even secure. Every mess was worthwhile because of that.

We went on to presents after breakfast. I meticulously wrapped each one, picking out items I knew he would enjoy, such action figures, dinosaur-themed books, and a huge toy T-rex.

Joey slowly unwrapped them. But his enthusiasm seemed to fade rather than shine.

“Do you like them?” With a soft voice, I asked.

“Yes. They’re awesome.

I didn’t quite anticipate that response.

The cake then arrived. I smiled at him as I lit the candle.

“Alright, birthday boy, time to make a wish.”

Joey remained still. He had no smile on his face. He simply sat there and gazed at the candle as though it were a fake.

“Sweetheart?” I pushed the plate in his direction. “This is your day. Make a wish, please.

His bottom lip quivered. He balled his hands into fists.

“This isn’t my birthday.”

I blinked. “What?”

“My birthday was yesterday.”

Whispering to myself, “But… the documents say today is your birthday,”

“They were wrong. I always rejoiced with my brother. We had two birthdays, though, because I was born before midnight. Grandma Vivi said as much.

He had never discussed his past until then. I was seeing even a hint of his past life for the first time. I slid onto the chair next to him after swallowing and extinguishing the candle.

“Your brother?”

Joey traced a circle with his finger on the table and nodded.

“Yes. Tommy is his name.

“However… I didn’t know. I apologize, honey.

Joey dropped his spoon with a little sigh.

I recall the days of our birthdays. I was four the last time, and he was four after that. We were given two different celebrations by Grandma Vivi. with companions. They took me away after that.

Only a year ago. His recollections are still vivid. His injuries have not healed.

The whisper, “I wish I could be with him right now,” came from Joey.

I softly squeezed his hand as I reached for it. “Joey…”

He avoided looking at me. Rather, he stood up and gave his eyes a brisk rub.

“I’m kinda tired.”

“All right. Come on, let’s sleep.”

I felt the weariness in his little body when I tucked him in during the day.

As I turned to go, he produced a tiny wooden box from beneath his pillow.

“My treasure box.”

He gave it to me after opening it and taking out a folded piece of paper.

“This is the location. We were always brought here by Grandma Vivi.

I opened it up. A basic illustration. A lighthouse. I gasped.

Suddenly, I knew that I needed to heal Joey’s past before I could concentrate on creating our future.

It was harder than I thought to find that lighthouse.

The next day, as page after page of search results flooded my laptop screen, I rubbed my forehead while I peered at it.

Joey’s drawing and the memories it evoked were of little interest to Google. It simply spit out lists of historical sites, tourist attractions, and even abandoned lighthouses.

“There has to be a way to narrow this down.”

I took another look at the drawing. A lone tree stands next to a plain lighthouse that has been carefully shaded in with pencil strokes. The key was that tree.

I narrowed the area to our state, changed the search parameters, and browsed through picture after picture until…

“That’s it!”

I flipped the laptop over. “Joey, does this look familiar?”

His tiny fingers brushed the screen’s edge as he leaned closer. His gaze expanded.

“That’s the place.”

“All right, friend. Let’s embark on a journey.

“Yes! It’s a genuine one.

I prepared a blanket, drinks, and sandwiches for the next day.

I cautioned, “We might not find it right away,” “But we’ll have fun trying.”

Apparently, Joey didn’t hear me. He had already put on his sneakers, moving more quickly than normal due to his eagerness.

He kept his sketch in his hand as we were driving, tracing the lines without paying attention. I played a dinosaur audiobook, but I could tell he was distracted.

I said, “What are you thinking about?”

“What if she doesn’t remember me?”

I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. “How could she forget?”

He didn’t respond.

Weekend visitors filled the little seaside town. The smell of fried food blended with the salty air as people hurried between seafood stalls and antique stores.

I looked at Joey as I halted the automobile.

“Let’s ask someone.”

Joey leaned out the window and waved wildly at a woman who was passing by before I could stop.

“Hey! Are you aware of my grandmother Vivi’s residence?

The woman halted in the middle of her stride, glancing at him and then at me with a furrowed frown.

I whispered, “Here we go,” anticipating suspicion.

The woman then pointed down the road, which surprised me.

“You mean old Vivi, I see. She resides close to the cliffs in the yellow house. It’s impossible to miss.

Joey turned to face me, her eyes wild.

“That’s it! “She resides there.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.

“Guess we found her.”

The lighthouse from Joey’s drawing stood tall in the distance, and the home itself was perched on the edge of a rocky cliff. I looked at Joey as I parked.

“You want to wait here while I talk?”

Grasping his sketch tightly, he nodded. I approached the door and rapped on it.

It creaked open a second later to reveal an elderly woman with silver hair drawn back in a loose bun and keen eyes. Her eyes were cautious as she held a cup of tea.

“What do you want?”

“Are you Vivi?”

She took a while to respond.

“Who’s asking?”

Kayla is my name. Joey, my son, is in the vehicle. He’s trying to find…” Not wanting to come out as overly dramatic, I hesitated. “His sibling. Tommy.

In her gaze, something flickered.

“There are no brothers here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

Then all of a sudden Joey was by my side.

“Grandma Vivi!” He displayed his sketch. “I brought Tommy a present!”

Vivi gripped her teacup more tightly. Her expression stiffened.

“You should leave.”

Joey’s expression dimmed.

“Please,” I murmured quietly. “He just wants to see his brother.”

“You shouldn’t dig up the past.”

She shut the door without saying anything else.

For a minute, I stood motionless, feeling a mixture of sadness, uncertainty, and rage. I wanted to knock once more, get her to answer, and force her to talk. However, I was unable to.

Joey’s eyes were fixed on the door. He sagged his tiny shoulders. I knelt next to him.

“I’m so sorry, honey.”

He did not weep. Rather, he inhaled deeply before delicately setting the drawing on the doorway.

Then he turned and walked back to the car without saying another word. It broke my heart. I turned on the engine and backed out of the house. For bringing him there, I was already scolding myself. for giving him hope.

However, then…

“Hey Joey! “Joey!”

The rearview mirror showed a swirl of motion.

Joey’s head jerked upwards.

“Tommy?”

A boy who looked exactly like Joey came toward us, arms pumping, breathless, and I applied the brakes just in time. Joey threw open the door and fled before I could stop him.

They slammed into one another and hugged so tightly that I was afraid they wouldn’t let go. Overwhelmed, I covered my lips.

Vivi stood in the doorway behind them, her eyes sparkling and a hand pressed to her chest.

She then slowly raised her hand and nodded slightly. A request. After taking a deep breath, I switched off the vehicle. We were not going anywhere yet.

A little while later, while Vivi stirred her tea, she noticed Joey and Tommy sitting shoulder to shoulder and whispering as if they had never been separated. Vivi finally said something.

“When the boys were a year old,, their parents died in a car accident.”

I stiffened. I was unaware of that. Vivi continued to stare at her drink.

“I wasn’t young. I lacked strength. I was broke. I needed to decide.”

She gave me a look.

Thus, I retained the one who resembled my son. And I released the other.

My breath caught.

“The birthday celebration. It was a farewell. I believed it was the proper course of action. However, I was mistaken.

We were silent for a long time. Then Joey put his little hand over hers and reached across the table.

Grandma Vivi, it’s all right. I located Mom.

Vivi’s mouth quivered. Then she clutched his hand and let out a trembling breath.

We decided to do something about it from then on. There would never be another separation of the lads.

Tommy and Joey came to live with me. Grandma Vivi would always be waiting for us at the lighthouse, the little house on the cliff, where we drove every weekend.