At just ten, Melody was left with her gran under the guise of a short visit. But when her sister Chloe showed promise as a gymnast, her parents’ priorities shifted. They pursued Chloe’s dream and left Melody behind — permanently.
Eventually, her aging gran could no longer care for her, and Melody’s Uncle Rob and Aunt Lisa took her in. They called her their “miracle kid” and treated her like the daughter they’d always wanted. Over the years, they became her true parents, officially adopting her when she was sixteen.
Now 22 and thriving in her IT career, Melody had long made peace with her past — until Chloe suffered a career-ending injury. Suddenly, Melody’s biological parents reappeared. They sent cheerful holiday messages and even ambushed her at Christmas Mass.But Melody wasn’t the same child they’d left behind.
“You must be Anthony and Carmen,” she said coldly. “The people who gave me up?”Later, they had the nerve to call and suggest she help “the family out” now that she was successful — claiming she owed them for raising her. “You didn’t raise me,” Melody replied. “Aunt Lisa and Uncle Rob did.” On New Year’s Day, surrounded by the only people who had ever truly cared for her, Melody smiled. She didn’t need to reconnect with her past. She was already home.