Maggie and Tom have been trying to be pregnant for almost five years. When it could not be done naturally, they tried IVF treatments. They already had several expensive sessions and although money was not an issue, they had to stop because nothing was happening.
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The couple realized that adoption is most likely their next move. Maggie was not really a fan of it because she wanted to raise kids that came from her or her husband. But when they were offered toddler triplets, she could not say no.
Triplets who needed a home
After they went through the lengthy paperwork, all they had to do was wait. One day, Maggie and Tom got a call about three little boys. The couple initially wanted just one child but they could not say no after the adoption agency sent them a picture.
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It was a life-changing moment and everything happened too fast. They had to tidy up the house, made sure they had everything they needed, and get the bedroom ready. When it was finally time to pick up the triplets, Maggie and Tom suddenly felt nervous.
Finally a mother
Maggie had been wondering about the triplets and why their parents gave them up for adoption. But the thought went to the back of her mind as they were given a lot of information and directions.
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Before she knew it, they were already on the way to meet the three toddlers and had them in the back of their car. Everything felt surreal but looking at the little adorable boys, Maggie felt a warmness in her heart. She was happy that she was finally a mother.
A huge adjustment
Mika, Cody, and Alex were home. The first week together as a family was tough. The boys were adjusting to their new lives and Maggie and Tom were also adjusting to their new roles as parents. But as a month went by, everyone was getting settled into being a family.
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But then, Mika started to behave differently. He started to misbehave and came to the point of hitting his brothers, Alex and Cody. Tom had to move Mika to another room because he would not leave the other boys alone.
Calling for help
Maggie and Tom tried everything to make Mika stop. They did gentle parenting, redirecting, and even took him to a therapist. But none of them worked and he was just getting worse. Alex and Cody would start having marks on their body.
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Maggie did not want to call the adoption agency because they might think she was incapable of handling the boys but at this point, she had no choice. When she called, they told her they did not have any information on the biological family that could help.
The DNA test
Maggie told Tom that she called the adoption agency but they were being secretive about the background of the boys. Maggie was becoming worried – they did not want Mika to grow up as a rebellious boy.
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Tom suggested they do a DNA test on the kids. This way, they can find out if the triplets had any family members that they could get in touch with. It took a few days for the kits to arrive but when they finally did, Tom and Maggie immediately went to work.
One match
Finally, the DNA results arrived in the mail. The triplets had only one match with one person in the DNA database – their father. Sadly, this person is deceased. But, Maggie now had the father’s name, L. Raskovsky. It was not a full name but it was a good start.
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Tom told Maggie that it did not look that promising. But there was no way she was going to give the boys up. Determined, Maggie typed their father’s name into a search engine. She got a couple of hits.
A family picture
They found an old news article on the results page. It described a fire that destroyed a family home. The news article came with a picture of the family. And there were the triplets who were probably just about a year old and their parents.
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But this was not the way the triplets lost their parents. What Maggie found strange is that the first names of their parents were not mentioned. They were referred to by their last names – Mr. and Mrs. Raskovsky.
Their father was still around
Maggie then tried to reverse-search the old family picture. And when she did, they got a hit. They saw a picture of the triplets’ father but strangely enough, he had a different name. The shocking thing is that it was a picture taken recently.
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Maggie did not know what to do. The boys have been with them for a couple of months now and they already have a bond with the triplets despite the problematic behavior. Would the biological father want his boys back if Maggie contacted him?
Getting an address
Tom read the father’s new name out loud. “Arthur Sanderson… Why would he have a different name in this picture and be listed as deceased in the DNA database?” he wondered. Now he was just as curious as his wife was.
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Maggie tried the other articles about L. Raskovsky. There was one article about a lost boy. It was a very old article but it had a lot of information. The article even had an address, which was a two-hour drive from their home.
It was an abandoned house
But they could not leave the triplets alone in the house or take them along for the ride. When they could not find a babysitter at the last minute, Maggie decided to do it alone and Tom should stay behind to watch over the boys.
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When Maggie reached the address, she was shocked to find a rundown house. It looked like it had been neglected for years and that nobody lived there. She then went out of the car and walked to the neighbor’s house and rang the doorbell.
She was expecting this
An old lady answered the door and Maggie asked her if she happened to know who owns the property next door. She pretended to be interested in the property but wanted to contact the owners first and find out what happened to the house.
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The old lady invited her in and offered her some iced tea, telling her she has some stories to tell. Once they were seated inside, the old lady said that she had been expecting her. Maggie almost choked on her drink, “What do you mean?”
A dark past
The old lady said that she always figured someone would come asking about the family next door, especially after what happened to them. A small family lived in that house. The mother and father usually stayed indoors and their boy did not go to school.
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At night, she could hear screams coming from the house but nobody in the neighborhood dared to intervene. Then one day, a SWAT team came and raided the house. They took the whole family with them and they never heard from or seen the family ever since.
Sneaking in
After thanking the old lady for her time and the drink, Maggie decided to take a look at the house. She snuck around the back and broke in. She knew this was against the law but she was desperate to find some answers.
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And then, Maggie noticed something. There were footprints on the dusty floor and it looked new. Someone had been in the house. Maggie followed the footprints which led her up the stairs into one of the bedrooms.
There was a man inside
Maggie was surprised to hear someone snoring inside the room. Could this be the triplets’ father? She slowly opened the door to take a peek. But Margaret had forgotten that this was an old house and when the door creaked open, the man in the bed woke up.
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The man looked confused as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “Who are you?” he asked Maggie. Maggie approached carefully. “I’m sorry to intrude but are you, Arthur Sanderson? I just wanted to track down the father of my adopted sons. They’re triplets, four years old.”
The promise
Maggie immediately noticed a change in the man’s face when she mentioned the triplets. “You have my boys?” the man almost whispered. Maggie asked if she could know what happened to their family. It was important for her to know about the boys’ background.
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Arthur sighed and hesitated. Arthur then told Maggie that he would tell her everything if she promises that she would go through with the adoption no matter what he tells her. He says it is the best thing for the kids.
Faking his death
Arthur then confessed to being arrested for theft when he was a teenager. He said he did it to pay for a wedding to the love of his life. The triplet’s mother, Becka, was pregnant and he knew he needed more cash to take care of everything.
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Becka developed an addiction to drugs and he only found out when he was released from prison. Arthur worried about her and the boys so he faked his death so that Becka could use the insurance money. This is when he got his fake identity as Arthur.
Canceling the adoption
Arthur was hoping she would change but she used the money for more drugs and she passed away while the boys were just three years old. Arthur wanted to be there for his kids but he could not do a thing because according to his papers, he was dead.
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The boys had to go through the system with nobody to take care of them. Maggie had heard enough. She told Arthur she had to go. Once she was home, she told Tom everything and they both agreed that they had to cancel the adoption.
The big surprise
It was a very difficult decision but they knew it was just right. A week later, Tom and Maggie drove back to Arthur’s place with the triplets. Arthur was surprised and started crying when he saw the boys. Maggie and Tom then told him the news.
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They decided to cancel the adoption and register Arthur as an adoptive parent under the fake identity he created for himself. After a few bribes, the paperwork was pushed through and Arthur was now the legal guardian of his boys.
A happy ending for everyone
But the surprise did not end there. Maggie and Tom offered their small guesthouse for Arthur and the boys to stay in until he can do some renovations on the house or find another home. This way, Maggie and Tom can still see the boys.
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Tom also offered Arthur a job as a caretaker and gardener of their home. This way, Arthur can stay at home and watch after the boys while earning money. In the end, everything worked out for the best and Maggie and Tom treated Arthur and the boys as their family.