I don’t know which one was more shocking to me. Her first time calling me ‘Dad’ or the news of her getting engaged.
My adopted daughter Emily has just got engaged with her long term boyfriend and present fiancé Jacob. They have been together for quite a long time. I think it must be at least four years that they are dating each other.
I heard that most of the fathers hate their daughter’s boyfriend. But I am completely different. I like that Jacob kid. He is young, smart and healthy. Actually, I never expected that Emily will end up with someone like him.
Jacob works for a local TV news channel and has two advanced degrees in Journalism. On the other hand, Emily barely could make it through her university. I never told her that how I had to influence two of her university faculty members so that, they help her graduating from the university.
It has been almost fourteen years since she came to live with us. I am saying us, because back then my wife Fariba was still alive. In her opinion, we were the happiest couple of the world.
We were an odd couple in some way. I am from Bangladesh and she was from Iran. I was living in the USA as a student but she was already staying here with her family. Her family came here from Iran when she was about 2.This what I have heard from her.
She had two younger brothers and a sister. Her parents never talk to me. They never did and they never even talked to her ever since we got married. I have no contact with any of her family member except her sister Dilruba, who speaks to me from time to time.
Even though her family cut off all ties with her, she decided to marry me and we were happily living together. She always wanted to have kids and so did I. We wanted to have a big family. We often talked about having three or four kids. But life doesn’t always turn out as we expect it to be.
After two years of our marriage, she was diagnosed with cancer. We were trying to have a baby but she couldn't conceive. Finally, during a medical diagnosis, it was discovered that she has cancer in her womb. It was pretty bad, as the doctors told me then; cancer had already spread in most of the areas of her womb. So they had to surgically remove her uterus.
My wife was so amazing. She would never let anyone realize that she was sick. After her surgery she was fine. She was healthy and three years had passed when we decided to adopt a child. It was mostly her decision actually. I never stood against anything that she had wished after she got better.
I lost my interest in everything since the time she had cancer. Her recovery from cancer used to seem like the most precious thing to me. I never wanted any other thing s in my life rather than her staying alive. I wouldn’t care if we had a child or not. But she did, so we decided to adopt.
We applied for an adoption to a public agency under the Department of Child and Family Service. The social care officials told us that adopting someone from our heritage would be the best for us. But we never believed in that sort of thing. We were both Asians. Still, we were from two different countries and two completely different communities. She was Muslim and I was raised as Christian. Although now I don't believe in any religion, I like to consider myself as an atheist.
So adopting someone from our family background or heritage was sounding ridiculous to us. We told the social care that we would be happy with any child regardless of his or her descent.
This woman Claudia, the social care worker who was dealing with our application, then suggested Emily, but she had also warned us. She said that Emily was hard to manage and that she was sent back by nine other couples who had adopted her previously.
Oh, no, that sounded like a nightmare to me. I thought maybe this kid can be a psycho or pretty violent, this is even what I told to Fariba. But she was nice and open minded. She rejected this notion of mine about Emily.
Anyway, my wife meant the whole world to me. So I didn’t try to argue with her. I was worried but I didn’t want to upset her.
It was true, Emily was unmanageable. She used to go berserk from time to time. She refused to listen anything she was told. She refused to eat with us, sit with us and even talk to us.
Then a few weeks later she completely changed. I was startled by the sudden transition of Emily. She became so docile and friendly. I knew that it was my wife; she became able to manage her.
Emily was putting us through some mild troubles from her school. She used to get involved in fights with the other kids from her class. Her teachers complained about her tone and language. But other than those minor misconducts, she was completely fine.
I realized that she started liking us. We were a happy family. Although Emily was bonding with us still she never called us mom and dad. We never expected her to call us mom and dad.
Everything was fine. Three years had passed just like that. Then suddenly one day my wife, Fariba started to feel sick again. Her cancer was coming back. This time it was worse. Cancer spread rest of the areas in her womb including the vagina and cervix.
Her condition was getting worse. She was given chemotherapy and some other treatment to manage her cancer. But everything went in vain. I could sense that I was going to lose her. The doctors told me to make up my mind. Finally, after seven years and eleven months of our marriage, my wife died.
I was in a state of great grief. The love of my life, my beloved wife died after spending almost eight years with me.
Emily was sad too but she recovered from the loss pretty soon. She started to act like she had suddenly become mature. She used to look after our house and me, even though it wasn’t necessary. We have a big house and I have maids and staffs to take care of us.
I have a business which I started at a pretty young age. I run a design and advertising agency which I founded right after finishing my studies from the University. Ever since my wife died, my agency became my main concern.
Emily is twenty three now. She came to live with us when she was just nine. I don’t know how so many years have passed. My daughter, the girl who came to live with us, just got engaged.
Today when I was heading towards the stairs to leave for my office, she blocked my way.
She said “Dad, I have something important to discuss with you today. Would you have some time during the lunchtime? Because I want to meet you at your office”
I told her that I always have some time for her and she can come over to my office. A few minutes ago she left my office. She came to tell me that she has got engaged.
(P.S:This story is my original work.I am a writer who is trying to create quality content in steemit.)
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