The courtroom was buzzing with anticipation as the judge examined the documents in front of her. All the preparation and hard work had been leading up to this moment for Ava and her adoptive parents. She was seated beside them, eyes cast down, as the hearing took place to finalize her adoption. The judge sensed that something was amiss so she shifted her gaze to the young girl and prompted her to speak with one very important question.
Speak Up
Ava hadn’t spoken a word yet. She had listened in silence while her adoptive parents spoke highly of her, praising Ava and convincing the judge they were the perfect family for her. The judge had listened with positive body language, but that suddenly changed, and now, she wanted Ava to speak up…
Not Ready Yet
“Ava?” the judge asked again. She had repeated the question, but Ava had no idea what to say. She could change the course of her future with just one answer, but will that be the right decision? She looked back at the ground, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. Should she do it?
Making a Decision
The judge was getting impatient. She had asked Ava the question for a second time but still got no answer. Then, suddenly, Ava looked up, stared directly into the judge’s eyes, and said… But what did the judge ask Ava? What did she say to stop the hearing, and will she make the right decision?
Ava's Upbringing
Ava had a difficult childhood. She never knew who her biological parents were, as she was left at a hospital when she was just a baby. She was taken into the system and has been searching for her permanent adoptive parents since then. She never had much luck, but this time around, it would be different.
The Smith's
This time, Ava was placed in the care of the Smiths. A loving family who had already adopted two children in the last few years. Ava felt happy with her new family and, for the next few months, really enjoyed living with them. But she couldn’t shake the feeling she was missing something.
Not Fitting In
Ava felt that, no matter how nice everyone treated her, she never fitted in. Because of this, she feared she would never find a place where she truly belonged. So she eventually gave up hope. She was content with the idea of living with lovely people and discarded her own feelings for the security of a permanent home.
A New Family Member
So, when the Smiths asked Ava if she wanted to join their family forever, she didn’t hesitate to say yes. Everyone was overjoyed and happy to add a new family member to their home. Miss Smith told Ava she was the missing piece to their puzzle, and now their family was finally complete. Or so they thought…
Finalizing The Adoption
So the next day, The Smiths told Ava it was time to finalize her adoption. They had asked Ava beforehand many times if she was really sure about this decision. They assured her they wouldn’t feel badly toward her if she changed her mind, but Ava told them she was sure. But was she?
Not So Sure
But little did they know this wasn’t the case. Ava wasn’t sure at all. But she was in a difficult position. Should she tell them about her doubts, or should she proceed and live in a steady, loving, and secure household for the rest of her life? Of course, Ava chose the latter. How could you expect otherwise from such a young child?
Telling The Good News
So, the Smiths called the adoption agency and told them the good news. Ava’s case worker was over the moon and wasn’t shy to let Ava know how proud he was of her. They scheduled a date for the court hearing, and as they said goodbye, Ava’s case worker said once more how happy he was for her.
The Black Sheep
As the days passed on and the date for the court hearing got closer and closer, Ava couldn’t stop thinking about the choices she had made. She started feeling more and more like the black sheep of the family, never really fitting into their plans and hobbies. But she wasn’t going to tell anyone.
Something She Couldn't Stop Thinking About
She wondered why she felt like this. Why couldn’t she be happy with the family she’s got? She knew she had to be grateful for it because not many children find their new forever home so soon. But there was something in the back of Ava’s mind that she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Court Day
Soon after, the day of the court hearing arrived. The Smiths were very excited and made sure to give Ava the best morning by baking her pancakes and pouring her fresh squeezed orange juice. They smiled and laughed at the breakfast table, talking about all the fun things they would do as a family.
Getting Ready
After breakfast, everyone went their own way and got ready to go to court. Miss Smith had bought a new outfit for Ava to wear and was proud to see her in her new clothes. Ava smiled and acted like she was just as excited as them, but in reality, she felt different. She felt scared.
Taking a Moment
After trying on her new outfit, Ava needed some time to think all of this over. She felt the pressure of agreeing on the adaption. Now that they were about to go to court, things became just too overwhelming for the young girl. She needed to get away for a while, and so she did..
Going Outside
Ava went outside while trying not to get noticed. Luckily, the Smiths were all occupied with getting ready and didn't notice her going out. Once outside, she started to feel better. She loved the feeling of fresh air and felt more relaxed immediately after. But one thought wouldn't escape her mind, especially now that she was outside.
"They're Different..."
She realized no one else in the Smith family loved the feeling of being outside like she did; it wasn't even close. They were just different. Despite being such a young girl, Ava understood that she'd be an outsider for the rest of her life. The courtroom became a place that would determine the rest of her life, and somehow, Ava understood.
No More Time
Mr. Smith noticed Ava in the garden. ''Come in, sweetie! We'll be late, and you'll catch a cold if you're outside for too long!'' Ava listened right away and went in. She shivered, not from the cold, but from the nerves once she put on her coat. Next stop: the court...
Going to Court
They headed over to the courtroom and went through all the standard procedures. Ava’s heart pounded in her chest as they walked through the hallway. Today would be the day she would finally, legally, belong to a family again. But instead of feeling happy, her stomach turned at the thought.
Something Felt Off
Ava had no idea why she was feeling this way. This family would give her anything her heart desired. They would care for her and love her unconditionally. But something felt off. Ava felt like there was something else going on, but she had no idea what. She could just feel it in her gut.
Clock Is Ticking
And now that they were on their way to the hearing, she felt only more pressured to figure out what it was that felt so off to her. But it was all the more confusing to be on her way to finalize something, that she wasn't even sure of. The pressure was too much. And before she knew it, they arrived at the courtroom...
The Hearing Began
The hearing began, and they all stood when the judge arrived. Ava felt a wave of anxiety wash over her, but she pushed it aside and reminded herself of the happy life she would live with this family. Ava's foster parents spoke first, praising their parenting skills and how much they loved and cared for Ava.
An Anecdote
They started by telling the judge an anecdote of the first week of Ava with them. They describe her smile during those first hours, her excellent table manners, and her excitement about her own bedroom. And that wasn't all; the Smits had much more to say about the perfect life they had in store for Ava. But was it really that perfect?
Persuading The Judge
Then, they showed pictures of the family together and videos of them doing fun activities together, trying to persuade the judge that they were the perfect family for her. Ava knew they weren’t lying. They were the perfect family. But maybe a bit too perfect for Ava’s liking. There had to be something else…
Listening In Silence
Ava listened in silence, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and anger. She was mostly angry with herself. Why would she want to find something negative about something that could be so good for her? Her future would be filled with possibilities if she were to be adopted by this family. If…
Finally Over
At last, the videos and slideshow are over. The Smiths clearly made their case and were sure to keep on emphasizing their good intentions to the judge. Ava looked around and saw further members of the Smith family sitting in the courtroom. This meant that even potential Uncles and Aunts were going to get their hearts broken in the end...
She Hadn't Spoken A Word
As the trial continued, Ava was sure the judge was fully convinced this was the right family for her. She hadn’t spoken a word yet, but the judge hadn’t asked her anything either. All Ava did was listen in silence and occasionally look down at her new shoes. But that was about to change very soon.
A Change In Body Language
Suddenly, Ava noticed a sudden change in the judge’s body language. Where it had been open and relaxed the whole time, it was now a bit tenser, and so was her facial expression. She frowned at the paper before her and stuttered when she asked Ava’s parents the following question.
An Important Question
“Will you allow Ava to search for her parents post-adoptively?” Everyone in the courtroom fell silent. “Her parents?” Mister Smith answered, confused. Ava’s interest was now sparked. “Even Ava herself has never met her parents. They cold-heartedly left her, as a newborn baby, all alone in front of a hospital.”
More Confusion
The judge isn't impressed. Sure, Mister Smith had a point, but the judge had a reason to ask this question. She remained silent, since the question wasn't answered. Mister Smith continued to argue the question by saying: ''We can't reward people like that for their behavior, right?!'' But the judge had her mind set on getting an answer.
Their Support
The judge looked at mister Smith with a serious face. “Answer the question, mister Smith,” she said stern look on her face. “Of course, we’ll allow her,” Miss Smith quickly answered while comfortably resting her hand on her husband's upper arm. “If she ever wants to search for them, we’ll support her.”
Trying to Sound Convincing
Miss Smith obviously tried to make her answer sound as confining as possible. She knew what answer the judge was looking for with a question like that, as she had done her homework before coming to court that day. But in all honestly, she was not telling the truth with her answer...
They Had Thought About It
Of course, she and her husband had discussed the possibility of this when they decided to adopt a young child from foster care. But they had come to the conclusion that letting the child look for their real parents would most likely only cause trouble in the long run...
No Positive Options
Maybe the child would not find those parents in the first place, and this could lead to a lot of negative emotions like disappointment and even depression. And the same goes for if she were to find those parents and they wanted nothing to do with her!
A Bad Idea
Or it could swing the other way. Maybe the child finds her parents, and they'd start building up a bond again. This would weaken their own relationship with their adoptive daughter. Whatever way you slice it, letting the girl look for her parents was a bad idea...
"Are You Sure?"
And it was like the judge could look right through miss Smith. She had dealt with many many cases like this before and really knew how to read somebody in this situation. She landed over her desk a bit and looked miss Smith directly in the eyes. "Are you sure?"
Her Eyes Lit Up
The questions made miss Smith tremble a bit, but it had the opposite effect on Ava. This interaction made her feel like the judge was very much in her corner, something she did not really think was possible when the session started. Maybe she could finally be honest here...
A Lot of Doubt
Ava hesitated before drawing attention to herself. If she were to speak up here about her truth, she could ruin any chance she had of a future with a loving family. She had no reason to doubt these people, but her gut feeling just was so strong she could not hold it in.
Looking Back And Forth
Ava just keeps looking back and forth. She's looking at the Smiths the one minute, the judge the next. When she realizes that they are all looking at her, she decides to look ahead, just praying not to be the center of all the attention for a second. But this wasn't without any consequences.
The Judge Could See It
This internal monologue that Ava was having could apparently be read on her face, as when the judge glanced in her direction, she could immediately see that something was bothering the young girl. She immediately slammed her hammer down and calmed for a half-hour recess.
Talking To Ava
Ava was caught off guard by this and expected that she would just go with her foster parents to be for the time being, but the judge specifically requested to see the young girl in her office for a bit during the intermission. But not everybody agreed with this
The Smith's Refused
Miss and mister Smith first wanted to know what the judge wanted to discuss with Ava and why they could not be present during these talks. The judge could not expect to get useful answers out of such a young girl. Who knows what she would blurt out that she did not really mean?
Not Changing Her Mind
But the judge was not going to change her opinion because of some entitled parents. She had been doing this way too long and already got a good idea of what was going on here. She was going to talk to Ava alone, and that was that...
She Was Nervous
Ava was dead nervous when she walked into the judge's chamber only moments later. The judge was sitting behind her desk, waiting for the little girl with a warm smile on her face and a cold glass of lemonade for the young girl. She wanted Ava to feel comfortable.
Looking Around
Ava's eyes went all over the room. She'd never been in an official chamber like this, despite the chaotic first years of her life. She saw all sorts of listed documents on the wall and hundreds of files in different cabinets. Then, she looked at the judge again, who was ready to talk.
Holding Back
She first asked Ava general questions about how she thought the court hearing was going and how she was feeling, but the young girl was holding a lot back with her answers. She was keeping everything short and to the point, and the judge could do nothing about that...
Getting Serious
So the judge decided to switch approach and really try to make sure that Ava understood what was going on here and what was at stake. That if she wanted to let her true feelings be heard that this was the only chance to do so!
Not Too Eager
Ava seemed to be unsure. She had a hard time trusting people, and didn't know if this was the right time. She asked the judge hesitantly: ''Are you sure, madam?'' The judge nodded her head, and told her it was just them in that room. Ava was ready to talk.
All Of Her Emotion Came Out
The young girl was very much taken aback by this, but the approach did seem to work. Ava was breaking right in front of the judge's eye. She started crying sobbing, but at least she was giving honest answers now, and the judge knew exactly what to do with that information.
Writing It Down
Despite the fact that the judge foresaw the emotions that would come off at some point, she made sure to write everything down. She knew this information wouldn't be accepted by the Smiths right away, so it needed to be official documentation. This turned out to be crucial.
Continuing In Court
When Ava had calmed down, she thanked the young girl and asked her to be this honest in court. If Ava could do that then she would make that everything was going to work out for the young girl. Ava swallowed away her tears and agreed. The judge was right, she had to be honest here...
Not Too Excited
Despite her experience in cases like these, the judge isn't too excited about continuing the court session. She knew the outcome would be hurtful to one of the involved, she just wanted to make sure that it wasn't Ava who would leave the courtroom feeling defeated.
Fresh Air
And so the judge decides to go for a fresh breath of air, as she prepares for her duty. She steps outside to drink her coffee in peace, while she keeps an eye on Ava through the window of her office. Ava seems to be calm, which had a calming effect on the judge as well. Unfortunately, her peace was disturbed soon after...
The Lawyer
The judge saw the lawyer of the Smiths sitting on a bench outside, rapidly writing things down while angrily looking at her. He was clearly not having this recess and made sure to use his time to prepare for every possible scenario. The last thing the judge wanted was to involve the lawyers too much...
A Big Impact
When the court got back in session a bit later, the Smiths were a lot more nervous than before. They had no idea what had become of the conversation between Ava and the judge, but they had no idea it was going to impact the hearing. And so it did...
Skipping Ahead
After the formalities, the court expected that the case would continue where they had left off about an hour ago, but the judge had other plans. She seemingly skipped a lot of important steps in the process and very quickly turned her and the whole court's attention to Ava.
Lawyer
But this didn't go unanswered. Mister and Miss Smiths' lawyer, whose presence had been a formality this far, stood up! ''Your honor, I can't agree with this! My clients are here to follow a simple procedure, and we were promised to continue the procedure right after recess!''
Overruled
The lawyer, of course, was thinking about the Smith's family's interest, without being aware of the doubts of little Ava. He kept demanding to follow the procedure. The judge wasn't going to change her mind and overruled him. But he wasn't giving up. Didn't he realize he was making things only worse for poor Ava?
Head Down
Because when Ava saw this heated discussion between the judge and the lawyer, she held her head down the entire time. All these voices, all this discussion, all this pressure, because she had to make a decision! If she could have, she would have run out! But she didn't want to hurt the Smiths, despite her doubts and she remained seated...
Looking At Ava Again
The judge successfully overruled the lawyer, and so she could carry on with her plan. It was time to shift the attention to Ava again, who was left with no choice but to speak up. Everyone present waited in tension, as the judge started to introduce her question.
One Question
"Ava, I have one very important question to ask you, and I am going to need an honest answer from you. Are you going to be able to do that?" Ava knew that this question from the judge was coming, but she still felt as nervous as could be. And who could blame her?
Do You Want To Be Adopted?
She felt that the eyes of every single person in the court were fixated on her and her alone. And the answer she would give would determine everything in this case. The judge did not waste any more time. "Ava, do you want to be adopted by the Smiths...?"
The Truth
Mister and Miss Smith first looked back at the judge in disbelief before turning their attention back to Ava. They could not believe that this question was even being asked. And Ava caught them very much off guard with her answer...
"No!"
The young girl took a deep breath and nearly shouted it through the courtroom, stunning everybody into complete silence. "No!!". The Smiths could not believe it, But Ava was also actually able to give an explanation for her rejection of them
She Had Finally Realized
This whole time she had been wondering why the prospect of being adopted by the family had not seemed like a good idea to her, even though, at face value, it was great. But the judge made her realize that it did not matter that she could not think of a good reason.
It Needed To Feel Perfect
They were talking about adopting her. She was going to most likely be considering these people her parents for the rest of her life if she decided to go through with it. If there was ever anything that needed to feel 100% perfect, this was it!
Calling It Off
And seeing as this was simply not the case, then they should not go through with the adoption. Maybe it seemed like a bad choice, but Ava's feelings here were the most important aspect of the whole situation, and luckily the judge helped her see that. A wholesome moment is what followed.
Thanking The Judge
Ava went to thank the judge, who was even a little emotional herself. Then, Ava went to the Smiths and gave them a hug. She kept telling them she was sorry and made sure they understood by explaining to them what she and the judge had talked about.
The Smith's Understood
Mister and Miss Smith were obviously very disappointed, but they could also not be mad or something, they understood the perception and arguments of the judge, and as much as they wanted Ava to be their daughter, if it did not feel right for her then they should not go through with it!
The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.