The First Time We Saw His Smile

Some moments in life feel like they happen in slow motion- etched into your memory so vividly that you can recall every detail. For us, one of those moments was the first time we met Jacob.

It was a warm morning in a public park, 2.5 hours from our home. We arrived early, buzzing with nervous excitement, holding onto two things we hoped would make him feel special: a Happy Meal (thanks to a tip from our adoption coordinator about his love for them) and his very first plush toy.

When Jacob arrived, he was already in motion, running, climbing, laughing- a ball of energy in the shape of a little boy. The moment he spotted us, we jumped right into his world. We ran through the grass together, chased each other to the swings, and laughed as I pushed him higher and higher. At one point, he hopped on my back and I carried him across the park, his little arms wrapped around my neck. Then, with a cheeky grin, he turned to Eliot and demanded to be carried from one slide to the next, and Eliot happily obliged.

It didn’t take long for him to start “testing us” in the way only a child can. He proudly showed us the little “booboos” on his feet from the tight, too-small sandals he was wearing- like he wanted to see if we’d notice, if we’d care. We did notice. And we cared deeply. But we kept it cool, because we knew this moment wasn’t about overwhelming him with our emotions. This meeting was for him, more than it was for us. We wanted him to feel safe, seen, and in control.

His quirky little ways of checking us out, seeing how we’d respond, were absolutely adorable. In those small moments, we could feel him letting us in, one smile, one laugh, one glance at a time.

After what felt like the fastest hour of our lives, we sat at a picnic table with our adoption coordinators. That’s when we said it out loud: “He’s our baby.” We didn’t need more time to decide, we knew. We asked what the next steps were, our minds already racing ahead to everything we needed to do.

We drove home that night filled with a joy we could barely contain, making mental lists the whole way: buy new clothes, get shoes that fit, decorate his room, prepare our home for the beginning of our new lives.

That day in the park was the day our forever truly began. And all it took was one big smile, a Happy Meal, a plush toy, and the willingness to run alongside him- literally and figuratively- for the rest of our lives.