A poor single man’s life takes an unexpected turn after a little orphan girl runs into him and calls him dad. He decides to quit his job and make a complete change in his life after meeting her.
“Sure, I’ll be there on time. Yes, thank you!” James responded and hung the phone. James had applied to become an in-house volunteer for a foster home. He was accepted.
James, just 29 years of age, had never considered having a child. Although he had always wanted one, he quickly rejected the idea. His finances didn’t encourage him to start a family.
James loved helping the orphans and underprivileged because he was able to relate better with them.
James felt fulfilled when he was approved to be a volunteer at the home. He felt isolated, but he enjoyed being a volunteer at group home, which was a great thing for him. James loved children and loved to be with them. He was also very kind.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
James was caring for the foster child when a little girl arrived. As she walked to the front gate, she was dressed in two pigtails with a cute hairstyle and hugged her teddy tight.
James overheard the foster carer talking about the girl. He knew that she had been brought there by her single mother, who had left her an orphan. James saw her eyes welling up with tears and was unable to help but wonder if she was still confused.
“But why would she call me dad? I don’t even know her!” James said desperately. “What happened to her?”
James continued to feel sorry for her and went back to his other engagements. The girl suddenly ran up to him and started pulling on his shirt.
“Daddy, did you come for me? Are you going to take me home?” James was stunned when she smiled through tears and asked her questions. He hadn’t had a girlfriend and even less a child. What was the point of calling him father?
He smiled, trying to conceal his shock, and knelt down in front of her. “Hi, I’m James. You’re Layla, right? I’m sorry, sweetie, but I am not your daddy.”
This is an illustration. Source: Shutterstock The girl’s smile faded, and she started to cry. | Source: Shutterstock
The girl’s smile faded, and she started to cry. “But…you should be my daddy. Why are you lying to me?”
James wasn’t sure what to say. He had never met the girl before.
“Well, honey,” He said it. “Maybe you mistook me for someone else. I am not your dad.”
But she refused to listen. “NO! You are daddy! Mr. Fluffy knows it too! You bought Mr. Fluffy for me! He’s my favorite toy!”
“But—” James couldn’t finish because a voice cut him off.
“Layla, honey, go inside!” It said.
James turned to Clara, his foster carer. She seemed extremely worried. “Layla, honey, how about you go in and freshen up?” Clara told Layla. “You can talk to James later. Mr. Fluffy must be tired too.”
Layla was initially reluctant to accept the offer, but Clara gently consoled her.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Clara apologised to James after Layla left. “I’m sorry. Things haven’t been easy for her.”
“But why would she call me dad? I don’t even know her. What happened to her?” James asked.
Clara sighed. “Her father wasn’t a good man. He abandoned her and her mother. She’s only six. After her mother died, Layla just couldn’t take it. She’s stressed and cries constantly, and hopes someone will come for her.
“But the thing is no one will. Layla’s mother never revealed the truth to her about her father. Layla kept waiting for the day when he would appear. She called him dad three times today, and you are her third caller. Because she was young when her father died, her memory of him is vague. She is currently receiving therapy. I hope she recovers soon.
“That’s terrible. Is it possible to contact her father? James was concerned.
Clara shrugged. “I don’t believe that.” They hadn’t spoken to him in years. According to paperwork, Layla was divorced from her mother, so Layla had legal custody. Layla isn’t related to anyone because her mother, an orphan, was also there.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
While James had never considered starting a family, something in his heart was ignited after seeing Layla, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her huge blue eyes staring at him and calling him dad.
Eventually, James developed a great bond with Layla, and one day, he asked her if she wanted him to be her father. “Would you be happy if I adopted you, Layla?” he asked, and she gave him a silly smile.
“You ARE my daddy! I’m smart and I know that dads don’t adopt their children!
Layla had always called James “daddy” from the day they met, even though he had told her he wasn’t her father. At one point, he just gave up and let her call him that. But because his finances were not in good shape, he knew he wouldn’t be able to adopt Layla.
So James made up his mind. He decided to leave his voluntary position and began looking for high-paying jobs. The whole process was nerve-wracking, but after several attempts, James was hired as a waiter. It wasn’t something huge, but it gave him hope that he could do better.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
While working as a waiter, James took up some online courses, started studying on his own, and decided to become a private tutor simultaneously. With two jobs, his income increased, but he still needed to do more. His motivation was little Layla, who would come and hug him every time he visited the foster home.
“Daddy, when are we going home?” “I want you to live with me!” She would hope so.
Honey, I can assure you that it will happen soon. Very soon.”
But it did not happen so soon. It took James a whole year to get a stable position at a private firm. His various jobs gave him a lot of exposure, so he was definitely smarter than most applicants and more experienced. Those qualities stood out during the interview, and he was hired.
After he started making good money, James applied for Layla’s adoption. Simultaneously, he happened to meet a woman named Amelia at his firm, and they fell in love at first sight.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
His sympathy for the underprivileged moved her as she had previously worked as a social worker too. Things quickly developed between them, and by the time James had officially adopted Layla, he had proposed to her.
Amelia, I can’t wait! It’s like my dream of starting a family finally came true. Will you marry me? He asked.
James, I’d love to be a part OUR dream! It’s a sure thing!”
Amelia accepted Layla just like she accepted James into her life and loved her like her own child. And having found what he had dreamed of, James realized he needed a powerful push to organize his life. For him, it started the day he crossed paths with Layla.
What can we learn from this story?
- You become a parent by heart, not by biology. While Layla’s biological dad never cared for her and left her, James decided to change his whole life just to have Layla as his daughter. He was a father to her in the real sense.
- Sometimes we need a little push to get our lives in order. James felt lonely without a family and tried to escape it by volunteering and spending time with children. When he met Layla, he realized that he longed for his own family and didn’t want to be alone, and this pushed him to work harder.
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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who ran into an orphan girl who called him dad and his mother her granny.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to [email protected].