I was not going to let one more cautious adult decide that the right time to reunite a brother and sister was somewhere safely off in the future.”

I had spent four months learning patience from this woman, and I drew on all of it, and then I set it aside.

“Gail,” I said.

“For years, the adults in this situation have been deciding what those two children could handle.

Adults decided Silas should give her up at fourteen.

Adults decided a clean break would be best.

Adults decided to route the letters, and restrict the contact, and revisit it later, and later never came.

Every single decision that broke those two kids apart was made by a careful adult going slowly, for the children’s own good.