When the Eight-Year-Old Boy We Were Adopting Came Home With Everything He Owned in a Black Bag—Then My Missing Brother’s Watch Fell Onto His Bed

Sarah and David on a beach.

Tessa cried during our first video call.

“I kept hoping someone would find David’s people.”

I felt ashamed.

“We should’ve found you sooner.”

“You didn’t know.”

Neither side needed blame for a search system that had incomplete information.

Oliver developed two family histories.