The dimly lit living room that was once filled with a child’s laughter reminded Eleanor over and over again of her profound loss and her inability to move forward. She and her husband, Joseph, lost their daughter Ava to cancer and nothing has been the same ever since. The grief and the pain that settled into Eleanor’s hard was extremely hard to even try to overcome. Eventually, the loss affected her realtionship with Joseph and the two split.
All Eleanor could wish for was to be a mother again.
Five years after Ava’s passing, she decided to adopt a child. Spending hours and hours on adoption sites, Eleanor’s attention was caught by the image of a young girl named Charlotte. This girl’s resemblance to Ava was incredible. They not only had the same hair color, but it seemed to Eleanor that they also shared facial features.
Without hesitating even a bit, Eleanor called Grace Adoption Services.
“Hello, this is Grace Adoption Services. I’m Samantha. How can I assist you today?” a warm voice came on the other end.
“My name is Eleanor. I’m hoping to adopt, and a little girl on your website has caught my attention,” she said, scratching her head.
“We’ll set up an appointment for you to come in and meet us. It’s always best if we do this in person.”
Eleanor was quick to agree. “I’m ready to take that step,” she said. “I want to make a difference in a child’s life.”
On the day of the meeting, Eleanor waited nervously at Samantha’s office.
“It’s wonderful to meet you in person,” Samantha greeted her. “I’ve read your application and can already tell you’d be an amazing parent.”
Eleanor was asked of the reasons she wanted to adopt and plenty of other questions about her background. She was also asked about her partner, with Samantha telling her that two-parent household had greater chances of adopting a child.
Eleanor explained that her relationship with her ex crumbled after the loss of their daughter, but the two were still in contact and trying to mend things between them.
Eleanor then left the agency with high hopes of being able to adopt Charlotte. She was so certain that her wish of becoming a mother again would come true that she even set a child’s room and bought everything Charlotte would need if she becomes her daughter.
What followed was a meeting at the park between Eleanor and Charlotte. Once she laid eyes on her in person, Eleanor was once again struck by the child’s resemblance with late Ava. She bought some coloring books and markers which Charlotte accepted with a quiet “Thank you” as a response.
The day was filled with fun and laughter, and Charlotte even told Eleanor that she would love her to be her mom because she didn’t want to be in the foster care any longer.
In the following weeks, Eleanor and Charlotte developed a stronger bond as Charlotte visited Eleanor’s home, explored her new bedroom, and shared meals with her.
Finally, Eleanor called Joseph. “Ellie,” he greeted warmly. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
“I have some big news to share. Can we meet tomorrow?” she told him.
The following day, Eleanor explained to Joseph that she wanted to adopt. “I can see this means a lot to you. It’s good to see you so alive again,” he responded. “I can’t let grief consume me,” she said. “We can’t let grief consume us.”
In the days to come, Joseph joined Eleanor and Charlotte to dinners and visited them in the house.
Charlotte was happy in what she hoped would be her forever home. “I’ve never had a mom like you. I don’t want to go back to foster care,” she told Eleanor. “I will be, sweetheart. I’ll be your mom forever.”
Finally, the adoption day arrived and Eleanor invited her closest family and friends to witness the beautiful moment. Joseph was also there.
At the hearing, Eleanor and Charlotte stood hand in hand before the judge as he finalized the adoption. Eleanor’s eyes filled with joyful tears as she looked at Charlotte, realizing they were beginning a new chapter together.
In her new environment, Charlotte flourished, serving as a reminder of the love Eleanor and Joseph once lost and the abundant love they still had to offer.
Being part of their lives, Charlotte brought Eleanor and Joseph closer together, and they rekindled their relationship.
One day, out of the blue, Eleanor received a call from Samantha. Her voice sounded strange and Eleanor heart skipped a beat because she could sense something was wrong.
“Eleanor, Charlotte’s biological mother has contacted me,” the adoption agency owner revealed. “She claimed that Joseph could be Charlotte’s biological father.”
“What? Charlotte could be Ava’s half-sister?” Eleanor whispered.
“We need to confront Joseph about this,” Samantha advised. “If he denies it, a paternity test may be necessary.”
“Why does it matter if she gave the kid up?”
“She said that the affair was quick, but if the biological dad suddenly wants to be in the picture, she may want to challenge the adoption,” Samantha explained. “I just want to be sure nothing can mess with Charlotte’s happiness.”
Eleanor hung up the phone and approached Joseph who was gardening outside. She told him what Samantha told her and asked him if he had had an affair with someone. Joseph confessed that he had a one-night thing with a woman whom he met in a support group for grieving parents he had joined after Ava’s death and their separation.
“It was a terrible mistake,” he confessed.
“You mean to say that you might be Charlotte’s father then if this woman gave her up for adoption?” Eleanor asked in horror.
“I left the group soon after she told me she was pregnant. But she might have given the child up for adoption,” Joseph nodded.
Eleanor, overwhelmed, asked about a paternity test which Joseph agreed without hesitation, “I will. I’ll own up to this all the way.”
While they waited for the results, Eleanor spoke to Samantha constantly. “In most jurisdictions, once an adoption is complete, it is generally irreversible,” her now-friend explained softly. When the results finally came Eleanor had a hard time breathing as they were opening the envelope that could change their lives yet again. She read it slowly, “Joseph is…not Charlotte’s father! Thank God!”
Upon hearing this news, Eleanor saw Charlotte’s resemblance to Ava as a miraculous coincidence and a second chance for her family. Through Charlotte, Ava could forever remain a part of them.
At 55, Jennifer Aniston’s latest appearance leaves some fans shocked – “What has she done to her face?”
Jennifer Aniston turned out at the Emmy FYC event for her acclaimed drama, The Morning Show, this past weekend, and her look was undeniably captivating.
But while many agreed that the actress looked nothing short of stunning in a sleeveless, deep red dress, complemented by a matching ruby pendant, there were other question marks that arose regarding her appearance. Namely, what sort of plastic surgery (if any) she has undergone in recent months.
The 55-year-old plays TV anchor Alex Levy on The Morning Show, and the Apple TV+ series has proven wildly popular.
The show’s success – coupled, of course, with Aniston’s iconic past as a star on arguably the most successful sitcom of all time, Friends – has seen her reputation surge in recent years. Aniston has never really experienced a ‘dip’ in her career, but her stock has certainly enjoyed a revival since The Morning Show first aired.
Indeed, for anyone old enough to have lived through the era of Friends, it’s almost strange to accept that in five years time, Aniston will be 60 years old.
Time flies, as they say, and even the wealthiest celebrities can’t help but age in front of our faces.James Devaney/WireImage
Or can they?
Well, it’s certainly not something the majority of them readily embrace. Quite the opposite in fact: those with inexhaustible bank accounts tend to doggedly fight the aging process – at least in so far as appearance is concerned – undergoing operations and treatments in a bid to keep themselves looking as young as possible.
Incidentally, Jennifer Aniston was reportedly seen leaving a well-known plastic surgery clinic in Connecticut only a few months ago, prompting speculation that she had gone under the knife.
The clinic in question, The Retreat At Split Rock, is said to specialize in expert upper and lower face lifts, costing around $50,000 to $100,000 each, as well as brow and eye lifts that cost around $30,000 each.
It hasn’t been officially confirmed whether or not Aniston underwent treatment – let’s be honest, which celebrities are completely open and honest about this sort of stuff? – but there are clearly a fair few people online who suspect her look isn’t one hundred percent natural.
Following her appearance at the aforementioned Emmy FYC in New York on Sunday, certain individuals couldn’t resist themselves in pointing out that she looked different to usual.
“What has she done to her face?’’ one wrote in the comments section of a Daily Mail article.
A second added: “Jen is desperately trying to hold on to her old Friends looks. It can’t happen, she is much older now […]’’
“Her face looks weird because of all the work she has had done. She would have looked better with less,” opined a third.
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