It was meant to be one of those significant moments in our relationship that would mark a turning point, and that moment was meeting my boyfriend’s parents.

I pictured myself smiling, having pleasant conversations, and possibly even telling James some old family stories that would bring us closer together.

Nevertheless, the instant I entered their home, I had the impression that something was off; it was as if I had entered a location that I was not supposed to be in.

James had a firm grip on my hand as we approached the entrance to the room. As I smoothed down my dress for what seemed like the hundredth time, I felt a buzzing sensation in my chest related to my nerves.

Upon opening the door, his mother welcomed me with a warm greeting and introduced herself as Annabelle. She then introduced her husband as Robins who was also present.

Despite the fact that I was unable to identify the source of the familiarity, I felt a tingling sensation in my chest.

It was their voices and their faces. A perfume of lavender was present in the air, but it was mingled with something more profound, something that evoked memories that I was unable to fully access.

Everything within had an eerily familiar feeling to it. All of these things, including the way the curtains draped over the windows, the worn wallpaper, and even the light that swept across the hardwood flooring, pulled at something that was quite buried deep within me.

My concern increased when I observed that there were small locks with a polished finish on almost all of the doors, from the closets to the pantry. It was as though the house was whispering secrets, and I could feel them closing in on me.

My eyes went to a wall of family photographs, despite my best efforts to concentrate on the courteous discussion that Annabelle had initiated.

Then I became completely frozen. A picture of a young girl with large brown eyes and a smile that was characterized by gaps between her teeth was tucked away in the corner.

My chest tightened up because I realized that I wasn’t just looking at a child at random. My gaze was fixed on my own face.

I was suddenly confronted with memories that I had hidden for a very long time. These memories included hazy visions of warmth, the scent of lavender, stories read before bedtime, and afternoons spent baking cookies. The suddenness with which it all came back took my breath away. A frown formed on James’s face as he leaned in closer to me. “Sandra, it must appear as though you have witnessed a ghost.”

The sound of my voice broke as I pointed to the photograph. “Isn’t that supposed to be me?”

There was complete silence in the room. At the same time as Robins took Annabelle’s hand, her eyes began to well up with tears. His voice was soft as he whispered, “We were your foster parents.” The time after your mother had passed away.

My heart was broken by the words. It was then that I recalled the affection and the security, as well as the day that they told me I had to leave, which was an unbearable day. It was the realization of what I had lost that caused my heart to give out. James stared in disbelief as he attempted to make sense of what he had just recently heard.

Annabelle broke down in tears as she described how they had attempted to adopt me but were unable due to the current system. Despite the fact that they had buried the anguish so deeply that they had never even informed James about it, they had never stopped expecting to see me again. Robins admitted that the locks on the doors were their way of protecting what they could after losing me, of holding on to whatever was left behind after they had lost me.

James sat down next to me, his hand supporting mine as I sat. I admitted to him that I had been unaware of it, that the traumatic experience had caused me to shut off everything. Even though he was conflicted, his expression softened and gave encouragement. Through a hushed whisper, he said, “It’s a lot, but we’ll figure it out together.”

Unbelievably, the afternoon passed in a haze of confusion. An assortment of photo albums materialized, each page including a collection of memories that I had forgotten, such as me wearing a flour-dusted apron and insisting on baking cookies; me clutching to Annabelle’s hand on my first day of school; and me laughing in their backyard. Every picture brought back a new recollection, and every sad laugh from Annabelle and Robins was like putting back together a piece of me that I hadn’t even aware was missing.

When we finally parted ways, the atmosphere that was between us all seemed both heavy and healing. When Annabelle gave me a bear embrace, she whispered that they had never stopped loving me. Robins went on to say that I will always have a place to call home with them. I gave myself permission to give in to the idea for the very first time.

James finally burst the stillness with a wry chuckle while they were driving back to their house. It appears that my parents are the long-lost foster parents of yours. That is not in the least bit weird.

In spite of the pain in my chest, I let out a quiet laugh. “It’s strange, but perhaps it’s meant to be at this point.”

It was a frenzy of activity in the weeks that followed. During the time that James and I spent together working through our emotions, we also made it a habit to have dinners with his parents on a regular basis. As time went on, the fragments of my history started to come together with the shards of my present. Upon entering their residence, I had the expectation of conversing with his parents. Instead, I was able to reclaim the family that I had previously lost, and along with them, I was given the opportunity to start over.