There, my world came to a stop.
Hanging on the clothesline were baby diapers.
My thoughts raced.
“Why is there a baby here? Does he have a child with someone else?!”
I nearly fainted.
Tears streamed down my face, my heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest.
My mind was a storm of anger, grief, and confusion.
Then a voice suddenly spoke behind me.
“Ma… Ma…”
I turned around and saw a little girl, about three years old, smiling brightly. She was holding a small teddy bear.
Beside her was Jason—crying, his body trembling.
“Child… this… this is the reason…”
He gently stroked the girl’s hair.
As I stepped closer, I noticed documents and medical forms laid out on the kitchen table.
That was when I finally understood the truth:
The diapers were not for another woman.
The child was someone Jason had taken in through a foster care program in Cebu—a little girl they had become godparents to.
For three years, Jason had been caring for her with the help of a foster care agency—a child with almost no family, desperately in need of love.
He did it in secret because he didn’t want to hurt me while we were still struggling through our IVF journey.
A flood of emotions washed over me: shock, anger, tears, and love.
Jason stepped closer and looked me straight in the eyes.
“Love… I know you’re shocked, and maybe hurt too. But everything I did, I did for us—and for this child. I didn’t want to add to your pain while I was raising her in Cebu.”
The little girl smiled and reached out her hand.
“Ma, hi…” she said, her voice soft and sweet.
My heart gave in.
I hugged Jason, then embraced the little girl.
For the first time after years of sadness and childlessness, I felt our family was complete—not because of blood, but because of love and sacrifice.
After the shocking discovery of the diapers and the child, calm slowly returned to Nanay Cely and Tatay Berting’s house.
Rina sat beside Jason and their child, unable to fully understand what she felt—anger over Jason’s secrecy, yet deep love and gratitude for his sacrifice.
“Love… I’m sorry for all the secrets, but I did this for you and for our family,” Jason explained.
Rina smiled through her tears.
“But what matters is that we are here now… together with the child we are meant to love.”
The little girl entered their lives not just as a foster child, but as a symbol of new hope.
They decided to continue their IVF journey—but now with added strength and inspiration: a child who taught them the true meaning of love and family.
Months passed, and Rina and Jason’s relationship grew stronger.
Rina also chose to share their story with a community group of OFWs and families, to show that love, sacrifice, and perseverance can create a real family—not only through blood, but through the heart.