I was three years old the first time my dad told me I was adopted. We were sitting on the couch, and I had just finished building a tower out of brightly colored blocks. I imagine he smiled at me, but it was the kind of smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

“Sweetheart,” he said, resting his hand on my shoulder. “There’s something you should know.”

I looked up, clutching my favorite stuffed rabbit. “What is it, Daddy?”

“Your real parents couldn’t take care of you,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “So your mom and I stepped in. We adopted you to give you a better life.”

“Real parents?” I asked, tilting my head.

He nodded. “Yes. But they loved you very much, even if they couldn’t keep you.”

I didn’t understand much, but the word “love” made me feel safe. “So you’re my daddy now?”

“That’s right,” he said. Then he hugged me, and I nestled into his chest, feeling like I belonged.

Six months later, my mom died in a car accident. I don’t remember much about her—just a blurry image of her smile, soft and warm, like sunshine on a chilly day. After that, it was just me and my dad.

At first, things weren’t so bad. Dad took care of me. He made peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and let me watch cartoons on Saturday mornings. But as I grew older, things started to change.