Every morning at the orphanage was the same boring unending cycle—wake up, get dressed, eat, and wait. But this particular day felt a bit different.
In one of the rooms, the children were putting on their clothes and fixing their hair. They had all been told to look neat. The atmosphere was full of whispers and questions. Something was going on.
Then the door creaked open, and the sister walked in.
She was smiling. The kids were confused because Sister Tina never smiled.
"Good morning, kids," she said cheerfully.
"Good morning, Sister," they all replied, exchanging glances.
"Alright, everyone, listen carefully," she began. "Right now, we have visitors in my office. They're here to adopt."
At once, the room lit up with excited noises.
She raised her hand gently to calm them. "But," she added, "they want just two boys."
The girls immediately stopped smiling. Some groaned. Others folded their arms and looked away.
The sister continued, "When I call your name, come out quietly."
She started reading from a piece of paper.
"JOSHUA. DIEGO. BENJAMIN. JOHN. DAVID….. CHARLES."
As soon as Charles's name was called, Charlotte turned to him. She smiled and gave him a thumbs up, her eyes sparkling with hope. Charles smiled lightly back and nodded before walking out with the others.
There was a moment of silence after they left.
"Why did they have to pick just boys?" one little girl grumbled. "I wore my best dress for nothing!" She threw herself on her bed and kicked off her shoes.
A few other girls looked annoyed or jealous. But Charlotte just sat quietly, her hands folded on her lap. She wasn't angry or sad. She just hoped they'd at least pick her best friend.