Love isn't supposed to have conditions. But for my sister, it did. Without an ounce of guilt, she gave up her adopted daughter after having a biological son. As I tried to comprehend the cruelty, she simply shrugged and said, "She wasn't really mine anyway." But karma was already at her door.

There are moments that shatter you, crack open your chest, and leave you gasping for air. For me, it was four simple words my sister said about her four-year-old adopted daughter: "I gave her back."

We hadn't seen my sister Erin in months. She lived a few states away, and with her pregnancy, we gave her space. But when she gave birth to a baby boy, the whole family decided to visit. We wanted to celebrate.

I filled my car with carefully wrapped gifts and a special teddy bear for Lily, my four-year-old goddaughter.

When we pulled up to Erin's suburban home, I noticed the yard looked different. The plastic slide Lily loved was gone. So was her little garden of sunflowers we planted together last summer.

Erin answered the door bouncing a swaddled bundle in her arms. "Everyone, meet Noah!" she announced, turning the baby to face us.

We all cooed warmly. Mom immediately reached for him, and Dad started snapping pictures. I glanced around the living room, noticing all traces of Lily were gone. No photos on the wall. No scattered toys. No stick figure drawings.

"Where's Lily?" I asked, smiling, still holding her gift.

The second I said her name, Erin's face froze. She exchanged a quick glance with her boyfriend, Sam, who suddenly became very interested in adjusting the thermostat.

Then, without an ounce of shame, she said: "Oh! I gave her back."

"What do you mean, 'gave her back'?" I asked, certain I misheard.

Mom stopped rocking baby Noah, and Dad lowered his camera. The silence felt like concrete hardening around my feet.

"You know I always wanted to be a boy mom," Erin sighed, as if explaining something obvious. "Now I have Noah. Why would I need a daughter? And don't forget, Lily was adopted. I don't need her anymore."

"You GAVE HER BACK?!" I yelled, my gift box dropping to the floor. "She's not a toy you return to the store, Erin! She's a child!"

She rolled her eyes. "Relax, Angela. She wasn't really mine anyway. It's not like I gave up my own kid. She was just... temporary."

The word hit me like a slap. Temporary? As if Lily had been nothing more than a placeholder until the real thing came along.

"TEMPORARY?" I repeated, my voice rising. "That little girl called you 'Mommy' for two years!"

"Ah, well, she can call someone else that now."

I thought of all the times I watched Erin with Lily — reading her stories, brushing her hair, and telling everyone who would listen that she was her daughter. How many times had I heard her say, "Blood doesn't make a family, love does."

"What changed?" I demanded. "You fought for her. You went through mountains of paperwork. You cried when the adoption was finalized."

"That was before," she said dismissively. "Things are different now."

"Different how? Because now you miraculously have a 'real' child? What kind of message does that send to Lily?"

"Look, Angela, you're blowing this out of proportion. I loved Lily... I admit that. But now that my biological son is here, I don't want to divide that love anymore. He needs all my care and attention. I'm sure Lily will find another home."

That's when something inside me snapped. Lily wasn't just Erin's daughter. She was mine too, in a way. I was her godmother. I held her when she cried. I rocked her to sleep.

For years, I had dreamed of being a mother. But life had been cruel. I had miscarriage after miscarriage, each one stealing a piece of me, each one leaving a void that Lily filled with her laughter, her tiny hands reaching for mine, her little voice calling me "Auntie Angie."

And Erin threw her away like she meant nothing. How could she?

Before I could respond, we heard a sharp knock at the door. If only I knew karma had arrived so soon. Sam went to answer the door. From where I stood, I saw two people on the porch, a man and a woman in professional attire.

"Ms. Erin?" the woman asked, holding up an ID.

"I'm Vanessa and this is my colleague, David. We're from Child Protective Services. We need to speak with you regarding some concerns that have come to our attention."

Erin blinked, her face draining of color. "CPS? But... why?"

"We have some questions regarding your adoption process and your ability to provide a stable home for your son."

Erin clutched Noah tighter. "My son? What does he have to do with anything?"

The CPS workers entered and took seats at Erin's dining table.

"We have reason to believe that you expedited the adoption dissolution process and dismissed necessary counseling before relinquishing custody of your daughter, Lily," Vanessa said.

Erin turned to us, her eyes wide, seeking backup. She got none.

Eventually, CPS continued their investigation, and Erin was forced to undergo parenting classes and regular check-ins. Meanwhile, I spent weeks calling agencies, scoured adoption networks, and hired a lawyer. I refused to let Lily be lost in the system.

After three agonizing months, I found her. The first time I saw her again, she hesitated, her little hands curling into fists. But when recognition dawned in her eyes, she threw herself into my arms.

"Auntie Angie! You found me!"

Tears blurred my vision as I held her tightly. "I promised I would, Lily-bug. And I always keep my promises."

Three months later, Lily came home—for good. My husband Alex and I went through every requirement, proving we could give her the love and stability she deserved.

The day I signed the final adoption papers, Lily beamed up at me. "We did it, Mommy!"

MOMMY. The word I had longed to hear, from the child who had always belonged in my heart.

Our life wasn't perfect—Lily had nightmares, she struggled with trust, but we worked through it together, with love and patience.

As for Erin? She never reached out. Not once. But it didn’t matter. Because some families are made, not born. And I had mine.

Lily turned six last week. She wore a butterfly crown, laughing in the sunshine, surrounded by love.

She was home. Where she always should have been.