Pete took a seat beside him, noticing the boy’s dirt-covered hands and the clear signs of malnourishment. The need for urgent medical diagnostics and mental health evaluation was clear. He asked the boy more questions, trying to piece together his story.
The boy’s name was Liam, and he had been lost for nearly two weeks after becoming separated from his parents during a road trip. He couldn’t remember their phone number or address—just a hazy memory of a gas station stop. Pete’s heart sank, thinking about the hospital costs a child like Liam might face without access to private health insurance or emergency pediatric care.
Pete knew he couldn’t just leave Liam there. He took the boy home that night, contacted the police, and called local child services. But the answers didn’t come. Days passed, and no one came forward to claim Liam.
Over the course of the week, Pete found himself growing fond of the boy, caring for him like he was his own child. Liam was bright, kind, and polite, but his eyes held an unmistakable weight, one no child should ever bear—possibly the weight of developmental trauma or untreated prenatal complications that had gone unreported.
Pete even began to entertain the thought of adopting Liam. The boy had become like family, and Pete knew, deep down, that he was becoming more attached than he should be. The idea of initiating adoption proceedings sparked concerns over legal custody rights and the possibility of facing guardianship litigation, especially in the absence of parental identification.
But just as Pete started to settle into his role as Liam’s guardian, a young couple arrived at his door. They were Liam’s parents.
