A Small Package, A Big Reveal
Toby had a birthday wish that was anything but ordinary.
would eventually share a room with her soon-to-arrive baby sister.
Ezoic
Reflecting on the Past
As time passed, Toby would sometimes remember that chilly evening when he opened the door to discover a cardboard box waiting for him. He would share the story with neighbors or classmates whenever they asked about Michelle’s adoption. “I suppose I prayed for a baby, and one just appeared outside,” he’d say with a smile. Folks would laugh, believing it to be just a fanciful story. Yet Toby insisted it was true. Mark often joked, “Sometimes miracles come in the strangest packaging,” but he understood that the tragedy that led Sherry to abandon her child was far from a laughing matter.
Now, years later, Kevin—I mean Toby—is older and proudly embraces his role as a big brother to Michelle, along with a younger sister they later welcomed into the family. The memory of that day serves as a powerful reminder: family can come together in surprising ways, united by love instead of just blood ties. Toby occasionally thinks about Sherry and wonders if she has any regrets about her choices, but it doesn’t weigh heavily on his mind. He feels at peace with the parents who brought him up and the sibling who came in a box.
What’s the lesson of life? The Andersons believe that love is the true essence of a family, rather than just genetics or self-interest. That greed—much like Sherry’s effort to get the baby back for cash—doesn’t lead to true happiness. She was left with nothing, while the Andersons gained a cherished daughter. Toby’s steadfast desire for a sibling came true, but not in the way they had first envisioned—nor through any direct intervention from Santa. Yet, deep down in Toby’s heart, it felt like a miracle. Mark and Linda just refer to it as fate or grace, a heartbreak that transformed into a blessing.