Chapter 7 - FRANK’S STORY
Frank’s wife, Elaine, died when Diane was seventeen.
Ovarian cancer.
Diane spiraled afterward.
School problems.
An older boyfriend.
Pregnancy at nineteen.
Birth father:
Lucas Reed.
Twenty.
College student.
He wanted to parent initially.
Then his parents threatened to withdraw financial support.
Lucas and Diane argued.
The adoption proceeded with both biological parents’ consent.
No kidnapping.
No stolen baby.
No secretly invalid adoption.
Important.
Frank pressured Diane.
Yes.
He told her she could not raise a child in his house.
Cruel.
But Diane was legally an adult and had independent counseling through the agency.
She later told me:
“I signed because I believed it was right at the time. Dad made that choice lonelier, but he did not forge my consent.”
Good.
No fake adoption drama.
Then why hide letters?
Frank said:
May you like
“I wanted her to move forward.”
That explanation survived approximately one week.
