This happened while I was in a Memphis Panera on July 13, 2016 for work...

I was in Panera this afternoon about to start a webinar and this cute little 8 year old girl was told NOT to eat the slice of chocolate cake that was staring at her on the table right next to me. Her mom walked away to get their drinks, and then she quickly leaned over the table and licked the entire top of it. The entire top. Like a boss.

It was amazing.

I couldn't help but giggle and she looked up at me, and giggled too. She begged me to keep it our secret, and I promised I would and warned her that her mom was walking back...

And then she said, "No! She's not my mom, I'm about to meet my real mom!!"

But her real mom wasn't her real mom, she was a social worker who had shared a similar past; the little angel didn't realize it until the woman walked in and gave her a hug, and the little girl went from being over the moon to being scared and confused in 2 seconds. This woman was summoned by her adoptive mom to start the beginning of answering this little girl's impossible questions...

Then the little girl asked this woman...

"Does she look like me?" "Is her skin color like mine?" "Do I have any brothers or sisters?" "Is she nice?" "Do my eyes look like hers?" "What does she do?" "When can I meet her?" "Is she nice?" "Where is she?"

And my heart went from giggling to being broken...

The social worker explained to her that her mom was 20 when she had her, didn't graduate from high school and wanted her to be in a happy family who loves God. And that she might have brothers and sisters but could only find out when she's 21, and these questions are sadly "exactly what her mom was worried about" when she gave her to this family.

The little girl didn't and couldn't understand.

....I am so freaking glad we had both giggled over that cake and it was our secret before this all went down. And then, I stood up, gathered my stuff and she smiled at me, and we shared one last giggle even though her heart and mine were clearly breaking.

It was an amazing moment to share with a child who had to be such a grownup while she is such a baby herself.