“I’m not coming back. That’s what I’m telling you. I’m going on the road with my boyfriend, Zak, and I’ll probably never come back,” Madeline continued.

“What about Brandon? You can’t abandon your baby,” I yelled at her, trying to make her see reason. “I’m leaving for college in a few months. Who is going to raise the baby?”

“That’s not my problem. Bye!” Madeline said and walked away. My mother started crying, and Dad could only comfort her.

“What are we going to do about Brandon?” I asked my parents.

“Chloe, can’t you see that your mother is heartbroken? Please, don’t bother us. Go away,” my father answered.

That day, I stopped considering them my family. Clearly, I was on my own, and it looked like they didn’t care about Brandon at all. I was not going to leave him with these people. I would become his mother.

A few months went by, and I had saved up enough to move away. My parents barely noticed that I was leaving and taking Brandon with me.

I worked tirelessly to provide for Brandon and signed up for online college because I needed a flexible schedule. It was hard, but I was making it work. Eventually, I made a great group of friends that would help with Brandon.

Some people judged me for raising a child at a young age, but someone had to do it. He was my biological nephew, but he was now also my son in all the ways that mattered. I would not abandon him like my irresponsible big sister and our parents.

A few years later, I met my boyfriend, Dallas. He was studying law and planned to work at his father’s law practice. He adored Brandon, and we talked about getting married when he graduated.

One day, Dallas was cooking dinner when my doorbell rang. It was Madeline. She looked rough and way older than her age. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Where’s my baby?” she asked immediately and tried to come in, but I blocked the doorway.

“Your baby? He’s not yours, Madeline. You gave him up years ago. He’s my son now, and you can’t see him right now,” I answered. Brandon was playing in his room, and I hoped he wouldn’t come out now.

“You can’t keep me from MY CHILD, Chloe. You’re the most horrible person in the world!” Madeline yelled at me. That’s when Dallas came over and asked her to calm down.

“I will not calm down! I’m going to get my child back no matter what,” she screamed again, but Dallas closed the door in her face. Madeline continued yelling outside for a while until my boyfriend threatened to call the police.

“What am I going to do?” I asked him later that night. “She’s his mother. They could take him away.”

“Don’t worry, baby. I’ll talk to my father tomorrow. He’ll tell us what to do legally so that Brandon never has to leave with that harpy,” he answered. Dallas’ father arranged everything so that I became Brandon’s legal mother.

Soon enough, Madeline returned with my parents. The three of them demanded to see Brandon and get him back, but there was nothing they could do legally. In the end, I discovered that Madeline only returned for Brandon because she wanted to get some benefits from the government.

But she couldn’t do that now that I became his official mother, and she disappeared once again. Luckily, I was not alone anymore, and Brandon would never have to feel what I felt growing up.