I was left alone in the kitchen with Hailey still perched on the pillow, now with the tablet on her lap, and Lisa who squirmed in her high chair. These two kids were now mine to take care of. The weight of the responsibility sat squarely on my shoulders as I watched them. I didn’t feel like a mother. Would they ever accept me? Maybe I should lower my expectations and start by becoming their friend. That was the first step.

I approached Hailey and smiled. She eyed me curiously. “Hello, Lisa I’m Ayla.” Some of the banana oatmeal she’d had for breakfast stuck to her cheek. I reached for...