As soon as Andrew arrived at the meeting location, he felt that something wasn't quite right. Then, suddenly, a group of strangers appeared from behind the bushes.
He tried to run, but it was too late...
Garbage Bags
Little Andrew hated the smell of garbage bags with a passion.
The smell of ones full of trash didn't bother him, though. It was the empty, clean bags that triggered him. The scent brought back memories of a woman taking him away from his family and leaving him with a bunch of strangers.
Foster Child
Andrew didn't want to leave his home and his family, but he knew he couldn't stay. That was when he first found out what it meant to be a foster child.
But how did it happen?
Moving Out
Andrew stayed in many foster homes throughout his childhood. Every time he had to move out, he packed his things in trash bags.
Worst of all, he didn't know how long he would stay in his new foster home. But everything changed when he met Kevin Gill and his wife.
Kevin and Dominique
When Andrew met Kevin and Dominique Gill, he expected to stay with them for a few weeks at most.
Then, after a month of living with them, he overheard them having an interesting conversation about him.
Argument
The couple was talking about what it meant for them to be a happy family.
The day before, Andrew had a big argument with them because he didn't feel like he belonged there. Would they ask him to move out?
Minecraft
As Andrew listened to their conversation, he noticed the couple's son, Joc, playing Minecraft.
"Can I join you?" he asked. The boy smiled and said, "Of course!"
Bonding
Andrew and Joc played Minecraft together for a couple of hours, building houses and digging holes in the ground.
Slowly, Andrew felt his anger slipping away. It turned out that he and Joc had a lot in common. But would Kevin and his wife let him stay?
Social Worker
Andrew stayed with the Gill family for a few more months until someone from social service came to pick him up. The woman said she was a social service worker and asked Andrew to follow her to the park.
"Here we go again," Andrew thought to himself as he followed her to the bench. He burst into tears when he saw who was waiting for him there.
Surprise
Mr. Gill and a few other people were waiting for him on the bench. They held up signs that read, "Will you be a part of our family?"
Andrew couldn't believe his eyes. Did they really want to keep him?
Congratulations
The other signs that the Gill family held said congratulations and spelled the official adoption day.
Andrew ran into the couple's hands and cried from happiness. It turns out that the Gills were never planning to adopt, but Andrew changed their minds.
Not Enough Room
The Gills didn't think they could adopt a child because they didn't have much room in their house.
But when they heard that Andrew's adoption fell through, they decided to give him a chance at having a loving family.
God's Plan
"Our mindset was we'd help him until he found his forever home," Dominique told local news.
"But after the second adoption didn't work out, I realized God put Andrew in our lives for a reason. God made sure the adoption didn't work out so he could come back to us," Kevin said.
Tears Of Happiness
Andrew cried with happiness when he realized that the Gills wanted to keep him forever.
He thought that the couple didn't like him that much and only let him stay with them because they felt sorry for him.
Strong Bond
Andrew's bond with the couple's son, Joc, has gotten even stronger after he was officially adopted, and it made the Gills very happy.
Now, Andrew has a real family!