Beautiful Moon

This poignant and heartfelt novella chronicles the journey of an adoptive couple, as they navigate the joys and challenges of adopting their daughter YueMei from China. Told through a tapestry of memorable moments, the story captures their transformation into a family while exploring themes of love, resilience, and identity.
The journey begins with the couple's diligent preparation, including assembling their adoption dossier and facing an unexpected setback when it is destroyed in a mailbox fire outside the Chinese consulate. Despite the obstacles, Casey and Ben remain steadfast in their determination to bring their daughter home.
When they finally meet YueMei in a bustling Changsha hotel, their lives change forever. Ben's poignant interaction with a man from New Jersey on the elevator-who declares, "That kid just hit the lotto"-underscores the mutual fortune of their new bond. Casey, too, reflects on her role as a mother, from teaching YueMei to play with toys to cherishing nightly storytime routines.
As YueMei grows, her precocious questions about her birth mother and heritage prompt Casey to embrace "frontloading," a compassionate practice of helping YueMei imagine her roots. The story's emotional climax comes one moonlit night when YueMei asks, "Do you think my Chinese mommy likes the moon as much as I do?" The scene beautifully portrays the complexity of adoption-the joy of newfound family and the lingering wonder about the past.
Through its tender vignettes, the novella celebrates the universality of love while honoring the uniqueness of YueMei's story. Casey and Ben's reflections reveal their deep gratitude for being chosen as YueMei's parents and their awe at the courage of her birth mother, who gave them the greatest gift of their lives.
The novella concludes with a sense of hope and unity, as Casey, Ben, and YueMei continue their journey as a family, bound together by love, resilience, and the unshakable belief that they were meant to find each other.