Emily Brooks last saw her daughter, Lily, in a mall restroom. She heard water running and Lily laughing. Then, in just a moment, Lily was gone.
Two years later, Emily was walking on a beach in California when she suddenly heard a voice that stopped her. She saw a little girl carrying a bucket. The way the girl stood looked very familiar. Emily quietly said, “Lily?”
Before the girl could answer, a tall man wearing sunglasses called out, “Sarah! Come here!” The girl ran to him.
Emily rushed over and said the girl was her missing daughter, Lily Brooks. She told the man Lily had been gone for two years. The man said Emily was wrong and claimed the girl was his daughter named Sarah. He told Emily to back away.
Emily refused. She kept saying the girl was hers and followed them. Soon, the police were called.
At the police station, the man showed his ID and insisted the girl was his child. When officers asked the girl her name, she said it was Sarah. After questioning both adults, a detective told Emily there was a strong chance the girl really was her daughter.
A few days later, DNA test results confirmed it. The girl was Lily Brooks. Emily cried with relief and joy.
The man said he believed he had legally adopted Lily, but he could not explain how. He said a woman gave the child to him but refused to name her. After further investigation, he was arrested for illegal custody.
Even though Emily finally had her daughter back, the reunion was not easy. Lily was too young to remember her mother and did not understand what had happened. Emily had to be patient and gentle to rebuild trust.
At first, their visits were supervised by a social worker to help them adjust. Over time, things improved, and Emily and Lily were able to be together again as a family.