BGM meeting

background: Adopted my second cousin's half sister through foster care. She's lived with us for 28 months; we finalized 19 months ago. I did not know DD existed until a little under 3 years ago My family members who were involved from the beginning are not fans of BM and her relatives (to say the least). There are horrible tales of everything from rejection of DD to hints of pedophilia to multi-generational substance abuse. We just got back from vacation. As we were planning the trip, i found out J's BGM lived in a town we'd be driving through. With encouragement from BM, we elected to meet them - in a public place (Denny's). J had never met these people and seemed indifferent when I mentioned the visit. Two days prior, she got very excited. When we rolled up (10 minutes early) her BGM step-BGF, uncle, aunt, and cousin were waiting. She bonded quickly with her cousin (both kept asking when they could see each other again). But the most magical sight was her with her BGM. Unlike my aunt, this GM was all love. She kept thanking me for being willing to have them in her life. She was humble and caring and grateful we adopted her. When she mentioned her DD (J's BM), she did so without excuses but also with bitterness. I found that rather telling, given the history. We ended up spending 3 hours there - both in the restaurant and in the parking lot. I took a couple quick pictures for J with her BGM. They show a woman who clearly loves J and is delighted to see her. I plan to print them out. Even if we never heard from them again, I figure its good for J to know many people love her. I'm so grateful I took the chance.