Once she decided to go through with the photoshoot she set a few ground rules. She wasn’t going to starve herself and she didn’t want any retouching of her photos, except for “a few dimples on her thighs.”
“My grandmother said to me [when I was little], ‘Mother nature was not as kind to you as she was to other little girls. Maybe you need to start wearing makeup.’ I just never saw myself this way.”
She added, “I know what I look like before I go into hair and makeup, so it’s hard for me to go from that to [the cover]. That’s something I have to process myself.”
King had nothing to worry about.
When she arrived at the photo shoot in Mexico, she said photographer Yu Tsai made her feel like “Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry all rolled into one.”
“I felt so comfortable and cared for that I didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious.”
“I never in a million years thought I would be standing here in a bathing suit for Sports Illustrated [Swimsuit], but here I am, which says to me that sometimes people can dream, God can dream, the universe can dream a bigger dream than you can ever think for yourself,” King told Sports
Illustrated. “I would have never thought this was possible. This was nowhere on my bucket list. So I’m thinking maybe it was a dream that I didn’t even know I wanted because now that I’m here, I want it bad.”
Gayle looks amazing! I think it’s wonderful how Sports Illustrated showcases all different ages, body types, and races in their issue. We’re not all the same, and everyone deserves to be represented.
My Wife and I Went to an Orphanage to Adopt a Child and Found a Girl Who Is a Carbon Copy of Our Daughter
When my wife and I visited an orphanage to adopt, we never expected to meet a little girl who looked exactly like our daughter at home. The shock deepened when we discovered the unimaginable truth.
“Emily, are you ready? My mom will watch Sophia, so we have the whole day.” I tied my shoes as my wife came down the stairs. She looked nervous, brushing invisible wrinkles off her blouse.
A woman fastening her zipper | Source: Pexels
“I think so, David,” she said softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “I just… I hope we’re doing the right thing. What if the child doesn’t connect with us?”
I walked over and held her hands. “We’ve talked about this for months. You’ve read every book. We’re as ready as we’ll ever be. Besides, no child could resist your pancakes.”
Emily chuckled, her cheeks flushing pink. “Thanks for that vote of confidence.”
A smiling man talking to his wife | Source: Pexels
Sophia, my five-year-old daughter from my first marriage, poked her head out of the living room. “Can I have pancakes tomorrow, Mommy?”
Emily’s face softened. “Of course, sweetheart.” She smiled, but there was a flicker of sadness in her eyes. I knew she loved Sophia like her own, but I also knew she wanted another child who would call her “Mommy” from the start.
A smiling woman in a dress | Source: Midjourney
As we drove to the shelter, the air in the car was thick with anticipation. Emily stared out the window, twisting her wedding ring.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m just scared,” she admitted. “What if we can’t find a child who feels like… ours?”
I reached over and squeezed her hand. “We will. It’s like you always say—love finds a way.”
A nervous woman in a car | Source: Midjourney
When we arrived, the shelter director greeted us warmly. Mrs. Graham was an older woman with silver hair and kind eyes. “Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.”
Emily nodded, a small, polite smile on her face. “Thank you, Mrs. Graham. We’re excited and… a little nervous.”
“That’s natural,” Mrs. Graham said reassuringly. “Why don’t we start with a quick chat in my office?”
A smiling woman in her office | Source: Pexels
In her cozy office, surrounded by photos of happy families, we explained what we were looking for in a child. “We’re open to any background,” I said. “We just want to feel a connection.”
Mrs. Graham nodded. “I understand. Let me show you the playroom. The kids are all unique, and I think you’ll feel that connection when it’s right.”
A smiling woman wearing a black sweater | Source: Pexels
The playroom was alive with laughter. Children were running, drawing, and playing games. Emily’s face lit up as she saw a little boy building a tower of blocks.
“Hi there!” she said, crouching beside him. “That’s a tall tower. What’s your name?”
The boy grinned. “Eli. Don’t knock it over!”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Emily said with a laugh.
A woman playing with a boy | Source: Midjourney
I found myself chatting with a girl drawing on a chalkboard. “What are you making?”
“A unicorn,” she said confidently. “You’re big. Are you a dad?”
“I am,” I said. “Do you like dads?”
“They’re okay,” she said with a shrug.
Emily caught my eye across the room, her expression a mix of joy and confusion. I knew she was feeling the same thing I was. How could we possibly choose anyone?
A puzzled man | Source: Freepik
I felt a tiny tap on my shoulder and turned around. Standing there was a little girl, maybe five years old, with big, curious eyes.
“Are you my new dad?” she asked, her voice soft but confident.
My heart stopped. She looked just like Sophia—same honey-brown hair, same round cheeks, same deep dimples when she smiled.
“Uh, I…” My voice caught in my throat.
A shocked man | Source: Pexels
The girl tilted her head, studying me with an expression of innocent expectation, like she already knew the answer. Then, as if to confirm something in her mind, she reached out her hand.
That’s when I saw it—a small, crescent-shaped birthmark on her wrist. My heart raced. Sophia had that exact same birthmark in the same spot.
A young girl in a playroom | Source: Midjourney
“Emily,” I whispered, turning to my wife who had been standing a few feet away. She was gripping the edge of a table for support, her face pale. “Look at her wrist.”
Emily stepped closer, her eyes wide. “David… she—she’s…”
The little girl smiled shyly. “Do you like puzzles?” she asked, holding up a piece. “I’m really good at them.”
A girl showing a man a puzzle | Source: Midjourney
I knelt down, my knees barely holding me as my mind spun. “What’s your name?” I managed to ask, my voice trembling.
“Angel,” she said, her voice bright and cheerful. “The lady here said it suits me.”
Angel. My chest tightened. That name. It hit me like a lightning bolt. Angel was the name my ex-wife, Lisa, had wanted if we ever had another daughter.
A shocked man holding his head | Source: Freepik
I stood up quickly, my mind reeling. Memories from years ago came flooding back. Four years earlier, Lisa had shown up at my house, nervous and fidgeting.
“David, I need to tell you something,” she’d said, her voice shaking. “When we divorced, I was pregnant. I didn’t know how to tell you. I gave birth to a little girl… she’s yours. I—I can’t take care of her. Will you?”
A sad woman in her living room | Source: Midjourney
That’s how Sophia came into my life. But twins? Lisa had never mentioned twins.
“David?” Emily’s voice brought me back to the present.
I looked at her, then back at Angel. She was still smiling, holding the puzzle piece as if nothing life-changing had just happened.
“I need to make a call,” I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket.
A man talking on his phone | Source: Pexels
I walked to a quieter corner of the playroom and dialed Lisa’s number. My hands were trembling as I waited for her to pick up.
“David?” Lisa answered after a few rings, her voice a mixture of surprise and concern. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
A woman talking on her phone | Source: Pexels
“No, Lisa. Not even close,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m at a children’s shelter with Emily. There’s a little girl here who looks exactly like Sophia. She has her birthmark, Lisa. She’s Sophia’s twin. Care to explain?”
Silence hung heavy on the line. For a moment, I thought she’d hung up. Then, I heard her take a shaky breath.
“David,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “I—I didn’t think you’d ever find out.”
A puzzled man talking on his phone | Source: Freepik
“You knew?” I said, struggling to keep my tone calm.
“Yes,” she admitted. “I had twins. When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. I was broke, barely able to take care of myself. I couldn’t handle two babies, David. I gave Sophia to you because I knew she’d have a better life with you. I… I thought I’d come back for Angel when I was ready, but I never got stable enough. I thought you’d hate me if you found out.”
A sad woman talking on her phone | Source: Midjourney
“Hate you?” I repeated, my voice rising. “Lisa, you lied to me about my own child. You didn’t think I had the right to know?”
“I was ashamed,” she said, her voice breaking. “I thought I could fix it someday. I thought… maybe I’d have a chance to make it right.”
A sad woman talking on her phone | Source: Freepik
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “Lisa, I’m taking her home. Angel is my daughter, and she deserves to be with her family.”
Lisa hesitated for a moment. Then she said quietly, “I understand. Take care of her, David. She deserves the world.”
A serious man talking on his phone | Source: Midjourney
I ended the call and stood there for a moment, letting the reality of the situation sink in. Angel wasn’t just a child who looked like Sophia, she was Sophia’s twin. My twin daughters.
I turned back to the playroom, where Emily was kneeling beside Angel, helping her fit a puzzle piece into the board. She looked up as I approached, her eyes shimmering with tears.
“She’s ours,” I said firmly.
A man talking to his wife in a playroom | Source: Midjourney
Emily nodded, her voice trembling. “I already knew.”
Angel looked between us, her small face lighting up. “Does that mean you’re my new mom and dad?”
I crouched beside her, taking her tiny hand in mine. “Yes, Angel. That’s exactly what it means.”
Emily reached over and hugged her, her tears spilling freely now. “We’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered.
A woman hugging her daughter | Source: Pexels
Angel giggled, wrapping her arms around Emily. “I knew it. I just knew.”
In that moment, I realized something profound: love doesn’t just find a way—it creates miracles. And this was ours.
The adoption process moved faster than we’d hoped. Mrs. Graham and her team were incredibly supportive, guiding us through each step. A week later, it was official.
A woman signing documents | Source: Pexels
The day we brought her home, Sophia was waiting by the door, clutching her favorite stuffed bear. Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Angel.
“Daddy, who’s that?” she asked, her voice curious.
I knelt down, pulling Angel beside me. “Sophia, this is Angel. She’s your sister—your twin.”
Sophia’s jaw dropped. “Twin? We’re the same?” She ran forward, throwing her arms around Angel.
A smiling little girl | Source: Pexels
Angel laughed, hugging her back.
From that moment, the girls were inseparable. They compared everything—birthmarks, favorite colors, and even how they liked their sandwiches. Emily and I stood in the doorway, overwhelmed by the sight of them together.
“We did it,” Emily said, wiping her tears.
Twin sisters playing with a laptop | Source: Pexels
“No,” I whispered. “They did.”
Five years later, our home is filled with laughter and love. Sophia and Angel are sharing secrets and adventures like only twins can.
Emily has embraced motherhood fully, cherishing every chaotic, joyful moment.
A smiling woman on a chair | Source: Pexels
One evening, as the girls practiced a dance routine in the living room, I turned to Emily. “Do you ever think about how far we’ve come?”
“All the time,” she said, smiling.
Watching our daughters together, I realized how love had brought us here. It reminded me that family isn’t about biology only, but about the bonds we choose to nurture.
A man with his daughters | Source: Pexels
And love, as always, found a way.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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