The Supreme Soldier in the City

John Brown coughed lightly and said, "Emily, let’s talk about the child."

Emily Berns was in a good mood and replied, "What’s up with the child?"

John Brown earnestly asked, "Emily, when you visit your daughter, what identity do you assume?"

Emily Berns, seeing John Brown’s seriousness and his promise to spend time with her, had to consider how to rightfully bring her daughter home. She said, "I usually go as her foster mother; my daughter has never known I’m her real mother."

John Brown frowned slightly and said, "Our daughter is already over three years old; she’s starting to recognize kin, which makes our situation difficult."

Emily Berns felt somewhat uneasy and said, "I never thought about it before. Now I realize, although my daughter is close to me, in her heart John Smith and Lisa Johnson are her real parents, which is troubling for me."

John Brown thought for a moment and said, "Now we must separate her from them and keep her with us. She’s still young; we can gradually correct this. If we wait until she’s older, it will be even harder."

Emily Berns nodded, feeling a mix of blame and remorse, and said, "Then I’ll listen to you. I hadn’t considered this much before. I didn’t know when I’d find you, so I didn’t dare to bring her along."

"I think it’s better this way: You’re her foster mother, so let’s bring her to live with us. That way, she shouldn’t resist, and then we’ll have John Smith and Lisa Johnson find an excuse to leave. Although she’s young and will miss them, with you around, she’ll likely adapt quickly. If we persist for a while, she’ll gradually forget John and Lisa and accept us."