Peter McDonald

That weekend, the Mathinis flew to the Georgia coast to attend a friend's wedding at an exclusive island estate.

That weekend, the Mathinis flew to the Georgia coast to attend a friend's wedding at an exclusive island estate.

That weekend, the Mathinis flew to the Georgia coast to attend a friend's wedding at an exclusive island estate.

They checked into a Best Western. The next morning, September 27th, Mike stepped out to get a coffee and a rental car. Teresa was packing up when her phone rang. This is the call that started it all.

They checked into a Best Western. The next morning, September 27th, Mike stepped out to get a coffee and a rental car. Teresa was packing up when her phone rang. This is the call that started it all.

They checked into a Best Western. The next morning, September 27th, Mike stepped out to get a coffee and a rental car. Teresa was packing up when her phone rang. This is the call that started it all.

Tara Lee had matched them in fewer than two weeks. The birth mom, Stephanie, was pregnant with a boy.

Tara Lee had matched them in fewer than two weeks. The birth mom, Stephanie, was pregnant with a boy.

Tara Lee had matched them in fewer than two weeks. The birth mom, Stephanie, was pregnant with a boy.

Did it surprise you at all that after two years of trying and not being matched, that all of a sudden, working with Always Hope, you've got a match?

Did it surprise you at all that after two years of trying and not being matched, that all of a sudden, working with Always Hope, you've got a match?

Did it surprise you at all that after two years of trying and not being matched, that all of a sudden, working with Always Hope, you've got a match?

They weren't about to question how she did it, though. They just figured Tara Lee had the Midas touch. They'd been trying to adopt for two years when, suddenly, it was like Tara Lee had pressed the fast-forward button on a VCR and sped up their lives in a surreal blur. It felt like magic. Teresa and Mike spiffed up a nursery, bought baby clothes, and installed a car seat.

They weren't about to question how she did it, though. They just figured Tara Lee had the Midas touch. They'd been trying to adopt for two years when, suddenly, it was like Tara Lee had pressed the fast-forward button on a VCR and sped up their lives in a surreal blur. It felt like magic. Teresa and Mike spiffed up a nursery, bought baby clothes, and installed a car seat.

They weren't about to question how she did it, though. They just figured Tara Lee had the Midas touch. They'd been trying to adopt for two years when, suddenly, it was like Tara Lee had pressed the fast-forward button on a VCR and sped up their lives in a surreal blur. It felt like magic. Teresa and Mike spiffed up a nursery, bought baby clothes, and installed a car seat.

But behind the scenes, something terrible was happening that would soon take center stage. A different kind of drama was about to play out.

But behind the scenes, something terrible was happening that would soon take center stage. A different kind of drama was about to play out.

But behind the scenes, something terrible was happening that would soon take center stage. A different kind of drama was about to play out.

Teresa was in the back seat when she got a very strange email from an adoption company she and Mike worked with a while back.

Teresa was in the back seat when she got a very strange email from an adoption company she and Mike worked with a while back.