In The Window Behind Her
This woman had been watching her daughter as the young girl practicing for the dance recital. After some time, Evie walked over to where she was sitting. Gina noticed the way her daughter’s face changed as she stopped mid-step.

In The Window Behind Her
Sending Chills Down Her Spine
When her mother asked what the matter was, Evie simply pointed at the floor-length window behind them. Who was the girl that had been staring at the pair? What about her made the older woman freak out like that?

Sending Chills Down Her Spine
There Was Something Missing
Gina Crotts hails from Saratoga Springs, Utah. She used to think that the difficult decisions she made earlier in life were behind her. Now 38 years old, she was married to the man of her dreams, Brandon. They are the parents to three lovely children: two boys and one girl.

There Was Something Missing
Something Was Missing
Even though she was happy with the current state of things, there had always been something missing in her life. Gina was shocked to finally face it at last. Her name was Kalyn.

Something Was Missing
She Made A Tough Decision
When the story took place, Gina had been dealing with this matter for the past 18 years. She made her choice a long time ago, and there was nothing she could do but to live with it. But no matter how hard she tried, it was hard for her to push her guilt and regrets down. This is the thing with emotions – you cannot really silence them forever. However, what did her family think about her past?

She Made A Tough Decision
The Moment That Changed Everything
It was nearly two decades, but Gina could still vividly recall the moment that changed her life forever. She said, “The double red lines on my pregnancy test kept presenting itself, in my mind, like flashing neon lights. Positive. Positive. Positive.

The Moment That Changed Everything
What Was It Going To Be?
That $6.99 plastic stick read everything about me, my past, my future, and who I would be labeled as for the rest of my life.” After that, it was time for her to decide. What was it going to be?

What Was It Going To Be?
She Was A Young Girl
Back then, she was just 19 years old. She was only a child herself, so how could such a thing happen? She tried to calm her nerves by taking a hot bubble bath and repeating her mantra of sorts, “I’m fine. I can do this. It’s ok. I’ll be ok.”

She Was A Young Girl
Reflecting
Gina reflected on the past and tried to see what led her to that point. Still, reflecting on it was not going to change anything. She had to make a call, but it was not going to be easy.

Reflecting
It Broke Her Heart
As you can imagine, it is not easy to decide to carry out an entire pregnancy and put the baby up for adoption. It was a struggle for her every day, and she did not know if she made the right call.

It Broke Her Heart
A Mix Of Emotions
“It was really hard… the whole pregnancy leading up to that one moment of delivery that’s supposed to be joyous, bringing life into the world… “ she said, “It was a mix of grief and happiness… but knowing what was coming after, a lot of heartaches.”

A Mix Of Emotions
Her Little Butterfly
“She spent a night with me and my family in my parents’ home before placing her the next day,” she recalled. “Having time with her outside of the hospital helped a lot.” Gina penned a poem for little Kalyn on the day that she gave up the baby. Called ‘My Little Butterfly,’ it spoke about the sacrifice she made.

Her Little Butterfly
She Tried To Forget About It
Kalyn, fortunately, had been adopted by a lovely couple. This made Gina feel better about her decision. They had the capability to give this little girl everything that she could not. After moving out of her folks’ home, she found it hard to pay the bills.

She Tried To Forget About It
It Was Tough
However, she had never forgotten about the daughter she had was once forced to abandon. In the following years, she tried to move on by keeping herself busy and not think about what had happened. But it was difficult…

It Was Tough
The Love Of Her Life
She eventually met Brandon, and they started a whirlwind romance together. They ended up tying the knot and having three kids of their own. Gina was under the assumption that this new part of her life would make her forget about Kalyn at last.

The Love Of Her Life
Gina’s Other Daughter
However, her other daughter, Evie probably made her think a lot about the child that she had to give up. On top of that, Evie was also the one to recognize her older sister! How could that even be possible?

Gina’s Other Daughter
Looking Through The Window
Evie was 13 years old when this happened. As Gina watched the young girl at dance rehearsal, there was actually someone watching them from the window. Evie rushed over to her mom as soon as she was done. However, she froze in her tracks when she saw the girl at the window. When Gina turned, she could not believe what she was seeing.

Looking Through The Window
Their Eyes Met
Gina must have been shocked when she locked eyes with Kalyn, the daughter she last saw 17 years ago. The teenager recognized her right away! Could it have been fate? Gina said, “I was sitting with my back to the window, I turned back and that single wall and six feet were all that was between us.” However, did Kalyn want to meet her?

Their Eyes Met
What To Do Next
“I was shocked at first, then a second later full of sheer excitement, then hesitation in case she didn’t want to see me,” Gina said. “I stopped at the door, I didn’t want to walk out and see her walking away because she wasn’t ready. Her adoptive dad gave her a choice, I didn’t want to confuse her and needed to be sure it was what she wanted.”

What To Do Next
Time To Find Out
Her heart was beating very fast. Gina decided to wait even though she was very excited. She needed to know, so she took a deep breath and head outside. This mom hoped that Kalyn did not go anywhere.

Time To Find Out
In A Heartbeat
She continued to say, “I could have run out there in a heartbeat, but I was cautious for her feelings,” she said. “When I opened the door, she was standing in front of me.” Did Kalyn leave or did she wait for her birth mother?

In A Heartbeat
The First Question
“The first thing I asked her was, ‘Are you happy?’ she said ‘Yes’ and we were hugging, I had to pull away because I wanted to look at her,” Gina went on. “We couldn’t help but stare at each other, as we talked for longer, we would just look at each other and laugh.

The First Question
Completely Unbelievable
It really is wild and extraordinary to think about the odds and how it was such a great moment for me, I feel very fortunate.” What a relief it must have been for both of them!

Completely Unbelievable
She Recognized Her Older Sister
But how was it possible that Evie knew what her half-sister looked like despite never having met her? The truth is that Kalyn’s adoptive parents occasionally sent Gina updates about how things are going for the young girl.

She Recognized Her Older Sister
Grateful For The Updates
They always sent her a photograph every year. Gina shared, “I would receive a letter and a few pictures every year, I was given quite a bit of detail on how she was doing, how her life was going and more. I got to know a little about how happy she was, her hobbies, and seeing the pictures helped to settle my heart.”

Grateful For The Updates
She Did Not Leave Them In The Dark
It also helped that Gina did not keep Kalyn a secret from her younger children. As a matter of fact, Evie had a photograph of her big sister in her room! “It was our decision not to surprise our children with their big secret sister and for them to know everything about her.

She Did Not Leave Them In The Dark
Always A Part of Our Lives
Kalyn was a part of our lives before meeting again, she wasn’t there but it always felt like she was with us,” Gina explained. Gina and Kalyn then swapped numbers after they had that chance encounter at the dance class.

Always A Part of Our Lives
Getting To Know Each Other
Because of this, they were able to bond over texts. At last, Gina had the opportunity to get to know her long-lost child! “We are very fortunate it played out in this way, I’m very aware most birth moms don’t get this experience and I’m very lucky for how my story ended up,” she explained with delight.

Getting To Know Each Other
Becoming A Better Person
She continued, “Placing her for adoption did not mean I forgot about her but actually pushed me to be a better person, I wanted to be someone she would be proud to meet someday. And I certainly hope that’s how she feels.

Becoming A Better Person
What She Had In Mind
“I’m pretty overwhelmed but just as excited to see where the relationship goes from here,” shared Gina. However, what does her daughter have to say about the entire situation? Now a high school senior, Kalyn explained, “When I first met everyone, walking into the door I felt wrapped in so much love.

What She Had In Mind
Forgiving Teenager
She further said, “Here were all these people who had been loving me for 18 years, and I was just meeting them.” We are glad to hear that the teenager did not have any feelings of resentment toward Gina.

Forgiving Teenager
Meeting ‘Angel Gina’ At Last
Kalyn grew up hearing all about ‘Angel Gina.’ On top of that, she also had a binder that was filled with letters not only from her birth mother but the rest of the family as well. The teenager kept a framed photo of Gina too.

Meeting ‘Angel Gina’ At Last
A Huge Dream
It had always been her dream to be reunited, but not once did she think that this was how it was going to happen. If you ask us, this is proof that the universe has a plan for each and every one of us. What led her to that window on that particular day anyway?

A Huge Dream
What Drew Her There
It turns out that Kalyn herself took ballet classes when she was a young girl. This explains why she still felt fascinated by the dance. She felt drawn to the window and wanted to see the dancers perform. Kalyn even remembered that she wanted the girl to move so that she could have a better view!

What Drew Her There
A Seemingly Unfillable Heart
At the time, she had no idea that it was actually her half-sister talking to her birth mother. If you want to hear more about this incredible story, you should check out the book that Gina wrote about it: “A Seemingly Unfillable Heart.”

A Seemingly Unfillable Heart