An eight-year-old girl pulled off an epic surprise when she asked her stepfather to adopt her in the most adorable way.
Leonardo Avila has known the little girl, Alessandra, since she was about eight months old. But nearly eight years later, she wanted Leonardo to “officially” become her father despite the man already being her stepfather.
“He’s been her Dad since she was seven-and-a-half to eight months old, like he knew her then and when we moved to North Carolina he snapped into that daddy role,” Alessandra’s mother told WIAT News. “She was like ‘I want Papi to adopt me’ and she was really firm so I said ‘OK.’”
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Alessandra decided to surprise Avila with an “adoption proposal” at a baseball diamond earlier this month. Video shows the stepfather walking out onto the field, with a baseball glove covering his eyes, while young Alessandra stands at home plate holding a sign.
“Papi, you are my forever home. Will you adopt me?” reads the sign.
Avila was overcome with emotion.
“It was shocking because it was completely unexpected. I had no idea at the time as I was walking with the glove over my face — I didn’t know what to expect,” Avila told the news station. “We’ve always had this kind of bond, we’re daddy and daughter but it’s best friends always, I tell her she’s my best friend and she says you’re my best friend too.”
Avila filled out the paperwork and a judge made the adoption official.
“It just feels good but also feels normal,” Alessandra said.
Good work, kid.
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