Kids handed mom's boyfriend a letter to read. When he realized what it was — he couldn’t hold back the tears

In a cozy living room, surrounded by their loved ones, three children stood before a man who had been their father in every way but one. On January 23, Tate, Bella, and Aubree asked their stepfather, Andre James, to officially adopt them. Their mother, Jessica James, shared this deeply emotional moment on Instagram, where Andre, affectionately known as Dre, can be seen holding a laptop handed over by Bella to read out the message she wrote. 

As he opens the laptop, he reads, “Dear Dre, from Tate, Bella, and Aubree. Dre Dre, we wouldn’t have believed ten years ago if Ma told us she’d find a man who would step up as a dad. You have raised us as your own.” His voice trembles as he reads further, “I have learned so many lessons from you. You have been to all my games. We will always be with you. You have been there for us all this time. I love you, and I will always be your princess.”

Sobbing, Andre finishes reading and hugs Bella. He turned around, only to find Aubree holding a placard that asked, “Andre James, will you adopt us?” Shedding joyful tears, he yelled, “Yes!” and held Tate and Aubree. Bella and her mother, Jessica, too, joined the family embrace, all of them clad in matching buffalo plaid pajamas. "3 years later, we finally get to say we are the 'The James Family',” Jessica captioned the video. 

Jessica, now, 35-years-old, met Andre at a local gym a decade ago. They got married in 2017, and since then, Dre has been a steady presence in her kids' lives. The couple also birthed their child, Tyson James, in 2021. The James family didn't just grow with Jessica’s children, though. Andre brought his child, Jordan, who is a 19-year-old, studying at the University of Tennessee. He is referred to as the "bonus child" by his stepmother. Jordan's presence was felt on the adoption day as penned by Jessica, “While @jorrdanjames had his first day back at college and Tyson was at school, they were with us in spirit, and this day will forever be etched in our hearts.”

According to JUSTIA, legally, for a step-parent to adopt a child, consent from both biological parents is necessary. In some cases, if the child is of a certain age (above 14), then the consent of the child is also required. But what creates difficulty is bringing the other biological parent to concede, as they need to give up their parental rights. A report by Iowa State University stated that stepchild adoption is the most common adoption in the US. Preliminary descriptive results indicate that about 1% of children in married, two-parent households have an adoptive stepparent. About 5% of children in stepfamilies have been adopted by a stepparent. 11% of children live with one biological and one step-parent. 

Jessica’s blended family includes five children, bound not by biology but shared memories. In another post, she shared, “This journey has been filled with so much love, patience, and faith, and we are so blessed to share it with all of you. Today, we aren’t just a family—we are a forever family.”  People couldn't hold back from supporting them, "He’s not a step dad. He’s the dad who stepped up!! Congratulations," wrote @sharongall. "Ugh, JESSICA! I bawled the first time you showed me this and I'm bawling now!! Happiest day," commented @emileecoffey. "This keeps me hopeful. Thank GOD for this for your family. I love this post," shared @charlee1of1. @candicemcguire04 said, "That touched my heart. I got teary-eyed. Congratulations."

@jennifer.lynn.hanna chimed in, "That is the meaning of a true man. I have a friend whose husband adopted her 4 kids as well and I think it is wonderful he is that great of a man that they feel that way about him and that he does about them." "Knowing Tate since elementary school. I’m glad he found a happy home," said @martinlutherstokes. @sarah_mac427commented, "Been here since almost the beg. I’ll never get over this... best story!!"

You can follow @jessicabassjames on Instagram for updates on their journey.