A 26-year-old woman surprised her mother’s ex-husband by asking him to adopt her — and he said yes.
Lauren Flores-Walton, a chef at the Wooster Country Club in Massachusetts, has called Scott Dunster, 43, “Dad” her entire life. The two are not biologically related, but when Flores-Walton was a newborn, Dunster married her mom and the couple had a daughter of their own. And although they divorced after eight years and Dunster is remarried with a 6-year-old, he and Flores-Walton have stayed close.
Recently, Flores-Walton decided to make their relationship official. On Monday, before the two hit the Boston Garden to watch the Bruins play the Columbus Blue Jackets in ice hockey, Flores-Walton handwrote a sign reading, “Hey Dad… 26 years seems long enough don’t think?! Want to adopt me?” She posted a photo of the sign on Instagram, where it received more than 4,000 likes.
“Tonight I’m taking my dad and grandfather to the #bruins game at #tdgarden and he doesn’t know that I’m going to ask him quite a big question!” wrote Flores-Walton in the post. “For those who don’t know, I have an insanely lucky story when it comes to my dad. My biological father isn’t important here, but his role in stepping down was the best thing he could have done for me. Then here comes Scott, who fell in love with my mother and a 3-month-old me. Although they eventually got divorced, Scott remained my dad, and I will forever be grateful for that. He CHOSE to be my dad, and the only thing that was ever in our way of making it official was some stupid paperwork my biological father would never sign or send back. Well now he has no say, and I think 26 years is long enough. It may be just a piece of paper, but to us I know it will mean more, and no matter the outcome he will always be my dad. So wish me luck when I show him this sign tonight and #letsgobruins!!!”
During the marriage, Dunster was unable to adopt Flores-Walton because her biological father had parental rights. However, he still cared for the girl as though she were his own.
“Scott has always been there, whether it’s buying me a video game or attending graduations and other celebrations — any event that was important to me,” Flores-Walton tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “I would have asked him to adopt me sooner, but I’ve been busy with my career. Now that I’ve moved back to the Boston area to spend time with my family, it’s the right time.”
Flores-Walton came up with the low-key ask because, “I didn’t want to embarrass my dad in public. He’s pretty conservative.” So she wrote the sign in the bathroom of the ice rink and presented it to her dad in the stands. She also shared an Instagram video of the emotional moment at the rink.
“He had a huge grin on his face and said, ‘I want to, I’ve always wanted to,’” says Flores-Walton. The two have loads of paperwork ahead — the process, even for adults, can take up to six months — and Flores-Walton’s mother has offered to help with the costs.
“It was a nice moment,” says Flores-Walton. “It shows that miscellaneous people can come together and be a family.”
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