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Meredith Hall began corresponding with her son 21 years after placing him for adoption. The first letter she sent him was heavily edited by the New Hampshire courts. When it arrived, the letter read, “My name is Meredith ———. I live in ———— on the coast of ———.”

On this week’s Modern Love Podcast, the actress Marcia Cross reads Ms. Hall’s 2015 essay about reconnecting with her son.