In the legal documentation that came before the U.S. Supreme Court, she is simply known as “Baby Girl.” That's where the simplicity ends.

At 3 years old, Veronica has been at the center of an adoption case so controversial that even after a ruling Tuesday from the nation's highest court, the toddler's fate isn't clear. Still, the court's decision in this high-stakes tug-of-war that has roots in Oklahoma was the right one and, we hope, will jump-start efforts to return the girl to her adoptive parents.

Every adoption case has its nuances. Veronica's case didn't initially appear to be unusually complicated. The mother and father, who were both living in Oklahoma, weren't married; the father had not even feigned interest. He offered no support for mother or baby and told the mother via text message before the baby's birth that he relinquished his rights. The mother, working through an adoption agency, selected a South Carolina couple to become the baby's adoptive parents. They attended the birth in Oklahoma.