Clara’s tears spilled freely that night, relief mingling with dread. Because even as Emily spoke her love, a new silence settled between them—a silence filled with questions. For the first time, Emily wondered where she had come from, who had carried her before Clara, why she had been left behind.
At first it was subtle. A glance at family trees in history class. A hesitation when friends talked about resemblances with their parents. Then, as her eighteenth birthday neared, Emily came into the kitchen with a tentative smile. “Mom…would it be okay if I took one of those DNA tests? Just to see?”