He hesitated.
“There is one thing we still need to establish. We don’t know whether Helen discovered anything later.”
I thought of my mother in the hospital.
I remembered how she used to hold me whenever I had nightmares. I remembered my father teaching me to ride a bicycle, my first day at school, and the small birthday parties they organized even when money was tight.
They had loved me.
That much had never been in doubt.
But I had spent my entire life believing I knew where I came from.
Now I had discovered that my story began somewhere else.
“Can I take these documents?” I asked.
“Of course.”
“And I want the DNA test completed before anyone announces anything publicly.”
Richard nodded.
“That is entirely your decision.”
Margaret reached for my hand.
“Will you come back?”
I looked at her.
“Yes, Grandma. I will.”
She smiled.
For the first time that evening, I saw something other than pain in her face.