Carl covered his face with both hands.
When he finally looked up, his eyes were red.
“I thought I buried this secret along with our son,” he said.
“You deserve to know the truth.”
“What truth?”
Carl’s voice trembled.
“When Daniel was born… he wasn’t alone.”
My heart stopped.
“He had a twin.”
The Child I Never Knew
I stared at him.
“You never told me that.”
“You were unconscious,” Carl said. “You were losing blood. The doctors were trying to stabilize you.”
He wiped his eyes.
“Daniel was healthy. But the other baby wasn’t breathing properly. They rushed him to the NICU.”
“A social worker came to talk to me about a neonatal placement program. For babies who might not survive.”
“And you signed?”
“I signed the forms they gave me,” Carl said quietly.
“When I woke up,” I whispered, “you told me only Daniel survived.”
“I thought it was true.”
Carl swallowed hard.
“A week later the hospital called.”
“He was still alive.”
My voice shook.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Carl’s answer came out in a whisper.
“Because I couldn’t bear to watch you lose him twice.”
The words hit like a knife.
“The social worker said a couple wanted to adopt him,” Carl said.
“I thought I was protecting you.”
“You erased him,” I replied.
Carl said nothing.
