Woman Wonders Why Grandson Doesn’t Look Like Her Son and Takes DNA Test – Story of the Day

A loving grandmother's heart is troubled after people around her constantly tell her that her grandson doesn't look like her son. Tired of hearing this, she resorts to a DNA test, and the results surprise her, to say the least.

Iris was worried. As she sat on a park bench, a woman sitting beside her tapped her shoulder and said, "Your grandson is lovely. I've seen you two come here often. Sometimes, he comes with his dad, right? I bet he takes after his mother."

The woman's remark brought tears to Iris' eyes. "Ma'am," she said. "I think I need to leave. I forgot I had some chores to finish..." And Iris and Danny abruptly left the park, even though Danny insisted he wanted to play more.

It wasn't Iris' fault, to be honest. She was tired of people assuming Danny looked like his mother, Jess. Iris knew he didn't. But it wasn't until recently that she noticed he didn't resemble his father, Brian, either...

Danny and Iris were each other's lifelines. Iris and her husband, Ethan, had been raising the boy together after Jess died because Brian was concerned that he wouldn't be able to balance parenting and his job. He worked in a different city and only spent weekends with Danny.

Danny loved his grandma Iris more than anybody else. She would accompany him to baseball games and watch action movies as they ate pizza, even though, at her age, her choices were radically different. Unfortunately, Ethan was confined to a wheelchair, so it was on Iris to accompany Danny everywhere.

But that's what a grandma's love is like. She does anything and everything to see the bright smiles on her grandchildren's faces.

So it was very hard for Iris when several people told her Danny didn't look like her son. And one night, things just got messier…

"Don't get me wrong, Iris," her younger sister, Claire, said, watching Danny playing with Ethan. "But your grandson doesn't resemble your daughter-in-law. And well, not your son either!"

"Oh, that's not possible…" Iris' cheeks flushed red. "Danny is my grandson. I raised him. You know, children sometimes grow up to look very different from their parents."

"Do they?" Her elder sister, Amanda, raised a brow. "You're spouting rubbish, Iris. You'd better get things checked out before it's too late…You know what I mean, right?"

What happens next may not always be in our favor, but we must have faith in God's plans.

Iris' heart skipped a beat. She could see where the conversation was going. She wished she hadn't invited her sisters home for dinner. It was a terrible idea.

"Oh, I—I don't understand what you're trying to say, but don't forget to have the apple pie. I'll get it now. Danny loves it with vanilla ice cream…"

That night, Iris somehow avoided the topic, but after she tucked Danny in bed and he dozed off, she spent hours sitting by him, silently crying.

"I'm so sorry, honey," she sobbed. "I—I know I shouldn't be doing this, but it's simply to stop all those ugly mouths and prove to them that you're MY loving grandchild..."

With that, Iris secretly took a few strands of Danny's hair from his hairbrush and sent it for DNA testing the following day.

Her heart shuddered at the prospect of the results not being what she had hoped for. But Iris quickly dismissed that thought.

"No, that's not even a possibility. My Danny…he's my grandchild. Oh, I love him so much," she told herself.

Deep down, Iris feared the worst. She knew Danny didn't look like Brian, and she wondered why. She hated herself for arriving at the conclusion Danny may not be Brian's blood, but she composed herself, hoping the DNA test would prove her wrong.

A week later, the test results came. Iris held the envelope in her hands, terrified to open it.

"It doesn't even matter, Iris," Ethan said, his gaze fixed on his newspaper. "We are happy with our family. You're relying on what others say and doubting your son. What mother would do that? I suggest you toss that report."

But Iris couldn't. She recalled Brain and Jess being on the edge of divorce ten years ago, but things suddenly improved, and nine months later, they had Danny.

Iris took a deep breath and read the report. As she finished, she composed herself before turning to her husband. "Ethan," she said. "We need to call Brian. Now."

The words "0% match" in the results stared back at Iris. Danny wasn't her grandchild.

"Mom, listen," Brian's pale face and tense voice worried Iris and Ethan. The couple was on a video call with their son. Thankfully, Danny was at school then. "The thing is—"

"I don't care," Iris interrupted Brian before he could continue his sentence. "I don't care what story you tell me right now, Brian. Danny is my beautiful grandchild, and I will care for him until God calls me home. What bothers me is that I can tell my son did not place enough trust in me... Am I correct, honey?"

"I'm sorry, mom," Brian said quietly. "I know you love Danny more than anything, and well, dad loves him too. Trust me, mom, I love Danny like my son."

"Like your son? He IS your son, Brian! Get that inside your head!"

"Yes, mom, you're right. But the thing is, Jess had a miscarriage, and she was really devastated. We even sought a therapist, but nothing was working. Finally, we decided to adopt and kept it a secret from everyone. Jess... she wasn't in great shape, mom. We were in a different city then, so it wasn't difficult. But just a few months after we took Danny in, well, you know what happened...the car crash, and Jess passed away."

"I see," sighed Ethan. "But son, you should have told us. Your mother and I would not be against adopting a child."

"I'm sorry, dad. It was all for Jess's sake. She'd be hurt if the truth got out that way. Danny was actually abandoned by his birth parents. None of the families had stepped up to adopt him. Jess felt a connection with him, and we brought him home, and that's how little Danny came into our lives. Hey, champ!"

"Dad!" Danny was back from school. He ran to his grandparents and hugged them. "When are you coming to see me?" Thankfully, he hadn't heard the elders' conversation.

"How about dinner at your favorite pizza place this Friday night? I'll take a day off. Mom, dad, what do you think?"

Iris held Danny's hand in hers and said, "Oh, of course, and what is that place this boy wanted to visit? It's a zone…something…"

"No way, Granma! Are you going to take me to the game zone?"

"Yeah, yeah, that place!"

Excited, Danny kissed Iris on the cheek. "You are the best grandma! I love you!"

Iris grinned through the tears in her eyes. "And you have no idea how much grandma loves you. Oh, come here," she said as she hugged him.

Though Danny wasn't Iris' biological grandchild, she promised herself she would be his grandmother, no matter what, because that's what grandmas do. They love their grandchildren.

What can we learn from this story?

• A grandmother's heart is a patchwork of love. Iris' love for Danny remained unchanged even after discovering he wasn't her grandchild by blood because Danny was more valuable to her than anything else.
• What happens next may not always be in our favor, but we must have faith in God's plans. Though the DNA test result went against what her heart had wished for, Iris' feelings for her grandson didn't change. She would always be his grandmother.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who suspects his twins aren't his soon after their birth and takes a DNA test, only to be shocked.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.