I Saw My Mother-in-Law Sneak Into Kid’s Room at Night and Put Something in My Baby’s Mouth — Story of the Day

I had to act fast when I saw that my mother-in-law, Elaine, had snuck into the nursery and was placing a DNA swab in my baby's mouth. I sneak out of bed, ensuring my husband doesn't wake up, and rush down the hallway, desperate to stop Elaine from exposing my secret.

Oliver's wail pierces the night, jolting me awake. Groggy and disoriented, I fumble for my glasses on the nightstand. The room is shrouded in darkness, save for the soft glow of the streetlight filtering through the curtains. David, undisturbed beside me, continues his deep, even breathing, a stark contrast to the growing sense of unease knotting in my stomach.

I reach for the baby monitor to check the feed from the newly installed camera. The screen flickers to life, revealing the familiar, cozy nursery. But something's off. A shadow looms over the crib, large and ominous in the camera's grainy night vision. My heart skips a beat. It's Elaine, David's mother. What is she doing in there at this hour?

My eyes narrow as I watch her lean over the crib. Something is in her hand, small, elongated. A wave of anger washes over me as I watch her hold Oliver steady and push it into his mouth, and that's when it hit me. It's a DNA swab. All the lies, the carefully constructed stories about the pregnancy—everything we've worked so hard to keep hidden is about to unravel.

I can't let Elaine do this. I have to stop her. But how? Confront her? The very thought sends a shiver down my spine. My mother-in-law is not a woman to be crossed lightly. I remember her cold, scrutinizing gaze the day we brought Oliver home, the barely concealed suspicion in her eyes. She never believed our story, I realize now.

Shaking off the paralyzing fear, I throw off the blankets, my movements sharp and urgent. I must stop Elaine from testing Oliver's DNA. Slipping into my robe, I tiptoe out of the bedroom, careful not to wake David. The wooden floorboards creak underfoot as I hurry down the hallway.

Oliver's whimpers from the crib are like a siren call, stirring a fierce protectiveness within me. I push the nursery door open with more force than intended, the sound startlingly loud in the stillness of the night.

Elaine stands by the crib, her figure looming like a specter in the dimly lit room. She turns abruptly at my entrance, her face a mask of surprise. For a fleeting moment, I see a flicker of guilt in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" My voice cuts through the room, sharp and unsteady. "I saw the DNA swab on the camera… you have no right, Elaine!"

I walk across to the crib and glance down at Oliver, who's waving his chubby arms in protest at this midnight intrusion. Elaine recoils slightly, her posture stiffening, eyes darting away from mine. Her hands, now empty, knot tightly in front of her.

"I have every right, Sarah. I'm his grandmother... aren't I?" she asks, her gaze narrowing into a steely glare.

Her words hang in the air. My mind races as I struggle to think of a good comeback, something that will assuage instead of antagonizing her further.

"You… of course you are! How could you ask such a thing?" I demand, my voice rising, tinged with disbelief and indignation. "But how dare you invade our privacy like this?"

Elaine's face hardens. "I'm not as gullible as you think I am," she retorts, her voice gaining strength. "I know you've been hiding something, Sarah, and I have a right to know about Oliver's... origins. Whether he has the right to carry the family name and eventually inherit my family’s business."

"This is crazy. Give me the DNA swab, Elaine." I hold out my hand, my fingers shaking. "We took you into our home when you needed us, and this is no way to repay David and my kindness."

I can feel the carefully constructed facade of our family life beginning to crack, the threat of our secret being exposed growing with each passing second as I stand there, staring at Elaine, waiting (hoping) for her to comply.

Abruptly, Elaine, reaches into her nightgown pocket and pulls out the swab. She slaps it into my palm and then turns on her heel, her movements sharp with frustration.

"This isn't over," she mutters darkly as she strides out of the room. Her departure leaves a palpable void, the tension she's left behind almost tangible.

I lean over and gently lift Oliver. His tiny body shudders with quiet sobs, a clear sign of his distress from the commotion. Cradling him close, I whisper soothing words, trying to calm both him and my racing heart. His small fingers clutch at my robe, seeking comfort.

The room feels smaller now, the walls closing in on me. The weight of Elaine's suspicion and the threat it poses to our family looms over us. I know Elaine would never intentionally harm Oliver, but her actions have already begun to cause him distress.

I may have stopped her tonight, but I'm not fool enough to think she won't try to get another DNA sample. How can I protect Oliver and our family from the impending storm? These questions swirl in my mind, unanswered.

As I rock Oliver back and forth, his sobs gradually subside, and his breathing evens out. The fear and confusion that gripped me begins to settle, replaced by a steely determination. I must protect this little life in my arms at all costs.

I glance back at the door through which Elaine disappeared, her words echoing in my mind. The certainty in her voice and the resolve in her steps spoke of a woman on a mission who wouldn't rest until she uncovered the truth as she saw it. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought of what she might do next.

Sunlight spills softly through the kitchen window, painting the room in a warm, comforting glow. I sit at the table, nursing a cup of coffee, its steam curling into the air. My thoughts are lost in the shadows of last night, each memory a thread in the fabric of our carefully guarded life.

David walks in, his footsteps soft against the tiled floor. He pauses at the sight of me, his face etched with concern.

"Hey," he says softly, pulling out a chair to sit beside me. His hand finds mine on the table, a silent anchor in the storm that's brewing. "Rough night? You should've woken me if Oliver was having trouble sleeping."

"He was sleeping fine until your mom went in there and took a DNA sample from him," I whisper, placing the DNA swab I took from her on the table. "She's looking for answers, David. She wants to know if Oliver 'has the right to carry the family name.'"

"You've got to be kidding me." David's eyes flicker to the swab, his brow creasing in a mix of confusion and concern. "She's digging deep, isn't she? But we've been so careful, and why now? She's never said anything before."

I shrug, feeling a wave of helplessness wash over me. "She's been different since she moved in," I say, remembering Elaine's troubled demeanor over the past few weeks. "Finding out about your father's infidelity... it's taken a toll on her. Maybe this is her way of coping, of trying to find something to hold onto."

David leans back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "It's a good thing you stopped her. This could expose everything, Sarah. Our secret..." His voice trails off, the weight of our deception heavy in the air.

"Yeah," I reply, letting out a sigh. The memory of first holding Oliver, the joy mixed with the fear of our secret unraveling, flickers in my mind. "I remember how perfect he felt in our arms, how right. After everything we'd been through, he was like a new beginning."

David's gaze turns distant, reflective. "He changed everything," he agrees softly. "We just wanted to protect that... protect him."

"What do we do, David?" I ask. "I don't think she's going to give up on this, and I might not be there to catch her next time. If she goes through with the test, it'll all come out."

"We'll talk to her," David says, the determination in his voice mingling with an undercurrent of apprehension. "Maybe there's a way to ease her concerns without revealing everything."

"Misdirection?" I arch my eyebrows at him. "Like when people used to ask if they could touch my belly when I was faking pregnancy?"

"More like a half-truth," he replies. David reaches out, his hand cupping my cheek gently. "We have Oliver now, so it won't be so bad to tell her about our difficulty getting pregnant, will it?"

"Probably not." I sigh, knowing he's right but feeling the uncertainty and fear that comes with the suggestion. "But we have to tread lightly. We can't let this spiral out of control. Elaine… well, she's never liked me much, and I—"

The kitchen door swung open with a force that made us both startle. Elaine stood there, her face was a turbulent canvas of hurt and anger, her eyes blazing with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.

"So, you've been talking about me," she snarls, her voice quivering with a cocktail of betrayal and indignation. "Don't try to deny it; I heard you say my name, Sarah."

David and I exchange a glance, a silent communication that speaks volumes of the danger we now face.

"Mom, it's not what you think," David starts, his voice a careful blend of calm and concern.

But Elaine is past the point of listening. She steps into the kitchen, her movements erratic, driven by a storm of emotions.

"Don't be a fool like I was, David," she spits out, the words laced with pain and bitterness. Her hands are shaking, and her whole body seems to vibrate with unspent energy. "Sarah has been lying to you, just like your father lied to me about all his mistresses. She's been cheating on you, David." Elaine's eyes widen when she spots the DNA swab on the table. "And there's the proof!"

I stare at her in shock, too stunned to speak. I've been so focused on protecting Oliver and the lies I had to tell to keep our secret that I've never once considered exactly what manner of deceit Elaine suspects me of. Her bold accusation hits me like a landslide.

"No, Mom. Sarah wouldn't cheat on me." David shakes his head. "Look, Dad fooled all of us. If Aunt CeeCee hadn't seen him with that woman—"

"Exactly!" Elaine jabs her finger at David. "Never underestimate how well a cheater can lie or the lengths they'll go to to convince you that their love is real. Don't let this little hussy fool you."

Tears fill my eyes. I can empathize with Elaine, but her pain does not give her the right to call me names and accuse me of betraying my marriage vows.

"How dare you?" I ask, finally finding my voice. "I've only ever been nice to you, Elaine! How could you accuse me—"

Elaine lets out a bitter laugh. "Nice? Is that what you call all those things you did to suck up to me? I've been onto you from the beginning, Sarah, coffee shop waitress, gold-digger—"

"Enough!" David shouts. "Don't talk to her like that, Mom. Sarah is the love of my life, and if you're not going to respect her, then you can leave."

"Oh, David, open your eyes! If she's got nothing to hide, then why was she so quick to stop me from taking a DNA sample from Oliver?" Elaine retorts. "I'm telling you now, that boy is not yours."

I can't take it anymore. I run from the kitchen with tears streaming down my face. The last thing I hear is Elaine ranting about inheritance, family traditions, and heirlooms. I shut myself in the nursery, sit in the plush armchair in the corner, and bawl my eyes out.

That's where David finds me later. He kneels on the carpet in front of me and leans in to hug me. "I'm so sorry," he mutters.

"I know she's hurting, but my God!" I sniff. "I'm sorry for running away and leaving you alone with her, babe."

David combs his fingers through my hair. "Don't be. That was not your battle to fight, honey. I told her she needs to start looking for her own place."

I let out a heavy sigh. It would be a huge weight off both our shoulders to have Elaine out of our house and our business, but it also feels wrong to kick her out when she'd moved in here for emotional support.

"She's your mom, so I'll support you, whatever you decide," I said.

"What I've decided is that nobody gets to treat you like dirt." David gently kisses my forehead. "Not even Mom."

I smile and shut my eyes, basking in the comforting warmth of my husband's love. We make a good team, David and I, and always will.

It wasn't until much later, after David left for work, that I remembered the DNA swab I'd left on the kitchen table. I immediately rushed to the kitchen to retrieve it, but it was too late. The DNA swab was gone.

Elaine sits on the edge of the bed in her son's guest bedroom, a solitary figure engulfed in shadows. The only light comes from a single lamp, casting a soft glow that does little to dispel the gloom that seems to hang in the air.

In her hands, she holds the DNA sample, her fingers trembling slightly as she contemplates her next move. The small vial feels heavier than it looks, laden with the weight of the decisions that brought her to this moment.

The room around her is disheveled, with personal belongings scattered haphazardly, a stark contrast to the orderliness that once defined her life. Painful memories flood back unbidden, images of a marriage unraveling, of that awful night when Cameron confessed that he couldn't even remember how many different women he'd had affairs with over the years.

Elaine's thoughts drift to Sarah. She'd always known that no good could come from her David marrying a lowly waitress, and she'd told him from the start that Sarah was only after one thing. But of course, he didn't listen, the headstrong, gullible boy. That hussy had him right where she wanted him.

Her gaze returns to the DNA sample in her hands. The recent confrontation in the kitchen replays in her mind. This is the key and maybe the only way to get her son to see the truth. With a deep, steadying breath, Elaine prepares the sample for mailing.

Once the envelope is sealed, Elaine stands up, her posture rigid with determination. This is a point of no return. The results of the DNA test will change everything.

The next morning, Elaine, David, and I sit in a tense, uneasy truce at the breakfast table, the clink of our cutlery punctuating the heavy silence. David and I share a subtle, nervous glance. It's time to reveal a part of our truth, just enough to divert Elaine from her crusade.

David reaches for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Mom? Sarah and I have something to tell you. It's about our struggles to start a family," he adds, his voice rough with a hint of pain.

"Oh?" Elaine's gaze lifts. "I know you had some difficulties, but I never realized they were bad enough to be termed a 'struggle.'"

It feels like this is already going badly, but I press on. "We went through several treatments. None of them worked," I tell Elaine.

David picks up where I leave off, his voice steady but somber. "And then there was the miscarriage," he says softly.

Elaine's hand flies to her mouth, her eyes widening with shock and empathy. "Why didn't you tell me, David?"

Tears escape down my cheek. "It was... devastating for us. After that, we just couldn't face going through it all again."

Elaine glances at me, her gaze sharp, and then she turns back to David. "You should have told me about this, sweetheart. I could've helped you… a friend of mine knows one of the finest fertility doctors in New York."

"We had a good doctor already, Mom," David replies. "That's how Oliver came into our lives."

I envy David's smooth lie, delivered with an ease I've never been able to master. I glance at Elaine from the corner of my eye and catch her staring daggers at me.

"And after we fought so hard and so long to start a family, it hurts to hear you slandering Sarah and looking at her the way you are now," David continues. "Oliver is my son and your grandson, Mom. I don't know why you find that so hard to accept, but this mission you're on to get his DNA tested—"

"It's not Oliver I find hard to accept," Elaine replies.

"Mom…" David's voice is low, laced with warning.

"Oh, don't be so defensive, sweetheart. You've clarified your feelings perfectly, and I'm just doing the same." Elaine smiles sweetly as she shrugs. "Don't worry; I'm not going to fight with either of you."

Elaine turns to me for the first time that afternoon as she continues. "I'm very sorry for the troubles you've endured, Sarah. Children are a blessing, and I'm sure you understand that I'm simply trying to look after David's best interests. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an appointment with a realtor to view a lovely townhouse."

She strides from the room. David and I are left alone, the weight of our partial confession hanging between us.

"Did we do the right thing?" I ask, looking into his eyes.

David shrugs, his expression mirroring my own uncertainty. "I don't know, Sarah. But it's done now. We just have to hope it's enough."

"What about the DNA swab? You said you didn't throw it away, which means she took it. If she does that test…"

David leans over to kiss my cheek. "She needs a DNA sample from me too for the test, honey, and she isn't going to get one. Now, what do you say we take advantage of having the house to ourselves again?"

David flashes his eyebrows, and a giggle bubbles out of me. "That sounds like an excellent idea."

I lean in to kiss him, but then Oliver's cry echoes down the passage, interrupting our romantic moment. David and I both sigh.

"I'll get the little man." David rises and heads for the door.

A few hours later, Elaine bursts into the living room. She snatches the TV remote out of David's hand, turns the TV off, and then flourishes an envelope at us.

"Oliver's DNA test results are back! It's time to see what secrets you've been keeping," she crows, her gaze fixing on me.

"Mom, what the hell?"

David leaps to his feet, but all I can do is watch, paralyzed, as she tears open the envelope with a dramatic flourish. My heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. David tries to snatch the paper from Elaine, but she nimbly sidesteps around the coffee table.

"You'll thank me for this one day, David," she says as she turns her gaze to the document in her hands.

I can see the moment the words hit her. Her eyes widen, and the page tears a little as her grip on it tightens. She glares at me with the most hateful look I've ever gotten from her.

"This says that Oliver is David's half-brother," she snaps. "You piece of trash! You slept with my husband!"

"How dare you?" Elaine lunges at me, giving me no time to process the bombshell she just dropped on us. "Sleeping with my husband? Cheating on David with his own father!"

"I didn't!" I yell, blocking her with one of the scatter cushions and scurrying away. "It's a mistake, it has to be. There's no way Oliver is—"

"Stop lying!" Elaine shrieks. Tears pour down her face, and her hand shakes when she points at me. "I always knew you were no good, but this? This is low, even for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Anger floods through my veins. "What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

David rushes to my side before Elaine can reply, stepping between us to form a human shield.

"Stop this!" he yells. "Sarah did not sleep with Dad."

"Open your eyes, David! Oliver is your half-brother; the results are undeniable." Elaine shakes her fist at me. "I should've guessed. You and Cameron were always cracking jokes together and discussing baseball… it was all a cover, wasn't it?"

"No! My God, Elaine! How could you think I'd do that?" I cry.

"Because I know girls like you," Elaine growls. "Thinking you can sleep your way into money, you're little more than a live-in—"

"Cut it out, Mom!" David snaps. "Sarah is a good person, and she's never done anything to deserve being treated like this. I love you, but you need to stop acting like a lunatic."

Elaine gawks at him. "How… have you lost your mind? The evidence—"

"The results in this test are completely irrelevant." David snatches the paper out of her hand and crumples it in his fist. "They have nothing to do with our marriage because Oliver is adopted, okay?"

Elaine staggers back as though struck and collapses onto the spot I so recently vacated on the sofa. She covers her mouth with a trembling hand and shakes her head.

"Biologically speaking, Oliver shouldn't be related to either of us," I add. I place a hand on David's shoulder and gaze up at him. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know," David replies. "It makes no sense at all. The test must be wrong."

"It can't be," Elaine replies. "I sent it to the best lab in the country."

The revelation lingers in the room like a dark cloud, casting shadows over everything we thought we knew. Oliver, our son, is suddenly at the center of a mystery we can't explain. David reaches for my hand, his grip tight, a lifeline in the midst of the storm.

"Adopted…" Elaine mutters. "But when and why? I saw Sarah several times during her pregnancy."

"It was fake," David admits with a sigh. "We told you we had problems conceiving, and we decided to stop torturing ourselves trying to fall pregnant."

David glances tenderly at me as he puts his arm around my shoulders, gathering me against his side. "We decided to adopt instead," he continues. "But we knew how you felt about family and didn't want to take the risk that you'd reject him because he wasn't a blood relative."

The look Elaine gives David is heartbreaking.

"Do you really think that little of me?" she whispers.

"I… we'd already been through so much, Mom, and your irrational suspicions about Sarah have never made it easy to approach you with anything personal." David hangs his head. "We were just playing it safe. The last thing Sarah and I wanted was to cause more friction."

Elaine seems to age before my eyes. I watch her bury her face in her hands, and I turn to David as she starts to sob.

"I'm going to take Oliver out for a while," I say, "give you and Elaine time to talk."

"Are you sure?" David frowns at me. "The things she said to you…"

"Hurt, but I understand how she leaped to that conclusion," I reply. "Besides, it will probably be better if you two can talk privately before we try to fix everything else."

"Maybe." David kisses me tenderly. "If we can fix this. I don't even know how to begin processing this news. I mean, my son is my half-brother… things like that are only supposed to happen in those telenovellas you like so much."

"We'll figure it out. His parentage never mattered to us before, honey." I smile and press my palm against his cheek.

Unlike David, I've already figured out exactly where to start unraveling the mystery Elaine dropped on us when she read those DNA test results.

I stand at the doorstep of David's childhood home, a classy but luxurious estate that Elaine put on the market the moment her divorce was finalized. Cameron, David's father, hasn't moved out yet. According to Elaine, he has nowhere to go and barely a cent to his name now.

I glance down at Oliver as I wait for Cameron to answer the door. Oliver is fast asleep in his stroller, a peaceful little cherub. It's not fair on him to be at the center of all this drama, and for his sake, I'm determined to do whatever it takes to resolve this uneasy situation.

The door opens and Cameron leans out, his lined face lifting as he gives me a surprised smile. "Sarah? And you've brought my handsome little grandson with you! It's so good to see you both. Is David here, too?"

"No, he isn't." I push the stroller inside and turn to face Cameron as he shuts the front door.

"You're not here to talk baseball and shoot the breeze, are you, Sarah?" Cameron's brow crinkles. "Did Elaine do something? I know she's been staying with you and David."

"Yes… but this is bigger than just Elaine. Can we sit down?"

We sit across from each other in the living room with Oliver's stroller parked nearby. Cameron listens quietly as I reveal David and I's long-kept secret about our struggle to have a baby and how we eventually decided to adopt.

"Elaine found out and gave you hell about it, didn't she?" he asks when I've finished.

"If only it was that simple." I sigh. "She did a DNA test and the results… there's no easy way to say this, Cameron. The DNA test shows that you're Oliver's father."

"What?" He straightens up and stares at the stroller. "But that's impossible. Yes, I've had affairs, I have a problem and I'm not proud of what I did to Elaine, but a child…"

He lets out a little gasp then, and his eyes widen as though he's just been hit by a horrifying realization.

"So, it's true?" I lean forward in my seat. "Tell me what happened, Cameron. For Oliver's sake, I need to know."

"There was a woman," Cameron begins, "she was a private coach at the country club. I never meant for anything to happen between us, I swear, but Elaine insisted I attend the New Year's party without her when she felt sick, and Jasmine was there…"

He falls silent then, a haunted look in his eyes. "Go on," I urge him.

"I have a problem, Sarah, an addiction." Cameron runs his hands over his head. "I barely remembered who Jasmine was when she confronted me and told me she was pregnant. I… I paid to her to get rid of the baby."

His confession hits me like a slap in the face.

"Obviously, she didn't go through with it. I can't be certain about any of this, Sarah, but the timelines work out." David avoids meeting my gaze as he speaks. "I-I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen."

"I didn't come here to judge you, Cameron," I reply gently, "only to find the truth. Thank you for having the courage to share it with me."

Cameron laughs bitterly. "You don't need to give me that 'dealing with a difficult customer' attitude, Sarah. You aren't a waitress anymore and I know what I've done is despicable."

"Yeah, but I have Oliver because of it." I gaze down at my beautiful little boy. "It doesn't excuse what you did, but something good still came out of it."

He looks at me then, eyes shining with unshed tears, and gives me a little smile.

"I don't know what my therapist is going to make of your reasoning, but thank you. You're a good person, Sarah. And no matter what Elaine says or does now she knows the truth about Oliver, I want you to remember that, okay?"

I nod. Oliver and I leave soon afterward, our mission complete but our future uncertain. The only thing I know is that our family, fractured and incomplete, will never be the same again. And as I walk away, the question resonates in the vast unknown: where do we go from here?

I'm not ready to face David yet, never mind Elaine, so I stop at our favorite park first to clear my head. Cameron's confession spins like a kaleidoscope in my mind. Then there's David, probably still drowning in shock as he tries to hold everything together for Elaine, who has succumbed to the bitter poison of the pain in her heart. And there's Oliver, a testament to past sins, gurgling cheerfully in my arms.

To tell or not to tell? The question barbs my heart, each answer its own poisoned quill. Will revealing the truth mend wounds or rip them wider? Can honesty, a balm in theory, become a scalpel in these fragile times?

My gaze drifts across the park, a canvas of normalcy painted onto a landscape of my churning emotions. Families are picnicking, couples stroll hand-in-hand, and teenagers kick a soccer ball, all of them oblivious to the tempest within me. My family, once a haven, now feels brittle, a house of cards teetering on the precipice of this revelation.

The sun dips lower, casting long shadows, mirroring the uncertainty stretching before me. My fingers tighten around the handle of the baby carriage, anchoring me to a reality I'm not sure I can face. But the truth, a heavy stone in my gut, refuses to be ignored. To keep it buried would be to build on sand, a precarious foundation for the future.

With a shaky breath, I stand, the sun's fading warmth a stark contrast to the chill inside me. The path ahead remains murky, but the choice won't make itself. Oliver's future is at stake, and whatever I do next will have to be executed in his best interest.

I find David in the living room, bathed in the warm glow of dusk. He sits perched on the sofa, knuckles white against the worn leather, gaze fixed on some unseen point beyond the window. My heart mirrors the leaden sky, heavy with the storm I carry within.

Taking a steadying breath, I cross the room. "David," I begin, my voice a whisper despite the fire blazing in my gut. "We need to talk. About Oliver and your father. I went to see Cameron, and he told me everything."

His head snaps up, his gaze meeting mine with a jolt of apprehension. In his eyes, I see a kaleidoscope of emotions – fear, curiosity, a desperate hope that my words won't shatter the ground beneath him. I swallow the lump in my throat and plunge into the heart of the matter.

I recount everything about my visit to Cameron and his subsequent confession. David's face reflects a myriad of emotions while I speak: shock etches deep lines, pain flickers in his eyes like candlelight in a sudden gust, and then, as the enormity of it all washes over him, a slow, dawning realization.

"So, I really am raising my half-brother," he says. "I don't know how I feel about this, Sarah. There's a sense of wrongness to it that I… I just don't know what to do with this."

A weighty silence presses down on us like a physical weight. I reach out, brushing my hand against his, offering silent support in the face of this seismic shift.

"He's still our son," I tell David. "You still love him, don't you?"

"Of course! But what the hell am I supposed to do now?" He leaps to his feet and paces across the carpet like a caged animal. "This changes everything, and we can't pretend it doesn't. It was one thing to dismiss Oliver's parentage when those parents were unknowns, but now…"

His words hang heavy in the air, a tangled knot of guilt and regret. I take a deep breath, my voice firm despite the tremor in my hands.

"Well, we can't return him, David, and I wouldn't even if we could. We can't change the past either or punish Oliver for something he had no choice in, so where does that leave us?"

David pauses to look at me and shakes his head. "Confused… more than just a little messed up, but together. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but you're right, and I refuse to give up the family we fought so hard for because of this."

I go to David and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug. "We'll get through this, babe, just like we've gotten through every other curveball life has thrown at us."

"I know we will because I've got you here to keep my head from spinning." He squeezes me gently. "But before we can work on us, we need to tell Mom about Dad's confession."

The sun drips honey onto the backyard, painting long shadows across the worn deck as Elaine approaches and sits on one of the Adirondack chairs overlooking the yard. David squeezes my hand, a silent reassurance in the face of the storm about to break.

"You have something you want to say to me?" Elaine asks stiffly, her gaze on David.

David shakes his head, "Not me, Mom, but Sarah has important news."

"I went to see Cameron," I say as she glances my way. Her expression sours immediately, but I raise my voice and speak faster so she can't interrupt, "he was very open and honest about his most recent indiscretions, and yes, it seems like Oliver really is his son."

Elaine's face crumples. The anger in her eyes softens, replaced by a raw vulnerability I've never seen before. It's like watching a glacier melt. She looks at me then, and some of the hardness returns, but the words that come out of her mouth leave me shocked to the core.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Elaine mutters. "I've been awful to you, and I never realized how much it's hurt this family until all these secrets came to light. Secrets that should have existed in the first place." She shakes her head. "I-I'm a real menace, aren't I? I've forced everyone around me to lie…"

David and I share an anxious glance. Neither one of us expected this kind of reaction, and we don't know how to respond.

"... Cameron with his affairs and his addiction," she sneers as she says the last word, "and you two with Oliver…"

"We all make mistakes, Elaine," I cut in. "and we're all just trying to do the best we can. David and I have decided to work together and help each other accept the fact that Cameron is Oliver's father and move on as best as we can. And, for what it's worth, Cameron mentioned that he's in therapy. He seemed genuinely remorseful when I spoke to him."

Elaine sighs. "My mother always said I was too hard on people, but how could I not be? I needed to take over the family business one day, and I saw the way customers and employees took advantage of my father's kindness. I didn't want people to use me the way they used him."

"But were those people using Grandpa, Mom?" David asks gently. "Because I remember going to work with you during summer holidays, and everyone who spoke about Grandpa did so with fondness and respect."

Tears trickle down Elaine's cheeks and she throws her hands in the air. "I don't know! I don't know anything anymore."

I rise and go to kneel in front of Elaine, taking her hands in mine. "I accept your apology, Elaine. And I hope we can move forward now, and become the sort of family that laughs together, supports each other through the hard times, and celebrates all the good times. What do you think?"

The corner of Elaine's mouth lifts in a subtle smile. "I think that sounds wonderful, Sarah."

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If you enjoyed this story, here's another one: Emily and Damon’s blind date takes an astonishing turn when the pair realize their sons look exactly alike. Desperate to uncover the truth behind this mystery, Damon heads out of town to confront his unstable ex-wife. Meanwhile, Emily discovers a letter containing a secret that could destroy her life. Read the full story here.

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