When Emily and Damon discover their boys are identical, their blind date takes an unexpected turn. In a desperate attempt to solve this enigma, Damon chooses to speak with his unstable ex-wife. Emily, meantime, comes into a letter that holds a secret that has the potential to ruin her life.
Emily hurried into an Italian restaurant for her blind date with Damon, wearing a clown wig that was colored like rainbows. After meeting online, Emily and Damon agreed to go on an archaic blind date: Emily would wear a wig, and he would wear a paper hat.
She saw Damon in the restaurant, standing in a corner, their eyes meeting as she got closer. “Emily!” Rising from his chair, Damon greeted her.
After a pleasant and consoling first exchange, Emily was overjoyed to finally meet him. They felt a natural connection as they joked about Emily’s hairdo and got into a casual discussion.
After a while, the topic of their boys came up, and Damon showed Emily a picture of his son next to an abstract painting. The boy looked much like Emily’s son Bradley, which startled her.
Confused, she questioned, “Is this some kind of joke?”
Damon withdrew his phone. “What are you trying to say? In addition to being an excellent painter, my kid enjoys painting.
However… I’m not sure I get it. Although you never brought it up, did you also adopt your child? Asking Emily.
“I didn’t.” Damon scowled. Emily, you’re making some really odd comments. Is everything in order?
Taking out her phone, Emily showed Damon a picture of Bradley sporting his soccer kit. Now both grownups were confused.
“Our boys resemble each other like long-lost twins—mirror images!” However, how is that even possible? Emily uttered a surprised word. “Wait, yours and my son are both 14?”
“14. What is the birthday of your son?” Asking Damon.
April 16th, Emily answered.
“Identical to Jordan,” Damon muttered, lost in concentration. “It’s not possible… She made no mention of twins.
“Damon, do you know anything about this?” Emily persisted, feeling his pain.
No, but my former spouse might. If we had twins, only she would be aware of it. Damon apologized, but he had to go quickly to look for information.
Emily, by herself, thought about how her late husband Jack had managed Bradley’s adoption. She questioned Jack’s knowledge of a twin.
Not long before Emily was discharged from the facility where she had been recovering from knee surgery, Jack had received a call informing him that a baby was up for adoption.
When Emily did get home, Jack and a baby boy wrapped in a dinosaur blanket were waiting for her at the entrance. The infant in her husband’s arms was the most stunning human being she had ever laid eyes on, and her husband had been beaming from ear to ear.
Emily met Bradley as she got home, and he saw her discomfort.
Mom, what’s wrong? Was there anything that Damon did to cause you harm? Should he do so—
She forced a grin and said, “Everything’s fine, honey,” before running to her bedroom.
Emily looked everywhere for Bradley’s adoption documents, but she couldn’t find them. Her uneasiness increased when she realized she had never seen them as she had thought Jack had managed things brilliantly.
Determined to find out, she changed into her house clothes and headed up to the attic. In the dim light of her flashlight, she moved toward a chest containing Jack’s possessions in the dusty attic, hoping to discover more information.
With Jack’s unexpected death, Emily was in shock. They were discussing plans for a family vacation one day when she got a call from the police the next day.
Jack’s car veered off the highway due to a deadly brain aneurysm he had experienced while driving home, resulting in an accident and his death.
Jack’s motherhood and grief were causing Emily to struggle, so she asked her brother for assistance in packing his things into the attic. Now, searching for information regarding her son’s adoption, she found an envelope in Jack’s possession that had his handwriting.
“Dear Emily,” Within the letter, Jack had written, “I’ve been lying to you for almost a year.”
In the interim, Damon paid a visit to the facility where his former spouse, Naomi, was housed—a location he hadn’t been to in three years. Silent orderlies and patients engrossed in their own worlds created an uneasy environment.
Naomi met him icily, “I told you not to come back here, Damon.”
“Yes, but this is a crucial matter. Could you describe the events of Jordan’s birth night for me?
Naomi bowed her head and scowled. Her eyes flitted in all directions. “Damon, I already told you. I obeyed the big man’s request to depart. I can’t recall anything more!
When they first started dating in college, Damon and Naomi were content. Their happiness increased when Naomi became pregnant soon after Damon started working for a prominent company. But when Naomi began to experience the symptoms of preeclampsia, a medical condition marked by excruciating headaches and fuzzy eyesight, their joy was replaced with concern.
Naomi reacted angrily at her diagnosis. She decided to stay at home and recover, so she fired her doctor and her job. However, as her illness deepened, she became more and more paranoid, frequently mentioning a threat to their unborn child. As her paranoia grew, she once claimed that a tall guy had warned her of danger while they were shopping, even though no such man had actually approached them.
Sadly, Naomi’s mental state worsened even more, so Damon had to persuade her to consult a psychologist. The psychologist determined that Naomi had stress-induced schizophrenia and that she had concealed a family history of the illness from Damon. This information helped to explain her erratic behavior, but it also made treating her schizophrenia more difficult because of her preeclampsia.
Damon’s excitement for the arrival of his kid was eclipsed by his worry and anxiety for his wife as Naomi’s due date drew near. Tragically, Naomi vanished without a trace, having only over a month left in her pregnancy. Despite Damon’s allegation that she was missing, she appeared to have disappeared.
Damon’s quest for Naomi took up all of his evenings. He looked in all the usual places, but she was nowhere to be seen. When the police called to report that Naomi had been found in labor in an alley and taken to the hospital, his quest came to an end.
Overwhelmed by a wave of emotions, Damon hurried to the hospital, where he was met with a bombshell from Naomi, who was recuperating and holding their newborn baby, Jordan. She said, “I’m giving up my parental rights and divorcing you.”
Years later, Damon sat across from Naomi and asked questions regarding their past. “Have you given birth to twins, Naomi?” he inquired.
With her situation clouding her mind, Naomi answered, “No, there were no twins.” Jordan and the parasite were present. That tall man was my helper. He removed it.
Emily, in the midst of her own difficulty, read Jack’s letter. He admitted that he had concealed his irreversible brain aneurysm from her out of concern for her feelings. In addition, he acknowledged that he had fabricated adoption documents for their son Bradley and saved a baby from an alley.
“I grabbed the infant and dialed the police.” I had planned to give the child to the police, but as soon as I saw his adorable tiny face, I knew you would be the right home for him. After bringing him home, I persuaded Michael to feign the information on the adoption documents enclosed in this packet. Although they ought to pass a quick check, you should be aware that they won’t hold up in court.
Oh sweet Emily, I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.
Emily wept, holding the letter close to her chest. She wondered if she should tell Damon that Bradley might be his biological son. She called, then hesitated, but Damon’s call went through.
“Hey?” Emily gave a tense response.
As he climbed into his car, Damon sighed, “I’ve just spoken to my ex-wife, Naomi.” She described something strange that happened on the night Jordan was born, and she suffers from schizophrenia. It’s crucial, Emily.
“Damon, come on over. She answered, “I’ve found something, too.
***
Damon told Emily’s story while they were at her house. “She believed one was a parasite and thought she was carrying twins.” The baby may have been placed in a dumpster by her.
“I don’t think the baby was in a dumpster, actually,” Emily corrected Jack while passing him Jack’s letter.
“So Jack got my son back?” As he read the paper, Damon became aware.
Emily begged, “Please, don’t take Bradley away.” “You have the right, I realize that. However, don’t. Please.
“No one wants to take me!” Flashing into the room, Jack’s hunting rifle was in Bradley’s grasp. “I’m not leaving you behind!”
“Bradley, I’m not here to take you,” Damon said, raising his hands. You’re the son of Emily. I’m not going to alter it.
Up until this point, Emily had been keeping everything inside. She sobbed into Damon’s shoulder, throwing her arms around his neck. She gave him a quick back rub while she whispered “thank you” in his direction. A few minutes later, she broke away and turned to face her son, grinning gratefully.
“Bradley, please put down the rifle,” Emily begged. “I’m sorry you heard so much of our talk, but there’s nothing we can do about it. Please take a seat so Damon and I can explain.”
“Damon?” Bradley put the rifle down on the wall, his eyebrows furrowing in disbelief. “Is this the same Damon that you dated earlier?”
Yes, but Emily added, “We also need to explain something else.” When Bradley did sit down, Emily and Damon told the small kid the truth.
“So, I have a twin brother, and he’s my father?” Bradley enquired.
Emily nodded and said, “We think so.” “DNA testing can verify it.”
“Why me? Why did she abandon my brother but not me? With a hint of pain in his voice, Bradley questioned Damon.
Damon softly clarified, “Naomi was very sick, suffering from schizophrenia.” She believed there was only one child alive and was perplexed. Jack was asked to take you by her.
Bradley nodded, accepting the explanation while attempting to contain his tears.
“What takes place next?” Bradley enquired.
After doing a DNA test, we decide how to proceed. We’re a family, if this validates everything, Damon replied, holding Emily’s hand.
“This first date has been amazing, don’t you think?” Damon gave Emily a half smile as he looked at her.
Emily chuckled, but her laugh was anxious and high-pitched. “You may rephrase that!”
Damon turned to face the young man and stated, “I know this is a lot to take in, Bradley.” “As a family, we’ll manage this together. Emily and I are here to help you through this, and we both want what’s best for you.
Bradley nodded gradually as he continued to take in the details. “I simply… You know, I need some time to reflect.
With anxiety in her eyes, Emily answered, “Of course.” “My dear, take as much time as you require. Nothing is being rushed. It will be necessary for us to all travel this path together.
Emily glanced to Damon as Bradley excused himself and went upstairs, her expression a mixture of bewilderment and thanks.
“Damon, what should we do next? How are we going to handle this all?
With a groan, Damon ran a hand over his hair. “I should notify Jordan first, but that can wait until the next morning. Then, we ought to finish that DNA test. It will provide us the necessary clarity. We may decide jointly how to approach the future once we know the results. His eyes glinted reassuringly as he caught Emily’s gaze. “As a family, we deal with everything.”
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