Seventeen years of raising five kids felt like a badge of honor. I was the dad who showed up—early mornings, late nights, always present. Diapers, science fairs, fevers—I handled it all without complaint. So when Liam needed a blood test and something didn’t match, I told myself it was a mistake. But it wasn’t. Not even close. As the last envelope tore open, I felt everything inside me go silent—but the surprise I planned would speak volumes.
Walking back from the hospital, I clutched the DNA results like they were a ticking time bomb. Each step felt heavy, as if my shoes were made of lead. I could hear children laughing in the distance, and it mixed oddly with my racing thoughts. The unopened envelope burned in my hand, a promise of answers I wasn’t sure I wanted. But it was too late to turn back—I had to know.