But Tim stepped forward, his voice growing more confident. “Dad, that birthmark, it’s genetic. I remember reading that these types of marks often run in families.”
The room went silent. I felt a cold wave of confusion wash over me. What was Tim trying to say?
That’s when Carolyn stiffened. Her face went pale, and she looked at me with wide eyes. “I need to tell you something…” she whispered.
The minister awkwardly cleared his throat, trying to maintain order. But Carolyn’s voice cut through. “No, I need to say this now.”
With a shaky breath, she revealed the truth: “When I was 18, I had a daughter. She had a birthmark just like mine. But I wasn’t ready to be a mother. I gave her up for adoption.”
The gasps from the guests were deafening. I stood there, stunned, trying to make sense of her words. Tim’s classmate, Emma, could be her long-lost child—her daughter, raised by someone else.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Carolyn’s eyes filled with tears. “I was scared. I didn’t know how to bring it up. It was the hardest decision I ever made, and I’ve spent years trying to make peace with it.”
I took a deep breath, the weight of her confession sinking in. I wasn’t sure how to process it all, but I knew one thing for certain—this conversation was far from over.
“We need to talk about this,” I said softly. “After the ceremony.”
She nodded, and we finished the ceremony in a daze. The guests, sensing the gravity of the moment, offered their congratulations quietly before slipping away.
Later that evening, Tim and I had a long conversation about Emma.
Tim had seen Emma’s grandparents picking her up from school, and his suspicions only grew. “Could they be her grandparents?” I asked Carolyn.
Her face went pale once more. “My parents,” she whispered. “They wanted to raise her. But I refused. I thought giving her up to strangers would be better.”
The next day, we drove to Carolyn’s parents’ house, determined to get answers.
When the door opened, her father’s protective stance immediately put me on edge. “Why are you here?” he asked coldly.
Carolyn took a deep breath, and with the courage I admired, she asked, “Did you adopt my daughter?”
