Somewhere out there, I had an uncle I had never known existed.
Mom wiped her eyes.
“I don’t even know if he’s alive.”
For a long moment neither of us spoke.
Then I said something that surprised even me.
“Maybe we can find him.”
Her head snapped up.
“What?”
“Maybe it’s time.”
The hope that appeared in her eyes broke my heart.
The Search
What followed felt like a movie.
Old records were requested.
Phone calls were made.
Letters were sent.
Weeks turned into months.
Several times we hit dead ends.
Several times Mom nearly gave up.
But Claire refused to let her.
“You waited forty years,” she said. “You can wait a little longer.”
Then one afternoon, a call came.
A man had been found.
His name was Daniel.
He lived three states away.
His birth date matched.
His adoption records matched.
And after a DNA test, there was no doubt.
He was Mom’s son.
My uncle.
The Reunion
The day Daniel arrived, our entire family gathered.
Mom could barely stand still.
Her hands trembled.
Her eyes never left the front door.
When the doorbell finally rang, nobody moved.
For a second, everyone froze.
Then Dad opened it.
A tall man stood outside.
Gray hair.
Kind eyes.
Nervous smile.
Daniel.
Mom stared at him.
