Chapter 5: The Other Son
A Black man stood at the back of the graduation hall.
He was around Marcus's age.
Maybe a year older.
He wore a simple black jacket over a white shirt, with a university visitor badge clipped to his chest.
Marcus stared at him.
The stranger stared back.
For one strange second, neither moved.
Then the man walked forward.
Arthur's face had gone completely white.
“No,” he whispered.
The stranger stopped beside the last row.
“Hello, Arthur.””
Marcus looked at his father.
“You know him.””
Arthur couldn't speak.
The man looked at Marcus.
“I've been waiting a long time to meet you.””
Marcus's heartbeat hammered against his ribs.
“Who are you?””
The man swallowed.
“My name is Daniel.””
He looked at Evelyn.
Then Lorraine.
Then Arthur.
“I was the other baby.””
Marcus stared.
“That doesn't make sense.””
Daniel nodded.
“I know.””
Marcus laughed once, but there was no humor in it.
“No. No, this is insane.””
The Dean approached.
“Marcus—”
“Don't.””
Marcus backed away.
“You all knew?””
The Dean shook his head.
“Not everything.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“What does he mean, ‘the other baby’?””
Daniel took a slow breath.
“When you were born, there were two of us.””
Marcus stopped.
“Twins?””
Daniel nodded.
Evelyn's face crumpled.
“Yes.””
Marcus turned toward her.
“You had twins?””
“I did.””
“Why didn't I know?””
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
“Because I was unconscious.””
Arthur stepped forward.
“I didn't know there were two.””
Marcus stared at him.
“You didn't know?””
“The doctors told me one baby had survived.””
Daniel's voice was quiet.
“They told him wrong.””
Lorraine stepped forward.
“They didn't.””
Everyone looked at her.
She continued.
“The hospital made a mistake.””
Marcus felt dizzy.
“What kind of mistake?””
Lorraine looked at Daniel.
“They switched the identification bracelets.””
A collective gasp moved through the audience.
Marcus stared at Daniel.
Daniel stared back.
“Which one of us was supposed to go home with Arthur?””
Lorraine closed her eyes.
“You.””
Marcus's chest tightened.
“And Daniel?””
Lorraine's voice trembled.
“Your mother was told Daniel had died.””
Evelyn shook her head.
“No.””
Lorraine nodded.
“They told you one of your babies survived and one didn't.””
Evelyn looked at Arthur.
“And Arthur took Marcus.””
Arthur whispered, “I didn't know.””
Daniel spoke.
“They gave me to another family.””
Marcus's mouth fell open.
“What?””
Daniel looked down.
“I grew up three states away.””
Marcus stared.
“You grew up with another family?””
“Yes.””
“Did they know?””
Daniel shook his head.
“They thought I was theirs.””
Marcus felt something inside him crack.
“Then how did you find out?””
Daniel reached into his jacket.
He pulled out a folded document.
“DNA test.””
Marcus's eyes widened.
“Recently?””
“Eight months ago.””
Daniel looked at Arthur.
“That was when I found him.””
Marcus turned toward his father.
“You knew about him for eight months?””
Arthur shook his head.
“I found out six months ago.””
Daniel laughed bitterly.
“You found out because I called you.””
Arthur looked down.
Marcus stepped closer.
“You knew I had a twin?””
Arthur nodded.
“Yes.””
“And you didn't tell me?””
“I didn't know how.””
Marcus's voice rose.
“You've had twenty-four years to learn how to tell me the truth.””
Arthur flinched.
Daniel stepped between them.
“He was afraid.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Of what?””
Daniel hesitated.
“That you'd hate him.””
Marcus stared at his twin.
“Why would I hate him?””
Daniel's expression changed.
“Because of what happened next.””
Marcus looked toward Evelyn.
She was crying silently.
“What happened?””
Daniel looked at Arthur.
“You tell him.””
Arthur shook his head.
Daniel's voice hardened.
“Tell him.””
Arthur took a breath.
“After I brought you home, the hospital called.””
Marcus waited.
“They realized there had been a mistake.””
Evelyn whispered, “Oh God.””
Arthur continued.
“They said there was another child.””
Marcus looked at him.
“What did you do?””
Arthur closed his eyes.
“I went back.””
“Why?””
“Because I thought you were mine.””
Marcus froze.
Arthur's voice cracked.
“I thought the baby they had given away was you.””
Daniel stared at him.
“And you never checked.””
“I was terrified.””
“You never checked.””
“I was twenty-four!””
“So was she!””
Daniel pointed toward Evelyn.
“She woke up asking for both babies.””
Arthur lowered his head.
“I know.””
Marcus looked at Daniel.
“What happened to you?””
Daniel swallowed.
“My adoptive parents raised me.””
“And your real parents?””
Daniel looked at Evelyn.
“I didn't know they were real.””
Evelyn stepped toward him.
Daniel backed away.
She stopped.
“I didn't know,” she whispered.
“I know.””
“I thought you were dead.””
“I know.””
Evelyn covered her face.
Marcus stood between them.
His mother on one side.
His twin brother on the other.
And his father in the middle of a secret that had swallowed twenty-four years.
The Dean looked at Arthur.
“There's still one question.””
Arthur looked up.
The Dean pointed toward the envelope.
“The document Marcus hasn't seen.””
Marcus looked down.
He had forgotten the envelope was still in his hand.
He opened it fully.
A second photograph slid out.
It showed two newborn babies.
Two hospital bracelets.
Two names.
Marcus picked up the photograph.
His eyes moved to the first bracelet.
Then the second.
He looked at Daniel.
“Wait.””
Daniel frowned.
Marcus turned the photograph around.
There was handwriting on the back.
Not Arthur's.
Not Lorraine's.
Not Evelyn's.
Marcus read it aloud.
“Baby A — Marcus Williams.””
He flipped it.
“Baby B — Daniel Williams.””
Then he looked closer.
The handwriting underneath the names had been crossed out.
Someone had written new names over them.
Marcus's voice became a whisper.
“These aren't the original names.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What?””
Marcus held the photograph toward him.
“Someone changed the bracelets.””
Daniel stared.
Arthur suddenly grabbed the photograph.
His face drained of color.
“I've never seen this.””
Marcus looked at him.
“Then who changed them?””
Before Arthur could answer, Lorraine spoke.
“I know who.””
Everyone turned toward her.
She slowly reached into her handbag again.
This time, she pulled out a hospital identification card.
Her hands were shaking.
“The person who switched the babies…”
She looked directly at Arthur.
“…wasn't a nurse.””
Marcus's blood ran cold.
“Who was it?””
Lorraine's eyes moved toward the audience.
Then stopped on one particular person.
May you like
Marcus followed her gaze.
And saw the Dean.
