Chapter 8: The Brother Nobody Mentioned
The photograph stayed in my hand for almost a full minute.
Nobody spoke.
Not Simone.
Not Amara.
Not even Ava.
The silence was broken only by the ticking of the clock in the hallway.
I turned the picture over again.
Three children.
Two girls.
One boy.
The boy looked impossible.
Because he looked like me.
Not similar.
Not slightly familiar.
Like someone had taken a picture of me as a child and placed it beside my daughters.
I looked at Simone.
“Who is he?””
She looked away.
That answer told me enough.
“Simone.””
Her shoulders dropped.
“He was my brother.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
“Your brother?””
She nodded.
I stared at the photograph.
“Why have I never heard about him?””
Because I had asked about her family before.
Many times.
When we started dating.
When we got married.
When Ava was born.
Every time, Simone had said the same thing.
“My family is complicated.””
That was all.
I had accepted it.
I had loved her.
I had trusted her.
Now those words felt like another lie.
“Where is he?””
Simone didn’t answer.
Amara did.
“He disappeared.””
I looked at her.
“Everyone in your family disappears?””
The words came out harsher than I intended.
Amara didn’t get angry.
She just looked sad.
“Not everyone.””
She looked at Simone.
“Some people are hidden.””
Simone stood suddenly.
“That’s enough.””
I turned.
“No.””
My voice stopped her.
“We are done protecting secrets.””
She looked at Ava.
“I’m trying to protect her.””
“By lying?””
Her face broke.
“I thought I was protecting all of you.””
I walked toward the table.
I placed the photograph down.
“Start from the beginning.””
Simone stared at the picture.
“My brother’s name was Marcus.””
“Marcus what?””
“Marcus Williams.””
The last name hit me.
Because it was familiar.
My last name.
I looked at Amara.
Then Simone.
“Why does your brother have my last name?””
Neither answered.
I felt my heartbeat increase.
“No.””
Simone whispered:
“Darius…”
“No.””
I pointed at the photograph.
“Explain.””
Her tears started falling.
“Marcus wasn’t my brother by blood.””
The room went silent.
“What?””
“He was adopted.””
I looked at Amara.
She nodded.
“Your family adopted him.””
My mind raced.
“My family?””
Simone nodded.
“Your father adopted him before you were born.””
I stepped back.
The walls felt like they were closing in.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
I laughed quietly.
A broken laugh.
“My father died when I was twenty.””
“I know.””
“Then how does your family know mine?””
Simone looked at me.
“Because our families were connected long before we met.””
That sentence changed everything.
The marriage.
The relationship.
The coincidences.
All of it.
I looked at her.
“Did you know who I was when we met?””
Simone looked down.
That was enough.
I felt something inside me crack.
“You knew.””
“I didn’t know at first.””
“But you found out.””
“Yes.””
“And you stayed.””
“I fell in love with you.””
The answer should have comforted me.
It didn’t.
“Did you love me?””
She looked at me.
“Yes.””
“Or did you love the idea of fixing what your family broke?””
She couldn’t answer.
That hurt more than any confession.
Ava quietly walked closer.
“Daddy?””
I immediately softened.
“Yes, baby?””
She looked at the photograph.
“Who is that?””
I knelt beside her.
“I don’t know yet.””
She pointed at Marcus.
“He looks like you.””
I swallowed.
“I know.””
Then she whispered something that made everyone freeze.
“I saw him too.””
I looked up.
“What?””
Ava looked toward the stairs.
“The man.””
Simone grabbed the edge of the table.
“What man?””
Ava frowned.
“The man with the lady.””
Nobody moved.
Amara slowly stood.
“What did he look like?””
Ava thought.
“He was tall.””
My chest tightened.
“Anything else?””
She nodded.
“He had Daddy’s eyes.””
The room became completely silent.
I looked at Simone.
She looked terrified.
Not confused.
Terrified.
Because whoever Ava had seen…
Was connected to me.
A knock suddenly came from the front door.
Everyone jumped.
Three knocks.
The same pattern.
I walked toward it.
Simone whispered:
“Don’t.””
I stopped.
“Why?””
Her voice was barely audible.
“Because Marcus never knocks.””
I turned.
“What?””
Her face went pale.
“He only knocks three times when he wants us to know he’s there.””
The front door shook.
Once.
Twice.
Then a voice came from outside.
A voice I had never heard before.
But somehow…
It felt familiar.
“Darius.””
I froze.
May you like
The voice continued.
“I think it’s time you met your brother.””
