Chapter 9: The Son Thomas Tried to Erase
Thomas walked into the apartment without waiting for an invitation.
Roy immediately blocked his path.
"You're not welcome here.""
Thomas ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on the birth certificate.
"Give me that document.""
I held it against my chest.
"No.""
"Margaret, you don't understand what you're holding.""
"Then explain it.""
Thomas rubbed his forehead.
"You think finding another name on a birth certificate means you've uncovered some great family mystery?""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Then tell us who Michael is.""
Thomas looked at him.
"You should have stayed out of this.""
Daniel's expression hardened.
"I spent twenty years being told my mother was dead. I think I've earned the right to ask a few questions.""
Thomas laughed bitterly.
"You have no idea what Dad put this family through.""
I moved between them.
"Enough. Your father wrote that he never stopped looking for Michael. Why?""
Thomas looked at me.
"Because he felt guilty.""
"About what?""
He looked toward the window.
For a moment, I thought he might finally tell us.
Then he said, "Patricia wasn't supposed to keep the baby.""
I stared at him.
"What?""
"She was young. She had no money. Dad promised to help her, but she refused to let him take the child.""
Daniel frowned.
"Why would he take the child?""
Thomas's jaw tightened.
"Because Patricia wasn't stable. She had problems. Dad thought Michael would be safer with us.""
I shook my head.
"Henry never told me that.""
"Because he knew you'd never agree.""
I looked at the birth certificate again.
"Was Michael Henry's biological son?""
Thomas didn't answer.
"Thomas!""
"Yes.""
The word seemed to hang in the room.
I sat down.
Henry had fathered another child.
The realization hurt, but something about Thomas's behavior bothered me even more.
"Why were you so afraid of us finding him?""
Thomas looked at Daniel.
"Because Michael knows what happened.""
Daniel frowned.
"What happened?""
Thomas's face reddened.
"That night. The night you fell down the stairs.""
I stood slowly.
"Michael was there?""
Thomas nodded.
"He saw everything.""
Roy stepped forward.
"Everything about what?""
Thomas looked at him.
"Daniel was never supposed to find out about the guardianship papers. He had found them in Dad's office. He said he was going to tell Margaret.""
Daniel shook his head.
"I was six years old.""
"You were old enough to understand that Dad was hiding something.""
I felt sick.
"Why would a six-year-old need to be silenced?""
Thomas snapped.
"Because he kept asking questions!""
Daniel stepped forward.
"Did you push me?""
Thomas's mouth tightened.
"I didn't mean for you to fall.""
The room went silent.
Daniel stared at him.
"What?""
Thomas looked away.
"I was angry. You were holding the papers. I tried to take them from you. You pulled away, and I pushed you.""
Daniel took a step backward.
"You pushed me down the stairs?""
Thomas shook his head.
"I didn't know you would fall that far.""
I felt my entire body go cold.
I remembered the hospital report.
Injuries consistent with someone being struck before the fall.
Thomas had just confirmed it.
Roy's hands curled into fists.
"You let your little brother carry that injury for twenty years?""
Thomas raised his voice.
"I was twelve!""
"And Daniel was six!"" Roy shouted.
Thomas looked at me.
"Margaret, you need to understand. Dad said if the police found out, both of us would lose everything.""
I stared at him.
"Both of you?""
Thomas swallowed.
"He said he would tell them I pushed Daniel. He also said he would tell them about the other boy.""
I looked at the photograph of Patricia holding Michael.
"What other boy?""
Thomas shook his head.
"Michael wasn't just another child.""
Daniel stepped closer.
"Then what was he?""
Thomas looked toward the door.
His expression had changed again.
"Michael was the reason Henry and Margaret's marriage began falling apart.""
I shook my head.
"That's not true.""
Thomas laughed.
"You really don't remember?""
I stared at him.
"Remember what?""
He reached into his jacket and removed a folded photograph.
It showed me standing outside a hospital, holding a newborn baby.
Henry stood beside me.
I recognized the hospital.
I recognized the date.
But I didn't recognize the baby.
Thomas placed it on the table.
"That's Michael.""
My hands began trembling.
"Why am I holding him?""
Thomas looked at me.
"Because Patricia died giving birth. And Dad brought the baby home.""
Daniel looked between us.
"Then why does Mom look so surprised?""
Thomas's expression hardened.
"Because Dad never told her the entire truth.""
I stared at the photograph.
There was something written on the back.
A sentence in Henry's handwriting.
Margaret agreed to raise him as our own.
I shook my head.
"No.""
Thomas leaned forward.
"You signed the papers.""
"No, I didn't.""
"You agreed to take him.""
"I never agreed to anything like that!""
Thomas pulled another document from his jacket.
It was a handwritten statement.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
But I knew immediately that it wasn't mine.
The shape of the M was wrong.
The final stroke of the D was too long.
Someone had copied my signature.
Roy examined it.
"This is a forgery.""
Thomas's face changed.
Daniel picked up the document.
"Why would Dad forge Mom's signature?""
Thomas looked at his brother.
Then he finally revealed the part of the story he had been trying to hide.
"Because Michael wasn't the only child Henry brought home that day.""
My stomach dropped.
Thomas pointed at the birth certificate.
"Michael had a twin.""
I stared at him.
"Twins?""
He nodded.
"Two boys were born that night. Henry brought one home. The other was supposed to be adopted by another family.""
Daniel looked at the photographs.
"Where is the second child?""
Thomas's lips trembled.
Then he said:
"He's been living in this family for twenty years.""
I looked at him, confused.
"Who?""
Thomas slowly turned toward Daniel.
And Daniel's face went completely white.
May you like
Because Thomas had just revealed that the secret child in the photograph wasn't the only person whose identity had been hidden.
*One of Henry Dawson's sons had been living under the wrong name his entire life.*
