“That’s… interesting,” I said.
“She explained it simply, sometimes a woman absorbs a twin early on, and she can carry two sets of DNA. Rare, but real.”
I nodded.
‘Anna… your body has carried two stories since before you were born.’
“But if I’d told anyone, my family would have to admit everything they’d spent decades hiding. They would rather have people think I cheated on you than the truth.”
I reached for her, but she shrank away.
“They told me the truth would ruin the boys,” she whispered, staring at the boys. “So I tried to keep quiet. But I can’t keep doing this. I’m so tired. I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“They told me the truth would ruin the boys.”
I pulled her close, my eyes burning. “You’ve been carrying shame that was never yours. Your grandmother was born out of love, Anna, as were you. And if your family can’t acknowledge that, then my sons are better off without them.”
I pulled out my phone.
“Henry, don’t,” Anna whispered.
“No,” I said quietly. “Not anymore.”
I put her mother on speaker.
She answered on the second ring. “Anna? What now?”
“Henry, don’t.”
I held the paper up like she could see it. “Susan, did you tell your daughter to let people think she cheated on me — yes or no?”
Silence. Then a sharp exhale. “You don’t understand. This is complicated.”
“It’s not. You told her to swallow humiliation so you could keep your secret.”
“We were protecting her.”
“You were protecting yourselves. Until you apologize to Anna, and you stop treating my sons like a scandal, you don’t get access to them.”
“You don’t understand.”
Anna’s breath hitched.
“Henry — ” her mother started.
“Goodnight,” I said, and ended the call.
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