Author’s Note: I now know two people who, due to DNA testing kits given on a birthday or during the holidays, have found they have half-siblings they didn’t previously know existed.
My daughter and I got to talking about these surprises and the impact they might have on families. For both of the people I know, impact was low as both greeted their new half-siblings with excitement. But, surely it wouldn’t be the case for everyone. Surely, for some, it might unearth a long-held family secret.
And so, I imagined such a case and wrote this little piece of fiction for your contemplation and comment.
Unable to coordinate everyone's schedules for December, all five of Pam and Isaac's children are home this weekend. The plan is to have Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, go Black Friday shopping, put the finishing touches on present wrapping and last minute food preparation on Saturday, and then have their very own Christmas Day in November on Sunday. Perfect.
Only Bridget, who is a senior in high school, still lives at home. Although, technically, Benjamin isn’t completely fledged yet either. He is a junior at the University of Florida. Daniel is flying into Sarasota from New York City, and Laurel is driving down from Atlanta. Janet lives just over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Pam and Isaac are so excited to have all five of their children back in the house. It’ll be just like when they were all little. Perfect.
The artificial pre-lit Christmas tree is already up. Isaac hauled it down from the attic last Saturday so that Pam could get it decorated in time for the Thanksgiving weekend. She spent the entire week making the house ready for their Christmas at Thanksgiving celebration. The wreaths are on the doors, the lights are strung along the eaves, and even the stockings are all hung on the mantel. Perfect.
Everyone arrives as expected and by noon on Thanksgiving Day, they are all starting to wonder when dinner will be ready.
“Mom!” Bridget calls up the stairs. “The Alexa timer is going off!”
“Be right down,” Pam calls to her youngest daughter.
Pam scurries down to the kitchen. The aroma of the roasted turkey fills the house. She pulls open the oven door to see that it is a beautiful golden color. Perfect.
With Isaac’s help, she takes the 20-pound bird out of the oven and places it on a platter. Twenty minutes later they are all seated around the dining table where dozens of previous family celebrations have taken place. The table looks very festive, as is the meal they all enjoy together.
With bellies too full to think about desserts yet, everyone pitches in to help clean up. The football game is playing on the big screen television in the living room, but it is mostly background noise.
They all spend a couple hours playing the newest edition of Trivial Pursuit. Pam bought it last week for her game-loving family. Bridget and Benjamin get their final piece of the pie and then quickly take the win with a final question from the Entertainment category.
“Speaking of pie…” Benjamin says.
Bridget and Benjamin help Pam bring the pies to the dining room sideboard. There is pumpkin, pecan, and cherry from which to choose.
Laurel asks, “Do we have ice cream?”
Pam starts to jump up from the table having forgotten this most important addition to pie, but Daniel stops her and says, “Sit, Mom, you’ve worked hard enough. I’ll get the ice cream.” Pam smiles her appreciation at her son and sits back down at the table.
That night as they prepare to go to bed Pam says to Isaac, “Best Thanksgiving ever!” He agrees. The day was definitely as idyllic as they come. Perfect.
Each member of the family has his or her own list of last minute items ready for Black Friday. Between the seven of them, they have the use of four cars. The most popular destinations are Target, Kohl’s, Wal-Mart, and Best Buy. But, there are also requests for Home Goods and Marshalls. It is decided that University Town Center and Mall will make for the best location from which to spread out. They will meet back up for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.
Their full day of shopping, eating leftover turkey and pie, and a riotous evening game of Pictionary comes to an end. As they prepare to go to bed Pam says to Isaac, “Another day without a hitch!” With a satisfied smile, he kisses his wife goodnight and switches off the light. Perfect.
After a full breakfast of bacon and eggs and pancakes, everyone goes back to their bedrooms to retrieve squirreled away boxes and bags, and the packages still in need of wrapping.
Janet opens the trunk of her car and lifts out the bag of stocking stuffer items she’s been buying over the past several months. She hasn’t been able to afford to get much for her family, but she is proud of the main gift she has selected. She goes in search of her mom’s box full of paper, bows, scissors, and tape.
They order pizza for dinner on Saturday night and decide to play Balderdash. “Every man for himself!” Isaac says.
Daniel wins because the last three rounds of his fake definitions have been so cleverly crafted, he fools a majority into voting for them.
After hugs and kisses, it is off to bed.
Pam says to Isaac, “I’m thinking we should do this every year. I can’t remember when I’ve had more fun.”
On Sunday morning, Pam takes the apple and pecan stuffing she made yesterday afternoon out of the refrigerator and sets it on the counter. She then removes the crown roast, which will also sit out until it is room temperature. Once all the presents are opened, she’ll put everything together and place the roast in the oven.
This morning’s breakfast is an assortment of muffins and bagels, with plenty of different toppings to choose from, and a bowl of mixed fruit. Pam plugs both the toaster and Keurig into an outlet on the sideboard. She then arranges everything in baskets and ramekins, and places holiday plates and napkins next to a poinsettia arrangement. She makes the mimosas and pours them into chilled flutes. Perfect.
They are not a pajama family so everyone is dressed when they gather in the living room next to the Christmas tree. There is an embarrassing number of presents piled up under it. The gifts spread beyond the hemline of the skirt that covers the metal tree stand. With the angel topper, it stands at an impressive nine feet tall.
“Who wants to play Santa?” Isaac asks.
“You do it, Dad!” his children practically say in unison.
To everyone’s delight, Isaac happily dons the Santa hat and says, “Ho, ho, ho!”
The mood is so cheerful and bright, even Bridget is allowed a mimosa.
They are a family that opens one present at a time so it takes well over an hour before the pile has dwindled down.
“Ho, ho, ho, now what is this little stash at the back of the tree?” asks Isaac. There are seven small boxes in a clump. They are all wrapped the same. “These say they are from Santa! That’s me,” Isaac jests. He hands the boxes around until each person is holding an identical box.
“Okay, really,” says Dan, “Who are these from?”
Janet raises her hand. “I wrote that they’re from Santa because I’ve given one to myself as well.”
They all laugh.
Benjamin asks, “Can we open them?”
“Sure,” Janet says. They all tear into the packaging at the same time.
There is an echo of responses that makes its way around the room: Cool! I always wanted to do this! I have loads of friends who have done it! Wow, I can’t wait!
“I thought we could all now know, for sure, about that Seminole Indian heritage Dad is always talking about,” Janet says to the excited responses of her sisters and brothers.
Isaac and Pam sit mute as they stare with ashen faces at the Ancestry DNA kits in their hands.
Pam drops her kit on the floor and jumps up. She runs to the stairs. A moment later, the slamming of a door shakes the house.
The stunned siblings look to their dad who says, “Um, uh, ahem, I’ll go check on her.” He, too, jumps up and though he doesn’t run, he does take the stairs two at a time.
The DVD of Christmas songs has stopped playing, weirdly reaching the end at this same exact moment. An upstairs door is heard opening and closing. And then there is utter silence.
The five look from one to another not knowing what to say next.
Daniel is the first to speak. “Well, this is awkward.”
Laurel says, “I’ll say.”
“Oh dear,” says Bridget.
Benjamin clears his throat and says, “Okay...which one of us do you think has a different parent than we have all thought?”
Eyebrows raise in answer to the question that is on everyone’s mind.
“Yes, that is definitely the question,” Daniel agrees.
They can now hear the raised voices of their parents floating down the stairway but no one can make out the actual words.
Laurel, as the next oldest says, “I don’t really know what’s going to happen here, but let’s just say based on what is already happening that Benjamin is right. One of us has a different parent. Or maybe all of us have a different parent. Whatever the case may be, let’s decide right now whether we want to know or not.” She looks around at her four siblings and asks, “All in favor of taking the test, raise your hand.” They all raise their hand. “Okay, that’s settled. No matter what Mom or Dad says, even if they beg us not to take the test, we’re taking the test.” Everyone nods in agreement.
Laurel says, “I feel absolutely terrible.” They all assure her that this is nonsense, that if there’s a family secret, it was bound to come out at some point, and they might as well all be in this together. This makes her feel better.
The raised voices continue to drift down the stairwell. Daniel says, “Let’s put our kits away, and go for a walk. It’ll be better than sitting here listening to whatever that is.”
It is noon before Pam and Isaac emerge from their bedroom. Pam’s eyes and face are red with crying. She stops in the hall and turns into Isaac’s embrace. He squeezes her close and whispers, “It’ll be just fine.”
Pam sniffs and says, “Easy for you to say. You’re the sympathetic figure here.”
“Hush now. I played my part,” he soothes.
The hardest part, however, will not be explaining to their own children. The hardest part will be telling a man from whom they have hidden the truth. The hardest part will be his finding out he has another daughter.
The ripples of this 23-year-old secret will be the hardest part. Pam and Isaac will have to convince the biological father of one of their children to tell his wife and his three children. If he doesn’t, one of his children might someday get an email with the subject line: You Have a New Sibling DNA Match to Explore!
Copyright DJ Anderson, 2020
