As a 62-year-old grandma, I’ve learnt that nothing can really get you ready for the unexpected turns and twists that life throws at you. When my 34-year-old daughter Emily died in a terrible car accident, my life changed in a big way. It hurt so much to lose her, and I had to take care of her twin boys, Jack and Liam, by myself.
The days were hard to remember because of the long nights, temper tantrums, and crushing loneliness. But even though things were hard, the boys made me feel better by telling me of Emily’s beautiful eyes and smile. Then one night there was a knock on the door that changed everything.
Rachel was the name of the woman who stood at my door, her eyes red from crying. When she asked to talk about Emily with me, I got a lump in my throat. No one brought up Emily’s name without being nervous that they would make me angry. The way Rachel spoke seemed like a challenge, so I let her in.
Rachel’s mood changed from nervous to determined as soon as we sat down. Emily’s handwriting was on the paper she gave me. It had my name on it. My hands were shaking as I took the envelope. Tears were forming at the edges of my eyes. Rachel spoke quickly: “Emily told me to give you this in case something happened to her.” “You should read it.”
The letter told a shocking truth: Jack and Liam were not the children of Emily’s ex-husband Daniel; they were born through a secret IVF process with Rachel. Emily hadn’t told me this because she was afraid of how I would respond. I was shocked when I heard the news, and it was hard for me to deal with the complicated feelings that were going through my mind.
Rachel’s eyes locked on mine as I finished reading the message. They were sad and determined at the same time. My life and the lives of my grandsons would never be the same again. Emily’s long-kept secret was finally out in the open, and it was up to me to figure out how to live in this new world.
