Usually, you’d expect siblings to bicker over minor issues and cause problems for their parents, but Stacey and I were a complete contrast to that. In fact, both of us were fiercely protective of one another.

However, as time passed, things began to change, and we got busy with our daily lives. We married, had children, and relocated to other towns. Even so, our love and concern for one another never faded — at least not until we received a piece of news that shook our world. Our mother left us for her heavenly abode.

Stacey and I flew over to say our final goodbyes to our mother and organized a lavish funeral for her. After the funeral, I accompanied Stacey to our mother’s house. We looked around the house, and our eyes welled up with tears.

“I can’t believe Mom is no longer with us. It really breaks my heart,” Stacey said, her face almost scarlet from crying.

I moved towards Stacey and hugged her. “It’s strange how we feel a void after someone we love passes away unexpectedly. We’ll get through this,” I consoled her.

Stacey hugged me tightly. “I still remember the days when we’d rush home from school, and she’d bake cookies for us. I will miss those days. I will miss everything about her.”

“Would you like to take a tour of the house then?” I asked. “That way, we can revisit those moments before we leave and sell the house.”

“Yeah, sure,” Stacey said quietly.

While touring the house, Stacey and I found some old photos of ourselves and even the costumes we wore as kids. Our mother had kept everything safely in her cupboards. Some of our childhood things brought smiles to our faces, while others left us sad. But in the end, we felt relieved after looking at them.

Then, before leaving, we decided to take a tour of the basement to see whether our mother had left any other boxes containing our childhood belongings. Suddenly, our gaze was drawn to a box kept in the middle of the room.

As we moved it to see what was inside, we discovered a secret door underneath. We were perplexed. We’d been in the house for a long time but hadn’t seen it before.

Maybe it was because the basement was usually crammed with junk when we were youngsters, but now that we’d moved out, it was relatively empty, and the door was easy to figure out. Anyway, we decided to check it out.

We unlocked the door right away and discovered that it led to a hidden room. We climbed down the stairs and found the room empty — except for a box kept in one corner. Stacey rushed over to it and opened it.

The box was filled with pictures of two people posing with a baby. As Stacey looked closely, it suddenly hit her. The baby was none other than herself. But the two other people… she didn’t know them.

Then, while she was fiddling with other pictures, a letter landed on the floor. Stacey picked it up and began reading. A few minutes later, her eyes welled up. She turned to me and yelled in anger, her eyes moist. “Why did you hide it from me? Just why?”

“Stacey, what’s wrong?” I asked.

“You know I’m adopted. Don’t you?”

I was stunned. “But.. how did you… I mean, how did you get to know? I wanted you to know about it, but mom made me promise not to tell you.”

Stacey looked at me furiously. “Of course, she didn’t want me to know. That’s why she made you sign this stupid letter!”

With that, Stacey tossed the envelope in front of me. When I read the letter, I understood what Stacey was talking about.

“Look, Stacey. It doesn’t matter. I’ve always loved you, and Mom loved you, too. We are a family,” I replied and held Stacey’s hand.

But Stacey shrugged her hand out of mine and began yelling, “You’re a bloody liar! You, Mom, everyone! I want to know about my birth parents. You guys know about them, right? Don’t think about lying now. It’s mentioned in the letter that you know about them.”

At that point, I realized that Stacey wouldn’t calm down until she got to know the entire truth. So, I decided to tell her everything.

I explained that Stacey was our mother’s best friend’s daughter. Her mother’s name was Clara. After Clara and her husband passed away in a car accident, our mother decided to take on the responsibility of raising Stacey.

“I wanted to tell you everything, but Mom was afraid you’d lash out. I guess she wasn’t wrong. Anyway, now that you know the truth, I hope you won’t be angry with us. We are a family, after all.”

“Family?!” Stacey glared at me. “I HATE YOU FOR THIS! I can’t believe you kept this hidden from me. I could have at least paid a visit to my parents’ graves once a year, but you guys took that right away from me. Do you think I’ll forgive you guys?! NEVER! I will never forgive you or Mom for this!” Stacey yelled and left.

I wished I could stop her, but I knew it would be futile. So, I just stood there silently as I saw Stacey walk away.

Months went by. I tried contacting Stacey several times, but she didn’t return my calls or texts. Day and night, she just kept thinking about how Mom and I had betrayed her.

Sadly, that took a heavy toll on her body, and her health deteriorated. The doctors told her she’d need immediate treatment, but then came another trouble knocking on her door. Her husband lost his job, and her family was now struggling to make ends meet.

Due to a lack of proper medical care, one day, Stacey’s body gave way. Doctors hospitalized her, but the costs were too much for them to bear. Her husband called me asking for help, and I knew I would do anything to help my sister. So, I took care of her medical bills.

When Stacey was released from the hospital, she called me, and she was crying.

“I’m sorry, Emily. I was so wrong to lash out at you. I doubt my own sister would have gone to such lengths to help me… I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I replied and asked her to take care of her health. Family is not just about biology; it’s about love and care. I’m glad Stacey realized it, and we reconciled.