Because Emily and her partner could not have children, they decided to adopt. And one girl immediately stood out to the pair, as she had a very similar birthmark to Emily’s on her hand. It felt like a sign that they could simply not ignore. But maybe they should have ignored it. When they eventually got around to giving the girl a DNA test, they made an astonishing discovery. Emily was in the doctor’s waiting room alone with her thoughts. He had called her in to deliver her the results of Sophie’s DNA test because he could not make himself provide them over the phone. And this was worrying Emily greatly. In her mind, this could only mean bad news… When the doctor finally came out of his office, Emily could see it on his facial expression immediately. This was bad news. The moment the office door closed behind them, she started begging the doctor to just give her the truth straight. And the sad-looking man obliged… The DNA results brought Emily to her knees. This was something she could have never expected in a million years, but there was no way around the truth anymore… But what did Sophie’s DNA results reveal? How did she and Emily have the same birthmark and why did Emily even want to do a DNA test?  From the moment that Emily and David realized they could conceive children together, they started to discuss all the other options. Both of them did not want to remain childless forever, but they also did not want to make any discussion they regretted. Adoption was one of the first options brought to the table, but Emily expressed a lot of doubt about this… She did not like the idea that if they would decide to adopt, that then the child would not be completely hers. Not her flesh and blood. Like she was just a glorified babysitter. And on top of that, they would most likely miss most of the baby years. Something that spoke to David, but not to Emily. But seeing as they wanted to give all the options an honest chance, David managed to convince Emily to at least join him at an orphanage. Emily did not see the purpose of this as her mind was pretty much made up at this point. But against all her expectations, she was going to make a complete 180. Most of the children here were already at least 3 years old. They have fully formed children, which only enhanced Emily’s negativity toward this option. She understood that she could really help one of these children by adopting them, but it just did not feel like something she wanted. But then something drastically changed. Emily locked eyes with a sad-looking little girl and she immediately had a different feeling with her than with the other children. She could not explain it at first, but there was something that was drawing her toward this tiny sweetheart. The lady assisting the couple started telling the couple a little bit about Sophie. The girl had been dropped off anonymously at the orphanage when she was just one year old. She had been here for 2,5 years and nobody had shown any interest in adopting her. He was also getting to an age where children would go to foster homes because the chance of finding other parents for them became slimmer by the month. Emily was listening to the woman, but if she was being honest, none of the information seemed to land with her… She was just trying to figure out what was drawing her to this girl. Why did she feel this connection to her? And then Emily noticed about little Sophie that made the whole situation even stranger. But it only made Emily’s feelings stronger. She almost forcefully grabbed Sophie’s hand, scaring the little girl and the employee of the orphanage. David wanted to ask Emily what the hell she was doing, but then he saw it as well. Right on Sophie’s hand was a strange-looking birthmark that he recognized immediately. Emily had the exact same birthmark on her hand! She was holding their hands next to each other and the resemblance was uncanny. It even seemed to be almost in the same spot. This could almost not be a coincidence anymore and Emily thought the exact same. She looked at David and it seemed like they both felt the same way. This was the girl. They did not know how it was possible, but this was clearly a sign of some sort. They had to adopt Sophie into their life and the orphanage was more than happy to set the procedure in motion. They had not been the biggest fans of how Emily had behaved herself with the children, but they were willing to accept a little more seeing as this was most likely Sophie’s last chance at a forever home. And the girl herself was also fairly excited. All she had ever known was the orphanage and it was something that she would very much like to leave behind her. She was treated well here, but you simply don’t get all the attention in a place like this because of all the other needy children… And so Emily and David managed to adopt Sophie with relative ease. She was home with them within 2 weeks time and the family hosted a big welcome-home party. Both sides of the family were present and Sophie seemed to rejoice in all the attention. And the family was beyond happy as well. For the parents of both Emily and David, it was the first time they had a grandchild and they had been dying for one for a while now. They all wanted to babysit as much as possible and even Davids’s sister seemed really eager to be involved. But Emily was a bit less of a fan of this. David’s sister had only recently started to recover from some hard times. She had been dealing with substance abuse for a while and was even exiled by the family until she got completely clean. Which, in fairness, she had been for nearly a year now… Emily thought it was still too early to completely trust her, but David wholeheartedly disagreed with her. He thought that they should give his sister a chance and Emily even felt like he was really pushing for it. It got to a point where she just could not refuse anymore. But lucky for Emily, she was able to spend by far the most with Sophie. While David worked a well-paying full job, she only made 20 hours a week and was a housewife and mother the rest of the time. And Emily loved it! This was what she had always wanted. Or was it?  The more time passed after Emily adopted Sophie, the more she started to feel like she was not really improving her connection with the girl. She had felt that instant connection when she first met her, but that never evolved to more. Sophie seemed to be really shy toward her. Which wasn’t something she could say about David… Sophie and David seemed to just click like they were 2 pies in a pod. During the week he was working, and Sophie spent most of her time by the window, eagerly waiting for him to come home. And the weekends were even worse – Sophie only focussed on David, still not seeking any contact with Emily. Emily had asked David many times if he had any idea why Sophie behaved like this, as she was really feeling like she was doing something wrong being a mother. David assured her that she was doing everything right, and that one can never predict how children are going to act. But was this actually the truth Emily had asked David many times if he had any idea why Sophie behaved like this, as she was really feeling like she was doing something wrong being a mother. David assured her that she was doing everything right, and that one can never predict how children are going to act. But was this actually the truth Something else that stood out to Emily was that Sophie had formed a close relationship with David’s family pretty quickly, but – it was almost predictable – not with Emily’s side of the family. It was obvious that Sophie enjoyed spending time more with David’s parents and sister. Emily couldn’t stop thinking about it… She often watched them from a distance, through the window as they played in the yard. They looked so… complete, in balance. And to her sorrow, they never tried to involve her in their activities. She felt very left out and it slowly broke her heart. The connection that she had felt with the girl at first, because of their shared birthmark, had completely disappeared. Emily just could not shake the feeling that David was not telling her something. She had tried everything she could think of to bond with their daughter, but because of some reason, nothing seemed to work. She was starting to feel desperate and insecure, and her mind started spinning… The worst thoughts started popping into her mind… She didn’t want to believe them, but she also couldn’t just ignore them. She couldn’t overlook it anymore: it was obvious that David was keeping something from her… What if… Sophie was David’s biological child? Was it even possible?  Emily tried to convince herself that David would never cheat on her. They had been faithful to each other since the beginning and she never doubted him for a second! And if he had had a child from a previous relationship, he would definitely have told her… right? Emily still didn’t want to believe it, but the more she thought about it, the more it started to make sense. And, she couldn’t think of any other reason why Sophie would love David so much more and feel absolutely no connection with Emily. What if he was actually her real father? But… How would that explain their birthmarks? Emily tried talking about it with David, but he rejected all her attempts to start a conversation. This made Emily doubt him even more… She decided to take matters into her own hands and she was determined to find some answers, even if she had to go behind his back to do so. Emily had decided to do a DNA test to determine whether David was Sophie’s dad. She knew that it was a little farfetched, but she didn’t know what else to do! She had to be very careful and make sure she did not get caught, because she didn’t want anybody to know what she was doing – and especially not David… She did some research and set the plan in motion. From the hospital, she had gotten two cheek swabs that she could use to get Sophie’s and David’s DNA. Now she just had to figure out a way to do it without them noticing… This was going to be a difficult task, but Emily was determined to make it work. Emily felt guilty about her plan, but she had to do something! David still pretended that everything was normal, but the two of them had grown apart considerably since they brought Sophie home. They had been in a good place before her, but the adoption had only created more distance between them… Distance and secrets. Emily wanted to know the truth. Emily thought of several ways to collect the DNA, but in the end, she decided to do it while they were asleep. She knew that David was a heavy sleeper and figured that this would be her best shot. She was going to do it tonight – she would collect David’s DNA first, then Sophie’s. She hoped they wouldn’t wake up and catch her in the middle of it… That night, Emily had set the alarm for 2 am, but she was so nervous that she couldn’t sleep. After they had gone to bed, David had quickly started snoring. She took a deep breath. This was the moment – she knew that she had to do it now. She softly sat up and took one of the swabs from the drawer in her nightstand. She quickly opened it, making as little noise as possible. To her relief, David continued snoring – which was very convenient for Emily, as he was already laying on his back, with his mouth open. She quickly collected some saliva from his cheek and followed the rest of the instructions before putting the DNA sample away safely. Then, she went to Sophie’s room. Luckily, she was also sound asleep and Emily could take the sample swiftly, without Sophie noticing anything. Emily was both relieved and anxious at the same time… She was relieved that things had gone as planned and that she had been able to take both DNA samples without waking them up. But she was also anxious about what the test results would show… Were they going to be a match? She couldn’t wait to find out… The next day, Emily went to the hospital to drop off the samples. The doctor told her he would have the results within about a week. She had told him everything and he promised her he would be discreet. All she could do now was wait… The next week was difficult for Emily. She was tired of pretending everything was fine, and her secret started to weigh heavy on her. She didn’t want to talk about it with anyone, not even her parents or her best friends – she needed to be sure that nobody else would find out, and she could only trust herself with it In the meantime, nothing had changed. Sophie still spent most of her time with David and was always asking to visit his family. She didn’t respond to Emily’s efforts to bond with her. Emily felt more like a distant relative than a mother, but she decided to stop blaming herself – she had done everything in her power to form a relationship with Sophie. David and Emily had already grown apart since Sophie joined them, but things had only gotten worse now. Because Sophie was always asking to see her Nana and Papa, David took her to his parents’ house almost daily and he was barely ever home. Emily was getting more and more convinced that he actually was Sophie’s dad… And it broke her heart. But she still couldn’t be sure of it, of course. She was still waiting for the test results – that was the most difficult part! She felt very alone and decided to focus on her job instead, at least until she got the results. She didn’t know what was going to happen then… It all depended on the test outcome. One day, Emily’s phone rang. It was the hospital calling! Her heart was pounding in her chest. That must be the doctor calling her with news about the DNA test. What was he going to tell her? She knew that this phone call could change her life… She took a few deep breaths and picked up the phone. But she didn’t expect to hear this voice… “Hello, Emily. This is Dr. Matthews secretary.” The secretary had called to ask Emily to come by the hospital. The doctor wanted to discuss the test results with her in person and the secretary managed to squeeze her in for an appointment the same day. Emily was shocked — this could only mean bad news Emily sat in the waiting room, alone with her thoughts. She felt like she was going crazy! She was very nervous and hoped Dr. Matthews would call her in soon. She picked up a random magazine off the table and flipped through the pages mindlessly, and then the door to the office opened… “Hi, Emily. Good to see you, please come on in,” Dr. Matthews said. She got up with weak knees and walked into his office. As she sat down, she saw that the doctor had a concerned look on his face. She couldn’t wait any longer. What was he going to tell her? She could see that Dr. Matthews was searching for the right words. “Just say it. I want to know!” Emily told him. The doctor sighed and nodded. He took a folder from his drawers and laid it on the table in front of Emily. This was the moment of truth… Emily took a deep breath and prepared herself for the worst. She opened the folder and looked at the paper inside. She couldn’t believe her eyes, this must be a mistake… She looked at the doctor with questioning eyes and he just nodded. “The results are conclusive.” Emily burst out crying. How was this even possible? She still could not believe it. She had come up with many theories about Sophie, but she never could have imagined this. She needed to confront David about this. She felt angry, sad and deeply betrayed, all at the same time. How could he do this to her? How could they do this?! She thanked the doctor – who was, thankfully, very understanding of her reaction – and grabbed the folder on her way out. She needed the evidence for her confrontation with David, just in case he wanted to brush her off again. She wasn’t going to let him escape the conversation this time. When Emily arrived home, David was sitting at the kitchen table. He had left Sophie at his parents’ house while he finished some work. Heh, of course he did, Emily thought. But she didn’t complain – this way, they could talk freely. As soon as David looked at her, he saw that she had a face like thunder. “Woah! What’s going on, Em?” he asked her. She was furious. She decided not to show him the results yet; she would wait for the right moment. “Tell me the truth about Sophie.” David just sighed and told her they had already talked about this. He insisted that she and Emily just needed to spend more time together. Not this again… Emily thought. He had already turned away from her, when Emily said “Stop lying to me! I know what you did.” David froze. “What are you talking about?” he asked, without even looking at her. Was he still going to pretend that he didn’t know anything? Or was he finally going to tell her the truth? Emily took the folder from her bag to show it to him. His face turned pale and he stammered “What… What is that?” She knew that he would have to admit it now. She opened it and showed him the results. It was obvious: the DNA was a match. But, David wasn’t the father… After that, they talked for hours and David told her the entire story, from beginning to end. And even though she was extremely angry at him, she believed him. He begged her not to leave him, but she wouldn’t make any promises. She didn’t know if she could ever forgive him for what he had done… David told her that the “birthmark” on Sophie’s hand was fake. He had known that something like this might convince Emily and so he had preemptively put it on the little girl the day before they went to the orphanage. As Emily now knew, he had wanted to adopt this girl specifically for very special reasons… Emily wanted to confront David’s parents and sister about the information that she now had. She couldn’t believe that they would lie to her and her family like that! She had already suspected that they knew something more than they were telling her, but they were involved a lot deeper than she could have ever imagined… As it turns out, Sophie was indeed related to David… He was her uncle! Sophie was actually his sister’s daughter. She had given her up while she was struggling with addiction and had only recently told her parents and brother about it. Their parents were determined to have their first granddaughter in their life, and had thought of the plan to let Emily and David adopt her. David wasn’t a fan of the idea… But he couldn’t say no to his parents, and his sister was so very thankful that she got to see her daughter again. He didn’t regret helping them, but if it were up to him, he would have been upfront with Emily about it from the beginning. Now, it was probably too late for them… Once the truth came to light, Sophie returned to live with her real mother. Emily and David started seeing a marriage counselor in hopes of saving their relationship, and things are looking better for them already. However, they have decided that they do not want any children of their own anymore. They will live happily ever after, just the two of them. Woman Wears Her Mother’s Old Ring For 25 Years, When Jeweller Sees It He Tells Her This For twenty-five years, Lydia wore the ring on her finger, feeling a deep connection to her mother every time she looked at it. The ring became a symbol of love and a tangible reminder of the bond they shared. One day, Lydia decided to take her beloved ring to the local jeweler, Mr. Reynolds, for a small reparation. Mr. Reynolds, with a careful eye, examined the ring, turning it over and inspecting it under a magnifying glass. As he did, a perplexed expression crossed his face, his brow furrowing in confusion. He looked up at Lydia and said, “I’m sorry, but this ring shouldn’t be in your possession. It’s not meant for you to have.” Lydia was completely stunned. She explained how her mother’s precious ring had broken and prayed that Mr. Reynolds would be able to fix it. But instead of thinking about the reparation, Mr. Reynolds closely inspected the ring and seemed to have a look of recognition in his eyes. Then he knew… He had seen this ring before, and when he revealed to Lydia where this was, her jaw dropped. Her mother had lied to her all this time. She could not believe it, but there was no doubt he was telling the truth… But what did the jeweler reveal to Lydia? What was the true story behind the ring, and how would it turn Lydia’s life upside down? Lydia is now happily married to John. They live a somewhat regular life, but they do struggle a bit financially. They can make ends meet, but the pair has to work relatively hard. And for Lydia, this has not been the only big struggle she has had to deal with in her life. Lydia has had a difficult life. She was an only child and had a very good relationship with her mother, Sara, because they always had to do everything together. Her father had never really been in the picture, and this had a pretty big effect on Lydia when she was young. Lydia had never even met her biological father. He had left her mother when he found out she had gotten pregnant. He and Sara were a couple at the time, but unwed, so it was easy to walk away from the family without consequences. Lydia had never forgiven him for this… Lydia’s whole childhood felt like a battle she fought alongside her mother. While she was in school, her mother worked two jobs in order to provide for them, and when Lydia was old enough, she managed to get a job as well to fill up her free hours in the week. It might have been a struggle every day, but the pair seemed to make it work. For a long time, it felt like all they had in the world was each other, and this created an incredibly strong bond between them. Sara didn’t feel the need to look for a new husband or boyfriend. Not that she even had the time. Lydia, however, did find the time for a little bit of romance in her life. She met her boyfriend, John, on the job, and they started to really connect with each other quickly. They were only together for a couple of months but already had big plans. But a big test for their relationship was just around the corner… Lydia and Sara were both saving up as much money as they could. This was all to give Lydia a chance to move out of the house when she was ready. Sara wanted nothing more than to give her only child the best life possible. But then the unthinkable happened… Sara suddenly got very sick when Lydia was around 24 years old. Doctors found it difficult to determine what exactly was wrong with her, and Sara’s condition quickly went downhill. Their lives were crashing down around them. All of their savings had gone to Lydia’s treatment. But sadly, it didn’t seem to matter. The doctors tried everything they could, but somehow, Sara’s body refused almost all the medication needed for her condition. Lydia had a very difficult choice to make. They could perform a very dangerous operation on her mother with a success rate of only ten percent, or she could let her mother go peacefully. Lydia decided not to do the operation. She knew her mother never liked being operated on, so if that would be her last moment alive, she would find that horrible. The doctors respected her decision and vowed to keep searching and trying new kinds of medication. But it was all in vain.  After only a few weeks, it was clear that Sara was not going to make it through. Because the doctors had been unable to determine what she was suffering from, all they could do was treat the symptoms and make Sara more comfortable. Lydia had to say goodbye to her mother and best friend. It was extremely hard for Lydia to get through this period. She had to take care of a lot of things being the only child and the only family member that really seemed to care. Sara had not been in close contact with other family members as she felt they never tried to help when she was struggling. With so much weight on Lydia’s shoulders, it was a miracle that she did not crack under the pressure. The main reason she managed to make it through was with a lot of help from her boyfriend, John. He had been there every step of the way, and it made them even closer than before. After her mother had passed away, a lot of things had to be taken care of. The funeral was the first thing that had to be organized. It was a sober goodbye with only a small gathering. It was an open casket, and the moment Sara’s sister saw her, she made a comment that would turn a lot of heads. Sara’s sister noticed that she was not wearing the ring she always had on. Lydia had not even thought about this in all the craziness. But now it was too late to even go looking for it. In the grand scheme of things, it just didn’t seem that important. Lydia had no idea how wrong she would be about this… Sara’s sister tried to make a big deal about her not wearing the ring, but luckily for Sara, the other family members interfered. They recognized how insignificant it was to fight about something so small on an already very sad day. Lydia was glad that the other family members backed her up, but it didn’t make her feel much better about that day. Even though it was a sober ordeal, Lydia did manage to say goodbye to her mother in a satisfying way. She was still distraught by the whole situation, but she was starting to make peace with it a little bit. She was, however, not prepared for everything that was about to happen next… After the funeral, the next major thing that had to be taken care of was the inheritance. Sara was not rich in the slightest bit, and before her passing, she had documented that everything she owned would be left to Lydia. And there was one thing Lydia did really want to find. The comment made at the funeral about her mother’s ring had stuck with her. Ever since then, Lydia knew she had to find it, as it was probably the item that had the most sentimental value to her. Sara had worn it nearly every day. But finding it was turning out to be more of a burden than a blessing.  Lydia looked everywhere, under the couch, in Sara’s bed, she even called the hospital to check if they had it stored somewhere, but it was all in vain. As long as the house was still packed with Sara’s belongings, finding the ring would be nearly impossible. So, she decided to sell some things.  Sara didn’t own a house; she just rented it. And she barely had any money saved. Even less than Lydia had expected. All of Sara’s money had either already gone into Lydia’s pocket in order to help her move out, or to all the treatment she needed in her final weeks. Many of the older items still left in the house, like worn-down furniture and clothing, went to thrift stores. Lydia had no need for most of it. Lydia did find a couple of items she wanted to keep that had some sentimental value. She desperately kept looking for the ring. Finally, she found it! Lydia knew that this ring had a story. Her mother had always told her she had stolen it when she was just a little girl. Apparently, when Sara was only twelve, she had a job cleaning houses for people. This made her a little bit of money that was needed to keep her household going. Most of the homeowners Sara worked for were really nice to her, and thus she enjoyed spending time there while she made her money. But it seemed that one of the women employing her was always really nasty and mean to Sara for no particular reason whatsoever. And not only with her words… She used to hit Sara every time she would do something that was not to her satisfaction. This went on for a couple of months as Sara could not leave at the time. She had no other houses to work at, and she really needed the money. But this treatment started taking its toll on little Sara. She began resenting going to work and would often try to be in different rooms than her boss. It was exhausting for little Sara to constantly look over her shoulder and try to get out of the way of the lady and still do a good job so she wouldn’t be punished.  But during all this, Sara was constantly looking for other work or other places to clean. And when Sara finally had another house to work in, she quickly quit the job, but not before stealing a ring she had found on her last day. It was her way of taking a little bit of revenge. Lydia had always taken this story as the truth and loved it when she was younger. It had made her see her mother as a badass and someone who was not afraid. It was an example she had always wanted to follow. But Lydia would eventually find out that this was not the whole story… Sara had always worn the ring proudly as a reminder of when she stood up for herself, and now Lydia would be wearing it as a reminder of her mother. Almost all other things she kept from Sara either disappeared in drawers and the shed or were sold after a while. Even though Lydia loved the story of the ring, it had always seemed a bit strange and even far-fetched to Lydia. Especially the more she started thinking about it. She never saw her mother as the type to do something against the rules or steal anything. Something wasn’t adding up. Lydia had, of course, only known Sara in a motherly role, so it was not that strange to think Sara might have been very different before she became a mother. Lydia decided not to think about it too much. But the truth can never be hidden forever and would soon be unexpectedly revealed to Lydia… Lydia had to move on with her life. Luckily she still had John. While they probably had the peak months of their relationship in the worst possible time, they did end up staying together and only grew closer through everything that Lydia had to go through. Closer in more ways than one… Not even a year after Sara had passed, the couple had their first child, Sammy. Lydia quickly found out that having a child was the best way to fill the void her mother left in a healthy way. The things she attempted before she got pregnant were a lot less healthy… Lydia had turned to alcohol in the first months after her mother’s passing. It was starting to become a big problem really fast because, to her, it started to feel like the only escape from her thoughts at the time. John got really worried about the situation for a while… Lydia would come home late and drunk and call in sick for work because her hangover was just too much to handle during the day. She was on the verge of losing her job when she got pregnant, and that ultimately saved them, because Lydia knew she had to change.  The pregnancy turned out to be a blessing in more ways than one. Lydia gave up the bottle immediately when she found out she was pregnant because she wanted to take no risks with the baby on the way. But she had to find a new release in the meantime. Lydia had gotten used to turning to alcohol every time a wave of sadness came over her. At this point, even if the sadness was not related to her mother’s passing. Being unable to do so, plus her becoming more and more hormonal during the pregnancy, made her an absolute wreck for months on end. They were some of the toughest months of Lydia’s life, which again had not been easy up to this point anyway. But with the birth of their child, things finally started to look up for the couple. Lydia was able to focus all her attention on raising Sammy, and the need for a drink got less and less because of it. As a replacement for alcohol, Lydia started to work out more and more. It was something she really enjoyed doing, and she thought that it would only have benefits for her. Which it did at first. Lydia was able to see the benefits of getting healthier. But eventually, working out would have an unexpected consequence for Lydia… Over the next couple of years, The life of the family was relatively good. Sammy was growing up in good health, Lydia and John had finally saved up enough money to get married and were still extremely happy together. But just like the rest of Lydia’s life, a big speedbump was about to appear on her path… After so many years, Sammy was grown up and ready to leave the house. It was a moment that Lydia was dreading very much. This is because caring for Sammy had been her main purpose in life for years on end, and she was afraid of what this major change in lifestyle would bring. To clear her mind, Lydia decided to go for a jog that afternoon. She did this often and was in relatively good shape for her age. Thinking back on her alcohol-filled days, she was very proud of how she was living now. But with her head firmly in the clouds, she wasn’t paying enough attention to the path… Lydia tripped on a branch that had fallen out of a tree and was lying on the path now. Lydia had to think in a split second and luckily managed to stick her hand in front of her to cushion her fall. But when Lydia tried to get up, she noticed something that sent a wave of despair through her body… Her mother’s ring, it had broken! The ring was still around her finger, where it had been for the last 25 years now, but it had cracked and was no longer a fully connected piece. Lydia felt tears well up in her eyes and decided to get back home immediately. She was hoping that John would be able to fix it, as he did with almost anything that had broken down in their house. But John wasn’t willing to take the risk with something that was so near and dear to Lydia’s heart. He advised her to take it to a jeweler to get it repaired. Lydia went that same afternoon. It was only a short drive into town, and she had called ahead to the jewelry store and was ensured by them that they could easily fix the broken ring at a relatively cheap price. But Lydia was not prepared for what the jeweler had to tell her upon inspecting the ring… Lydia and John lived in a small town. It was the same town Lydia and her mother had lived in all their lives and where she had met John. The place only had one jeweler who had been operational for all of Lydia’s life and even longer. But Lydia had never actually been inside this store, and suddenly she realized why… Lydia remembered that when she was younger, her mother had always forbidden her from going into the jewelry shop. Lydia had never known why as a kid, but she hadn’t questioned it. As an adult, she’d never had a reason to go to the store anyway because of her financial situation. Lydia was the only customer in the store when she entered, and the jeweler greeted her with a smile on his face. She explained what had happened and gave the employee the ring. He raised an eyebrow when he saw it and proclaimed that he had seen such a ring before, but could not place it. Lydia told him how she had gotten it and how her mother had supposedly gotten it. But when she mentioned at what age her mother had stolen the ring from her employer, the jeweler stopped her and said that it was impossible for that story to be correct. Lydia’s jaw dropped when he explained why. If the story was correct, it would mean that her mother had stolen the ring in 1952. But the techniques that were used to make this ring were only applied past 1968! This was the earliest that this ring could have been produced. Lydia was stunned by what she was being told. The jeweler went on and on about the ring, giving Lydia more details and arguments as to why it was impossible for that ring to be from anywhere near that time period. Then suddenly, while telling his story, the jewelry store employee had a realization and stopped talking. His eyes went wide, and he went to go look for something. He quickly went into the back and took out a small old book. It was a catalog of items they had in the store. But this was a catalog from the year 1968. He looked through a couple of pages and turned the book to Lydia. She could not believe what she was seeing on its pages. It was her mother’s ring! But how? The jeweler proclaimed that this was how he knew the ring. Their store had produced this model, but far before his time. And when he was in the back, he also did some digging through the store’s archives and made a bizarre discovery! This exact ring had been stolen from their store in 1969. He knew that it was this exact ring because the serial number matched up. He looked up at Lydia and said, “I’m sorry, but this ring shouldn’t be in your possession.” Lydia could not believe what she was hearing. Her mother had stolen the ring from this store? But why? And then the realization came to her… 1969 was the year when she was born. Her father had left her mother, and she had already been strapped for cash when he was in the picture. She must have started stealing out of desperation. Sara must have done it for Lydia. But the store clerk had one more thing to say. It was the first positive message of the conversation. He would allow Lydia to keep the ring. The crime happened so long ago that the police wouldn’t do anything about it if he tried. But even if they would, he had no intention of taking the ring away from her. He realized the sentimental value that it had to Lydia was way greater than any monetary value it would have to him. And luckily for Lydia, the jeweler was able to make that call, because it was now his store. He even offered to repair the ring and restore it to its original quality for free. Lydia could not be happier. But she was still left with the question of what else her mother had stolen. And what other secrets she was unaware of. She went home to John with mixed feelings of relief that her ring had been repaired and confusion about her mother. Why would she lie about stealing the ring at a young age instead of telling the truth about stealing the ring to care for her daughter? It was one thing to steal, but to also lie about it? As soon as she got home, she told John what had happened. John was just as stunned as her and even had the same questions. There were still a few belongings of her mother stored away in their attic, and they decided to get them out to check if those could be stolen as well.  Luckily for Lydia, the other items weren’t stolen. Which also was a bit of a relief, because she really didn’t want to remember her mother as a thief. This way, the memory of her mother stayed the same. and she could keep the items without feeling bad about them.  She had to make peace with the fact that there would always be a lot about her mother that she would never know. But what she did know, and actually had always known, is that there was nothing that her mother would not do for her. And knowing that made this ring even more special to her. Lydia went on to live a peaceful rest of her life with John by her side. Their son eventually moved back to his hometown to care for his aging parents. The ring stayed with Lydia till the end of her life and was given to her son to propose to his future wife.