An Education for Amy

The room was silent for a moment as Uncle John gathered his thoughts. "We have raised you as our children for the past 6 years, and we don't regret that at all," he said. "You've been wonderful kids, and have grown up to be exceptional adults."

He took a deep breath and continued. "When your folks died, we were entrusted to make decisions about your lives, and there was one that we agonized over. We made a decision many years ago to wait until you were 18 to talk to you about this."

Erik glanced over at Amy, and they both seemed a bit relieved, since this didn't appear to be a speech about incest. But he also noted that she looked confused and anxious.

"Erik, Amy, you were adopted," Uncle John said. "Your parents couldn't have children, so they adopted you. I'm not sure when, or if they ever planned to tell you, but we made the decision to tell you after your 18th birthday."

The room was quiet while this information sank in. Erik and Amy caught eyes a few times, but they were both in a state of shock.

Uncle John continued. "Now your parents did save the files on your adoptions, and I feel like you are old enough to make your own decisions about whether or not you want to find out who your real parents are. I'm just going to give them to you and let you decide."

He handed a file to Erik and one to Amy. The twins sat there looking at the files, neither making a move forward. After a moment of silence, Amy spoke up.

"Why would the adoption agency have two different files when we were twins?" she asked.

Aunt Martha spoke up. "Actually there were two different adoption companies," she said.

Erik got a funny feeling, a hair raising on the back of his neck, and odd flutter of the heart. He hadn't put it together yet, but something was happening. Amy was looking down at the file.

"Two different adoption companies?" Amy asked. "Why would there be two different companies for one set of twins?"

"Well, actually, there were two companies because you and Erik were adopted from different families," Uncle John said.

Erik could feel the blood boiling up in his face. "But weren't we both born on the same day?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, that's true, but the common birthday was just a totally random coincidence," Uncle John said. "Your parents always believed it was a good omen that the two adoptions they arranged just happened to be born on the same day."

Erik could feel the blood pumping through his veins. He suddenly felt every single hair on his body stand up at attention. And he suddenly had a vision, one that he needn't be ashamed of. He looked over at Amy, and she was gazing steadfastly in his direction.

Uncle John and Aunt Martha probably figured that the two siblings were lost in their thoughts about who their real parents might be, and whether or not they would want to find out. Uncle John and Aunt Martha were wrong.

Amy stood up, walked over to Uncle John and Aunt Martha, and handed him the file. She hugged both of them warmly. "I have already had four wonderful parents," she said. "You are my parents now, and you are the best parents a girl could hope for."

She turned and walked over to where Erik was standing. She stopped in front of him, looking into his eyes. And then she leaned in and gave him a warm, sisterly hug. And as she did, she leaned in and whispered six sweet, soft words into his ear.

"I'll leave the bathroom door open."