Part 3: The Letter That Arrived Six Months Too Early
Mom explained that everything had changed in April when a woman named Carol Reiner contacted her from Pittsburgh. Carol was Michael’s wife, and she had discovered his biological family after their daughter Jenna took a DNA ancestry test.
Three years earlier, my son Tyler had given me a similar test for my birthday. I had barely examined the results, unaware that my genetic information would eventually help identify a brother I didn’t know existed.
Jenna’s results suggested a close family connection with me, although nobody initially understood how we were related. Further investigation led Carol to Margaret’s daughter, who knew about St. Brigid’s and remembered the name June Kowalski, my mother’s maiden name.
Carol eventually located Mom and explained that Michael had been adopted by a doctor and his wife. His adoptive parents had loved him deeply, and his mother had preserved the yellow blanket throughout his childhood.
