“Hi, Mom.”
They spent the next six days together, sharing stories, holding hands, and examining the yellow blanket he had kept throughout his life. Sam told her about his adoptive parents, his marriage, his teaching career, and the family he hoped she would someday meet.
He also asked about me, explaining that he wanted to see his sister regardless of whether I could help medically. Before Mom left, he placed a camera and an envelope inside his black suitcase, hoping they would help her explain everything.
Mom intended to return home on Friday but became frightened when she reached Erie. She spent three nights in a motel trying to write a confession before finally boarding the train to Cleveland.
Now I understood the silence, the weight loss, and the black suitcase. But the sealed envelope still contained something that could change our future.
Part 4: The Test That Changed Our Lives
With Mom’s permission, I opened the brown envelope and found a medical testing kit from UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. It contained cheek swabs, instructions for HLA compatibility testing, and a prepaid return package bearing Sam’s name and mine.
