John crossed his arms, his gaze unwavering. “I just need to be sure, Sarah. I’ve been hearing things… people talk, you know? And I’ve noticed how Tim doesn’t look much like me. He’s got different features, and it started making me wonder.”

The more he spoke, the more Sarah felt the ground beneath her feet becoming unstable. She couldn’t believe that idle gossip and superficial observations could lead to such a significant fracture in their relationship.

“Are you really going to let rumors dictate our lives?” she asked, her voice rising slightly. “Tim is our son, John. You’ve held him, comforted him. You’ve been there for every milestone. Doesn’t that mean anything?”