It was a simple test—just a swab of the cheek—but it held the power to silence decades of doubt. As they waited for the results, Olivia reflected on her life, on the choices she had made, and on the man who had walked away. Jacob had been a chapter in her story, but he was not the whole book. Her children were the ones who defined her narrative, who filled the pages with their laughter, their struggles, and their triumphs.

The day the results arrived, there was a palpable tension in the air. The envelope felt heavy in her hands, as if it contained not just a piece of paper, but the weight of her past.