“What happened when he searched?” I pressed gently.
“Julian had already passed away two years ago,” Mrs. Callahan revealed quietly.
My thoughts drifted back to little Leo sitting on Denise’s floor playing with his wooden train. “No…” I whispered quietly.
Mrs. Callahan held my gaze with deep compassion. “Leo is Julian’s son.”
For a long second, I couldn’t speak or catch my breath.
“So Simon wasn’t…” I started, feeling tears well up in my eyes.
“No, Gemma,” she assured me firmly. “Simon was not his father, he was his uncle.”
I looked back down at the two young boys smiling in the old photograph. “He spent his entire life thinking he was completely alone with no family.”
“Yes,” Mrs. Callahan agreed softly.
“And when he finally discovered his long-lost brother, he was already gone,” I said, feeling the immense weight of Simon’s secret burden.
“But his brother’s son was still here,” Mrs. Callahan reminded me gently.
