Jake paid floral tribute to his daughters’ graves on the twentieth anniversary of their deaths.
Unfortunately, neither he nor Nora had a large family. That’s why starting a new family was so significant. But now it was only him. Alone in the world. At times, he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t succumbed to grief like his wife had two years after Hope died.
As Jake reflected on life, he heard someone whisper “Hello!”.
He turned around to see what seemed to be a familiar face. Surprised, he muttered, “Nora?” thinking he had gone nuts.
“I’m not Nora. My name is Nicole, and I wanted to talk to you,” the young woman could be heard saying.
“What do you need, young lady?” Jake inquired, still struck by the likeness between that woman and his late wife.
“I believe you are my father. Dad, I’ve finally found you,” the young woman said.
Jake became even more perplexed. How was that possible? His only daughter died just hours after birth.
“It’s the truth,” Nicole added. “I’m your daughter. Well, at least, that’s my theory.”
“I don’t understand. I don’t know you, young lady, and you don’t know me or my family. But my daughter died after childbirth all those years ago. Please, don’t play around with something that serious,” Jake muttered, almost getting angry.
“I would never joke about something like that. I swear. My parents are not my biological parents, but I look exactly like the picture on that woman’s grave. Didn’t you call me Nora? Isn’t that her?” Nicole stated as she pointed to the photograph on Nora’s headstone
“Maybe you’re a distant relative or something,” Jake hedged, assuming the woman could be a long-lost cousin or someone other than his deceased daughter.
“I don’t think so. Look, I’m 20 years old, and I was born at the George Washington University Hospital. I already investigated thanks to my friend who is a nurse there. There were only two girls born from two couples that day. One couple was my parents, and the other was you. Jake and Nora Rogers, correct?” she checked.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. You think you were switched at birth?” Jake inquired, perplexed by the young woman’s statements. “That can’t be true.”
“I’m 98% sure of it. I am almost sure that my parents’ real daughter was born sick, and they switched us. I’m even more certain of it now that I see you because I may look like the woman in the picture, but my eyes are clearly yours,” Nicole said.
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