The Twin Secret

I was at the community clinic with Leo and Lily for their vaccinations, and while we waited, I idly flipped through their health records.

Leo, blood type A.

Lily, blood type B.

I thumbed back a page, double-checking my brother Owen's blood type.

Type O.

His wife, Sarah, was Type A.

Father Type O, Mother Type A C a child could only be Type A or Type O.

Type B?

Impossible.

Unless Lilys biological father was someone else entirely.

I snapped the health record shut. The nurses voice calling out numbers buzzed in my ears, distant and muffled. Sarah was squatting nearby, wiping drool from Lilys chin. She looked up and smiled at me.

Skylar, what are you spacing out about with that book?

I offered a smile in return.

Oh, nothing. Just checking how much weight theyve gained.

That secret, I kept to myself.

For three years, it remained hidden.

01

Back home after the shots, the whole family was gathered in the living room, doting on the kids. My mom lifted Leo high, laughing delightedly.

Look at Leos eyebrows! Exactly like Owens when he was little!

My dad chimed in, Lily takes after Sarah, with those big eyes. Shell be a real beauty someday.

Sarah leaned back on the sofa, a perfectly poised smile playing on her lips.

They each take after one of us, Mom and Dad. Its perfect, isnt it?

I sat in a corner, nursing a glass of water, saying nothing.

They each take after one of us.

Shed uttered that phrase a hundred times. Whenever a relative or friend remarked that "the two children don't look very much alike," she'd just wave it away with that line, light as air. Everyone would just smile, no one thinking much of it.

My brother, Owen, emerged from the kitchen, bringing out a dish. His apron was stained with grease, and sweat beaded on his forehead.

Sarah, try this sweet and sour ribs. I added the cherries you love.

Sarah didn't even glance at it.

Ribs again? Cant you ever make something different?

Owen paused, his smile faltering slightly.

How about I make fish tomorrow?

Whatever.

She picked up her phone, dismissing him.

My mom quickly intervened.

Sarahs busy with work, and her appetite isnt great, Owen. Dont take it to heart.

Owen nodded, silently placing the ribs near Sarahs hand.

Id witnessed this scene countless times over the past three years. Owen cooked, washed dishes, took care of the children, fixed leaky pipes C he did everything.

And Sarah?

Shed come home from work, sprawl on the sofa, scrolling on her phone. Shed occasionally hold Leo, but she was exceptionally attentive to Lily. The clothes she bought for Lily were all designer brands. Leo wore Lily's hand-me-downs.

Boys are sturdy, they can wear anything, shed explain.

I never said anything. But I remembered clearly: Leo was the older brother, Lily the younger. He was born a full four minutes before her. What kind of logic was it for the older brother to wear his younger sister's cast-offs?

After dinner, I helped clear the dishes. Owen was in the kitchen washing a pot, his voice low as he spoke to me.

Skylar, Sarah hasnt been in a great mood lately. Dont pay it any mind.

I looked at the red marks on his hands, splattered by hot oil.

Owen, is she good to you?

He paused, then laughed.

Were a couple, right? Just a long adjustment period.

Three years, and still adjusting.

I put the last bowl in the cupboard, asking no more questions.

As I was leaving, changing my shoes by the door, Lily toddled over and hugged my leg, looking up and calling for "Auntie." I knelt down to look at her face. Big eyes, a delicate nose, a pointed chin. She certainly resembled Sarah.

But her earlobes

They were completely attached to her face, small and fused.

Owen, had detached earlobes.

Sarah, also had detached earlobes.

Two people with detached earlobes, having a child with attached earlobes?

Genetically speaking, the probability was close to zero.

I stroked Lilys head and stood up.

Aunties leaving now, be a good girl.

I stood in the hallway for a long time.

It wasn't that I didn't want to speak.

I couldnt.

What if I was wrong?

What if there was another explanation?

But I'd studied genetics for seven years, and I couldn't find any "other explanation" that could simultaneously account for both the blood type and the earlobes.

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped inside, pressing the ground floor button.

For three years, I had been waiting for the right moment.

02

I remembered everything clearly from three years ago. Sarah was Owens college classmate; they dated for five years, and she became pregnant in their second year of marriage. The whole family was overjoyed when she was expecting, especially my mom.

Its twins! Our family lineage must have some good karma!

Owen practically worshipped Sarah. He quit a high-paying project team with long hours, coming home on time every day to cook. Sarah suffered severe morning sickness during her pregnancy, and Owen would hold a basin by her bedside at night. She craved dumplings at three in the morning, and hed ride his electric scooter across four neighborhoods just to find them.

The day the children were born, Owen cried like a baby outside the delivery room. Two boys, seven pounds two ounces and six pounds eight ounces, mother and sons healthy. The whole family was radiant with joy. No one noticed the fleeting moment of panic in Sarahs eyes in the delivery room.

I did.

Back then, I hadnt considered the blood types, but I remembered her expression freezing for a second when she saw Lily.

Then she quickly smiled.

They both look just like you, she told Owen.

During her confinement period, I went home to help with the babies. Sarahs mother also came C an impeccably dressed, sharp-tongued woman. She called Owen "young Owen," her tone imbued with an undeniable sense of superiority.

Young Owen, Sarah has never known hardship since childhood. Youll have to take good care of her.

Owen smiled and agreed.

Sarahs mother only held Lily, barely touching Leo. I asked her about it once.

Auntie, Leos fussy too, could you help soothe him?

She gave me a dismissive glance.

The older one takes after your family, you soothe him. The younger one is like our Sarah, I feel for her.

Even then, I felt something was off. They were just twins; did they need to be so distinctly separated?

But what truly made me suspicious was the first month celebration. One of Sarahs female friends arrived, dressed elegantly, driving a white BMW. When she picked up Lily, she froze for a full three seconds. Then she quickly walked to the hallway, grabbed Sarahs arm, and whispered something. I only caught the last few words as I passed by.

Are you out of your mind?

Sarah yanked her hand away, her face pale.

Stay out of it.

I never forgot that incident.

I remembered it for three years.

That friend never appeared at Owens house again. Sarah said she had moved abroad. But I'd seen her checking in at a local Japanese restaurant on Sarahs social media just a month before.

She hadn't moved abroad.

Shed been blocked by Sarah.

I collected these fragmented pieces, like a puzzle, fitting them together towards a conclusion I didnt want to believe. Until that day at the clinic, when I saw the blood types in the health records.

The last piece of the puzzle fell into place.

The picture was complete.

And it was ugly.

03

After the children turned two, Sarah changed. Or rather, she stopped pretending. Owens construction business had been going for six years; hed made some money in the early years and bought a two-bedroom apartment in the city center, titled in both their names. There was still a $32,000 car loan outstanding.

Sarah worked as an administrator at a real estate company, earning just over seven thousand dollars a month, but her spending speed was three times her salary. First, she upgraded her phone to the latest iPhone model. Then came the bags; a 0-0,200 Coach was replaced by a $3,600 Celine.

My mom would occasionally grumble, and Sarah would shoot back with a smile.

Mom, if a woman doesnt treat herself well, who will?

My mom would fall silent.

Owen, meanwhile, still woke up at six every morning, left for the construction site at seven, and returned home around eight in the evening, still needing to cook and put the kids to bed. One weekend, I visited their house and found him asleep on the kitchen floor, leaning against the cabinets. The soup in the pot was still bubbling. Sarah was in the bedroom, watching TV with a face mask on, the volume cranked up.

I turned off the stove and woke Owen. He rubbed his eyes, his first words being: Is the soup ready? Sarahs waiting for it. My nose stung, and I couldn't hold it back.

Owen, arent you tired?

No. He got up and stirred the soup. A man just has to shoulder it, right?

He wasnt tired, but my heart ached for him.

Three months later, on a Saturday, I went to see my nephews as usual. Opening the door, the sight inside stunned me. The wedding photo on the living room wall had been taken down. In its place was a solo artistic photo of Sarah C in a long white dress, by the beach, smiling brightly.

Sarah said the wedding photo was ugly, so she changed it, Owen explained.

On the coffee table, Leo was gnawing on a teething biscuit. Lily sat in Sarahs lap, wearing a navy blue childrens suit jacket with a small gold emblem on the collar. I recognized that emblem. Burberry Kids. One piece, at least two thousand.

And Leo?

He wore a faded cotton t-shirt with a thumb-sized hole at the elbow.

I knelt down and picked Leo up.

Sarah, Leos clothes need changing.

Sarah didnt even look up.

Boys wear out clothes quickly; its a waste to buy anything too good.

Lilys a boy too.

She finally looked up at me, her gaze momentarily cold.

Lily is delicate. Better fabrics are less likely to cause allergies.

I didnt say anything more. But as I left that day, I passed by the spare bedroom door and saw a partially opened delivery box. A corner of something was visible inside C a pair of childrens shoes, with the New Balance logo on the box. The size was Lily's. Next to it was a shopping bag from Rainbow Heights Baby & Toddler. I knew that store. The one downtown, specializing in imported baby products; a single pair of socks cost ninety dollars. There was a receipt in the bag; I glanced at it while pretending to tidy up.

Total amount: $4,312.

The memo section read: For Lily only.

Four thousand three hundred.

Owen had borrowed five thousand dollars from me last month, saying he needed to pay Leos preschool tuition. One months tuition was eighteen hundred. He had to borrow even eighteen hundred.

She spent four thousand three hundred on Lily in one go.

I pushed the corner of the delivery box back in and gently closed the door.

Walking out of the apartment complex gate, the wind was strong. I stood by the roadside for a long time before I managed to flag down a taxi. The driver asked where I was going. I gave the address, then turned to stare out the window. The taxi driver probably saw my face in the rearview mirror and said nothing more.

04

The turning point came on the children's third birthday. Owen had decorated the house with balloons and streamers, and ordered a two-tiered buttercream cake with a "3" candle. The whole family was there: my parents, my aunt and uncles family, and Sarahs mother. The two children, dressed in new clothes, ran around the living room. Leos new clothes were bought by Owen online: a pure cotton plaid shirt, tag price $89. Lilys new clothes were bought by Sarah, and you could tell at a glance they weren't cheap.

When it was time for cake, Sarahs mother held Lily on her lap, feeding her bite by bite. Leo reached for the cake, but Sarahs mother blocked him.

Wait, let your brother eat first.

Leos hand retracted, watching longingly.

I cut a piece of cake and handed it to Leo. Sarahs mother glared at me.

This child is too impatient, no manners at all.

My mom quickly interjected, My dear relative, theyre just kids, theyre all greedy.

Sarahs mother huffed, saying nothing more.

But what happened next made me completely unable to sit still.

When it was time to blow out the candles, Sarah pulled out her phone to take pictures.

Lily, sit here, yes, turn your face this way.

She took seven or eight shots, changing angles three or four times. Then she put her phone away. Leo was still standing by the cake, his face smeared with frosting, smiling and showing his two little canine teeth.

Mommy, take my picture.

Sarah looked down at her phone, as if she hadnt heard.

Mommy, please take my picture.

Leo tugged at her sleeve.

Sarah impatiently pushed his hand away.

Your face is all covered in frosting, it wont look good. Dont fuss.

Leos smile slowly faded. The three-year-olds eyes slowly welled up, but he didnt cry. He just quietly took two steps back and stood in the corner of the table. My fork in my hand was twisted out of shape. My aunt leaned over and whispered, Skylar, isnt Sarah treating the two children too differently?

I didn't answer.

But that night, after I got home, I sat at my desk for a full hour. In the drawer lay the blood type data I had copied from Leos health record a year ago. A and B.

My brother, Owen, Type O.

Sarah, Type A.

Father O, Mother A C a child could not be Type B.

Unless Lilys father carried the Type B blood gene.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

Three years.

The moment I had been waiting for, perhaps I shouldn't wait any longer.