It was an ordinary Tuesday morning.

I was curled up in my favorite armchair, sipping on my second cup of coffee and lost in a novel by one of my favorite authors, when the phone rang.

At first, I didn’t want to answer the call because I didn’t recognize the number, but then something told me to pick up.

That call was the one I had been waiting for my entire life.

My name is Emma, and I’m 61 years old. My husband, Robert, and I have spent the last 40 years together, building a life filled with laughter, love, and a few bumps along the way.

We raised four wonderful children, and all of them are now married and settled with their own little families.

I feel blessed whenever I think about them. Robert and I watch them live their lives, and our hearts are full knowing we did something right.

But, as blessed as I feel, there’s a part of me that’s never quite at peace. There’s this gnawing emptiness, a shadow that’s been with me since I was a little girl.

You see, I lost my brother, Kieran, when I was only three years old.

Kieran and I were abandoned by our parents. I never knew why, and to be honest, I’m not sure I want to.

We were left at a shelter, just two scared kids trying to understand why our world had shattered overnight. Kieran was seven, and I was too young to fully grasp what was happening, but I knew enough to feel the loss. He was all I had.

I don’t remember much about those early years, but I remember Kieran’s face. He was always there, taking care of me in ways a little boy shouldn’t have to.

He would hold my hand at night when I was scared and whisper stories to calm me. He’d save the last bit of bread to give to me, even when I knew he was hungry. He was my protector, my family, and my safe place in that unfamiliar world.

And then, one day, he was gone.

I remember the day he left like it was yesterday.

It’s my earliest memory. It’s painful, but so vivid. I remember we were playing in the dusty backyard of the orphanage. The sun was bright, and I could see that he wasn’t smiling as he always did. I had no idea why my brother was feeling sad that day until two strangers in nice clothes arrived at the orphanage.

That’s when our caretaker, Mrs. Peterson, called out Kieran’s name. He looked at me, and I saw something in his eyes that I had never seen before. It was fear.

He knelt down and hugged me, squeezing me so tight I could barely breathe.

“I have to go, Emmy,” he said in a trembling voice.

I clung to him, my little fists balled up in his shirt, crying because I didn’t understand why he had to leave. I guess I was too scared to ask where my brother was going.

The last thing he did was wipe away my tears and kiss my forehead. Then, he said, “I’ll come back for you, I promise.”

But he never did.

They pulled him away, and I watched as he walked out of the gate with the couple.

I screamed for him, and for the first time, I saw Kieran cry.

I remember standing there with tears streaming down my face. I was trying my best to reach out through the bars of the gate, trying to touch his hand one last time.

But he was gone.

The only family I knew was gone and I was left alone.

That was the last time I saw my brother, and that promise he made to come back was the only thing I held onto for years.

I grew up, went to college, and got a job like everyone else. But no matter where I was, my mind was always searching. Every new face I saw made me think of Kieran.

I would scan the room, hoping for a familiar smile or a glimpse of his gray eyes that looked so much like mine. Back then, there was no social media, so I couldn’t even search for him online. AlI I had were memories and an aching heart.

I tried everything within my power to find him. I called shelters, checked adoption records, and even walked into places just to see if I might feel a connection. But every lead turned cold.

Eventually, I had to accept that finding him was like chasing the wind.

Soon, life moved on, and I met Robert. He was a kind-hearted man and I didn’t have to think a lot before tying the knot with him. We had children and built a home, and that’s how my life took a new direction.

Yet, in quiet moments, I’d wonder where Kieran was, what kind of life he had lived, and whether he had ever thought about me.

But time has a way of fading things.

As my life filled with the noise of raising kids and the demands of everyday life, my hope of finding Kieran slowly dulled, turning into a distant memory. I stopped looking, not because I wanted to, but because it hurt too much to keep hoping.

So, a week ago, I was in my living room, lost in a book, while Robert was outside watering the plants.

Suddenly, my phone rang. When I glanced at the screen, I noticed it was an unknown number.

Normally, I would’ve ignored it, thinking it was one of those scam calls. But something told me to pick up, and I did.

“Hello?” I answered, unsure of what to expect.

“Hello, is this Emma?” a young woman’s voice asked hesitantly.

“Yes, this is her,” I replied.

“My name is Stacy, and I think I might be your niece,” she said.

“My niece? What do you mean?” I stammered.

And then it hit me. This was the call I had waited for my entire life.

“Are you Kieran’s daughter?” I asked as I felt my heart pound inside my chest.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

What I felt next was something I could never describe in words. My eyes stung as tears welled up, and my hands suddenly started trembling. I couldn’t believe that I was talking to MY BROTHER’S DAUGHTER! The same brother who I couldn’t find in the past 58 years.

But before I could say anything more, Stacy’s tone turned somber.

“I’m sorry to call you like this, but you have less than five hours to come see Dad,” she said softly. “He’s in the hospital.”

My happiness suddenly turned into panic.

“What do you mean? What happened?” I asked.

“Dad’s been sick for a while,” Stacy explained.

“The doctors say he only has a few hours left. I’ve been searching for you for months, using every resource I could think of including friends and contacts at the telecom company. And I just found your number. I’m sure Dad would love to see you.”

Tears streamed down my face as I thought of fate’s cruel plans. I mean, I had spent my entire life searching for him, and now that I had finally found him, I might just lose him in a few hours.

“Where are you?” I asked Stacy.