Throughout dinner, Luke was insistent. He talked non – stop about Luna, describing her favorite clothes, how she loved to wear her hair in braids or pigtails, and her passion for swimming.
“Mom, she’s amazing. You’ll love her!” he said, taking a sip from his juice box.
Jeff hadn’t come home from work yet, so I was solely responsible for Luke. The more Luke talked about Luna, the more I realized she was special to him.
“Do you think you have a photo of Luna?” I asked Luke as I was washing the dishes.
He dashed to his bedroom and retrieved his class photo. Of course, I’d seen the photo before, but I’d always only focused on my son’s adorable, goofy smile and crinkled nose.
I couldn’t recall paying attention to anyone else. But when he showed me the photo and pointed out a girl who looked eerily similar, not just to Luke but also to my mother – in – law in her younger days, my heart sank.
The resemblance to Luke was one thing. But to Jeff’s mother? That was unmistakable, and Luke’s excitement about finding a “long – lost sibling” only intensified my sense of foreboding.
“Why don’t we invite Luna over?” I suggested to Luke. “If her mom agrees, you two can have a playdate.”
Luke’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he climbed into bed, clutching his teddy bear.
“Do you think she’ll really come?” Luke asked, his voice full of hope.
“I’ll talk to her mom tomorrow when I drop you off,” I said, getting ready for our nightly story – time.
By the time Jeff got home, he was so exhausted that I decided not to tell him about Luke and his mysterious “sister” right away. He had his dinner and went straight to bed.
I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. I delved deep into the internet, searching for reasons why children might look alike. I read about doppelgängers and other strange phenomena. The more I read, the more unnerved I became.
Eventually, I went to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea, hoping it would calm my nerves.
I knew the only other explanation might involve Jeff. Perhaps Luna had something to do with him. But as I twirled my wedding ring around my finger, I refused to doubt Jeff.
Since we got married, my husband had always doted on me. During my pregnancy, he was my rock. He did everything from making late – night food runs when I had cravings to cleaning the shower when I couldn’t. So, how could I suspect him?
I continued to scour through more articles.