It was just another day at Richmond Private Academy.
Bay and her older brother Toby arrived at school.
"See you later, Toby," Bay said as they split ways.
Bay walked into her classroom and took her seat. Soon, the teacher entered, holding a stack of papers.
"Don't open this until you get home," the teacher said. "It's your family heritage test results."
Bay nodded, curious but a little nervous.
School went on as usual. Bay attended her classes, scribbling notes and sneaking glances at the clock. After the final bell, she met up with Toby.
Bay got into her car, Toby into his. An hour later, both arrived home, greeted warmly by their mother.
"How was school?" Katherine asked.
"Same as always," Bay replied, hurrying upstairs. She changed out of her school clothes and took a quick bath. A few minutes later, she got dressed in fresh clothes and went downstairs for dinner.
At the table, her father John sat at one end, her mother at the other, and Bay across from Toby.
"So… how did the heritage test go?" Katherine asked.
"It's fine," Bay said. "I haven't opened it yet. I'll let you know later."
Dinner continued quietly. Afterward, Bay went back to her room to text her boyfriend, Tyler. Later that night, she sneaked out and met him at a nearby convenience store. They hugged and spent a few minutes in the car.
"Oh no, it's after 1! I've got to go, Ty," Bay said, checking her phone. Tyler grinned, and she drove off.
When she returned home, her mother was waiting at the door.
"Oh gosh, Mom! You scared me."
"When will you stop sneaking out at night?" Katherine asked, clearly annoyed.
"Sorry," Bay muttered.
"Go to your room. Now!"
Bay didn't argue. She dashed upstairs and shut the door.
The Next Day.
Bay finally opened her heritage test results. Her blood type didn't match her parents', and beyond that, she didn't share many similarities with them. Something felt… off.
Downstairs, Katherine was making breakfast.
"Ready to eat?" she asked.
"Sure," Bay replied, hesitating. "Mom… can you do something crazy for me?"
"Crazy how?"
"Can you and Dad do a blood test with me?"
Katherine raised an eyebrow but agreed. After breakfast, the three of them went to a private doctor. John met them at the office.
"What's this about?" he asked.
"Bay wants a blood test," Katherine replied.
The doctor ran the tests. When the results came back, the room felt heavier.
"Bay… the test results show that you are not biologically John and Katherine's daughter."
Katherine gasped. "How… how can this be? I raised her since she was a baby! I carried her! This has to be a mistake!"
The doctor nodded. "I don't want to upset you… but maybe your real daughter was switched at birth."
John frowned. "Switched? You mean… we took home the wrong baby?"
Katherine couldn't handle it. She stood up and walked out of the office.
"Bay, go wait in the car with your mom," John said softly. Bay left, leaving John and the doctor behind.
A few minutes later, John returned to the car. The drive home was silent. Bay bolted upstairs once inside.
"What do we do?" Katherine asked, tears in her eyes.
John pulled out his phone and called a friend. "Can you do something for me?"
A few days later, the friend called back.
"I think I tracked down the person you're looking for. Want me to set up a meeting?"
"Absolutely," John said.
Later that day, a woman called to arrange a meeting at Pap's Café. John informed Katherine.
He then knocked on Bay's door.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
"Sure, Dad."
"You should get ready. We're meeting someone in three hours."
Bay sighed. "Okay, fine." John left.
Later That Day.
At Pap's Café, the family looked around nervously.
"Which table is she at?" Katherine whispered.
"Table 9," John replied.
A waitress guided them to the table. Sitting there were a woman with black hair and a girl with brown hair.
"You must be John," the woman said, standing. "I'm Regina, and this is my daughter, Daphne."
John introduced his family. "This is my wife Katherine and our daughter Bay and our son Toby "
"Nice to meet you," Regina said.
They all sat. The café felt quiet, except for the faint sound of a coffee machine hissing. Bay poked Toby under the table. "This is so awkward…"
Regina leaned forward. "Why did you want to meet us?"
Katherine spoke first. "Not to be rude, but I think our daughters were switched at birth."
Regina nodded slowly. "I see. And what do you want to do? I've raised Daphne her whole life. I don't want to give her up."
"I feel the same," Katherine said.
"So… what now?" Regina asked.
"Why don't we just get to know each other as a family?" Katherine suggested. "Your daughter is my biological daughter, and mine is yours. Isn't that… crazy?"
Regina looked at Daphne. "What do you want?"
"I… I think we should do as she suggested," Daphne said shyly.
Regina sighed. "Okay, let's talk."
The mothers discussed what was best for both girls. They agreed to slowly get to know each other, respecting the girls' feelings. Bay peeked at Daphne and whispered, "Hey, so… we're sisters now?" Daphne smiled nervously.
Katherine turned to Daphne. "Which school are you going to?"
"Winter Academy," Daphne replied.
"This is the first I've heard of it," Katherine said.
"It's a private school for… sickly kids," Daphne added softly.
Katherine's face fell. "Sick?"
"Yes… I have cancer. Stage one. It's in my brain. Sometimes I lose my eyesight, which is why I wear glasses," Daphne said shyly.
The room went silent. John finally spoke, "How… how serious is it?"
Daphne shrugged. "Stage one. Not too bad yet."
Katherine looked at Regina, voice gentle. "Would you… like to move in with us? It wouldn't be a bother."
"Not at all," Regina replied.
"Don't worry," Katherine said with a small smile. "We have plenty of rooms."
The girls exchanged awkward smiles, a mix of nerves and curiosity. Things were about to get… complicated.