The girl standing by the till looked up at her, confusion evident on her face as she asked, “I’m sorry, do I know you?” That’s when she noticed the small mole just below her bottom lip. She frowned when she realized that this wasn’t Lacy.
The girls couldn’t wait to show their mom the picture of the girl. But they were surprised to see the excitement on her face turn from excitement to horror as she looked down at the picture. She tried to recompose herself, but it was too late. They now knew that something was wrong.
Questions
Growing up, Lacy and Mary Claudio faced a lot of questions about their relatability. They would always respond with what they had been told all their lives. They were twin sisters, and although they didn’t look alike, that didn’t matter.
They shared a half-Jamaican mother and the same Caucasian father. They were born on the same day, in the same room, to the same parents. At least, that’s what they thought.
They Were Confident
They were now 20 years old, and they were used to the doubt surrounding their relatability. They were used to dropped jaws, distrusting eyes, and furrowed brows. They faced them with confidence.
They were so alike in every other way, and they always shared such a special bond. They never once doubted their sisterly connection. But everything was about to change as their lives took a drastic, spiraling turn.
Moment Of Truth
They looked up at each other, tears threatening to spill from their eyes as their hearts raced. This couldn’t be true. Surely this was all a mistake or some kind of misunderstanding. The room fell silent as their new reality dawned.
It all started one, regular day. They were attending their college classes. Lacy was studying music and Mary was studying accounting. They were each other’s yin and yang, which is why this was so surprising.
Rent-Free
Mary finished up before Lacy but waited for her so that they could walk home together. College was expensive, so they decided to stay home rent-free while finishing their degrees.
The only downside was that the monotony of staying at home made them crave adventure and new things. This was why they decided to go to new coffee shops and restaurants in different parts of their city whenever they got the chance. That’s how this all started.
Stopping For Coffee
On this day, they decided to take a long route home and stop at a new coffee shop on their way. But while they were walking, Lacy suddenly needed to go to the bathroom. She decided to race ahead of Mary.
Mary didn’t pick up her pace, she kept at her usual, carefree pace. Eventually, she entered the coffee shop and spotted Lacy standing by the till with an apron on. She was confused as she walked up to her. Things were about to get weird.
Confusion
Lacy greeted Mary with a smile and asked her what she could get her. “What?! Since when do you work here?!” Mary exclaimed, laughing.
The girl standing by the till looked up at her, confusion evident on her face as she asked, “I’m sorry, do I know you?” That’s when she noticed the small mole just below her bottom lip. She frowned when she realized that this wasn’t Lacy.
Like Looking In A Mirror
Just then, Lacy stepped out of the bathroom and joined Mary at the till to order. Her eyes trailed from the menu and then to Mary, “What are you getting?” she asked. She noticed Mary staring at the girl behind the till, frozen.
She followed her gaze and saw the girl staring back at her with wide eyes. It was like she was looking into a mirror. How did this stranger look exactly like her? They quickly snapped a picture together to show their mom. But this would change everything.
Bickering
The girls couldn’t wait to show their mom the picture of the girl. But they were surprised to see the excitement on her face turn from excitement to horror as she looked down at the picture. She tried to recompose herself, but it was too late. They now knew that something was wrong.
That night, they woke up to the sound of their parents' bickering. When they asked if their parents were okay the next morning, they told them that everything was fine. But their parents were hiding something.
She Changed
Mary was the first to notice the change in their mom ever since they showed her the picture. She didn’t understand what was going on, until one day, when the phone rang.
The two girls were about to leave for college when they heard the sound of their mom sobbing in the kitchen. She was on the phone. They didn’t want to intrude just yet, so they decided to listen from the other room. They were becoming more and more concerned. But what they were about to hear would turn their world upside down.
Hospital Mistake
Their mother was talking to someone in their family’s hospital. “You did what?” she cried. “If my daughter hadn’t found her and taken the picture, I would have never known! We would have never known! How could you make such a mistake?”.
They strained to listen as they began to make sense of what was happening. They looked at each other, eyes wide, tearing. Then, for the first time in 20 years, they heard the truth.
Mix Up
Incredibly, Lacy and Mary had bumped into Lacy’s real twin at the coffee shop. It was all their mom needed to revisit her suspicions that she put to rest some 20-odd years ago.
After the girls showed their mom the picture, old familiar feelings of doubt that she tried hard to silence rushed back. She couldn’t help but get back in touch with the hospital and do some further investigation of her own.
Figuring Things Out
The girls were incredibly motivated to get to the bottom of things. Their mother felt like it was her obligation to figure out what had gone wrong. She also had her own mixed emotions about what had happened.
How could this have happened? She now not only had her own kids to try to give answers to but had to live with the fact that one of her children was left behind.
Tears
Tears welled up in her eyes. Her poor baby, had been left at the hospital and presumably taken by someone else. How could a mixup like this even be possible in this day and age? She knew it was no use even feeling bitter about it.
She had a responsibility to uncover a 20-year-old mistake that had cost her one of her children. She was motivated.
They Wouldn’t Get Away With This
Lucy’s mother knew who to throw all of her rage at. She would look to the hospital for answers. The people who had made the mixup probably weren’t even working there anymore, but that didn’t stop her.
She’d bring a fury down upon the hospital, even if it was in vain. She just wanted someone to blame for the mixup. But how would the hospital respond to such an accusation?