A man struggles to raise his only son, who was born with cerebral palsy. Years later, he discovers he is not the boy’s biological father. Will he continue to raise him, or will he abandon the boy?
Scott and Dale were the best of friends. They did everything together, and once you spotted one, it would go without saying that the other one was within the vicinity. They had grown up together, and their friendship continued into adulthood.
They even fell in love with the same girl. Ivy had been friends with Scott and Dale for years, but she had not realized they were developing deeper feelings for her.
Once they confessed to being in love with her, she did not know what to do. How was she supposed to choose between her best friends? Luckily, the choice was made for her when Dale left to join the army. She and Scott remained behind and started a life together.
It was not easy for Dale to accept that she had chosen Scott, so he and his best friend did not speak for years. Scott and Ivy moved on with their life and started a family.
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They were ecstatic to learn they were having their first baby together, and the news spread around the neighborhood like wildfire. Sadly, things did not go as planned.
Once the baby, Kyle, arrived, the new parents learned he had cerebral palsy. The symptoms did not initially manifest, but once Kyle started growing big, it became apparent that he had the condition.
Ivy was not ready to raise a son with the condition, and she fled, leaving Scott to cater to their baby singlehandedly.
She never returned to see her baby, and years later, Scott would learn that she had died in a terrible road accident.
“I just did a DNA test, and Kyle is not my biological son.”
Scott worked in construction as a loader, and the job did not pay much. On the other hand, the treatment and management of his son’s condition cost him an arm and a leg. He could barely make ends meet, but he did his best.
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He never once complained. Despite his son’s condition, Scott was hell-bent on giving him only the best life. His dream for Kyle was for him to go to college.
***
“We ran some tests on Kyle,” the doctor said, handing Scott a brown envelope with the test results. “And it appears that we are making progress.”
Scott opened the envelope with a smile, but the smile faded as soon as he saw the test results. “Doctor, this couldn’t be right. His blood group is different from mine and his mother’s. What does that mean?”
“Are you sure?” asked the doctors, taking the papers from Scott’s hands.
“Yes, doctor. I hate to be paranoid, but could that mean Kyle is not my son?”
“It is possible, but only a DNA test could prove it beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Scott told the doctor he and Kyle would take a DNA test. And while he hoped he was wrong about the whole thing, his gut feeling told him otherwise.
They had to wait a few days before the results were out, the longest days of Scott’s life. Finally, the day was here, and Scott rushed to the hospital to collect the results. He hoped for the best but was prepared for the worst.
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And when he opened the envelope with the DNA results, his heart fell. He and his son were not a match. Kyle was not his son. The little boy he had raised alone for the past 12 years was not his son! How was this possible?
As he sat at home that evening, wallowing in the sorrows of his recent discoveries, he remembered how in love Dale had been with Ivy. Could they have…
“No, I don’t think that could be. They wouldn’t do that behind my back,” Scott consoled himself.
He, however, reached out for his phone and dialed Dale’s number. It had been over a decade since they last spoke, and he knew his call would shock Dale. But this had to be done.
“Hello, Dale? This is Scott. I know it’s been years since we spoke, but I needed to ask something of you.”
“Scott? What a surprise! How have you been all these years?”
The old friends conversed for a while, catching up on their lives for the past years, and once they were up to date with each other’s lives, Scott posed the difficult question. “Dale, this may seem inappropriate but did you and Ivy ever… you know? I did a DNA test, and Kyle is not my biological son.”
“Oh, Scott, we did before I left for the army, but that was just about it.”
“Well, is it possible he is yours!”
Dale was quiet for a moment before he admitted that, indeed, Kyle could be his son. It was a hard truth for Scott to accept, but what choice did he have?
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That night, Scott lay in bed, unable to sleep. So much was running through his mind as he tossed and turned. He had raised Kyle as his own, dedicating his life to giving his baby only the best. And now, to discover that he was not even his son? It was a hard blow.
But now that he knew the truth, he decided it would be best for Kyle to grow up with his biological dad.
A few days later, Scott and Kyle arrived at Dale’s home, and as they sat in the car, Scott explained to Kyle that the man whose home they were about to enter was his biological dad and that Kyle would be living with him from that day onwards.
Once Dale invited them in, the two former friends spoke for a while before Scott excused himself and asked to leave. He stormed out of the house, got into his car, and started driving off.
But then, from his rear-view mirror, he saw Kyle in his wheelchair, following the car and seemingly screaming. He immediately stopped the car and heard Kyle calling, “Dad, don’t leave me!”
He knew Kyle loved him, but the words were unexpected, and they brought tears of joy to his eyes. He got out of the car and ran back to Kyle, kneeling in front of the boy.
He hugged Kyle and cried on his shoulder, “Oh, Kyle, I’m sorry. I’ll never leave your side again! I know you are not mine biologically, but you are my son nevertheless, and I love you!”
At the same time, Dale came out of the house and found the emotional scene unfolding. He waited a moment before speaking up, “I’m sorry, Scott. I did not know that Ivy had my baby. But I’m ready to make up for the lost time.”
The pair agreed that since Scott was already caring for Kyle, he would continue to care for him as Dale committed to pay for all of Kyle’s treatments and even open a college fund.
It was a relief for Scott, and the two friends rekindled their friendship. As for Kyle, well, what was better than having two dads that cared so much for him?
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What can we learn from this story?
- Love does not necessarily come from those we are biologically related to. While Ivy abandoned her baby due to his condition, Scott stayed and loved him even after learning that Kyle was not his biological son.
- Always do the best you can for those you love. Scott strived to give his son a wonderful life, despite working a minimum-wage job.
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