Adaption

Genuine

The girls tried to stay calm as they made their way towards the sombre brick building. Today was the day, the day when they would get the answers they so desperately wanted. Their birthday too, though that had taken a back-seat. Age was just a number, a means to get information. For July it was cold, drizzly, damp and gloomy, nothing like the weather back home. Here, according to the locals rain was a regular occurrence though so they tried not to let it put them off.

Clare entered first, drying her feet on the mat just inside the door. Kerry followed subconsciously flicking the water droplets from the end of her hair. The room was cramped and dingy with bright fluorescent lighting. When the two girls came face-to face with a sour looking receptionist, they stood firm. Kerry nudged her and Clare was left with no choice but to be the one who ventured forth. 'I was wondering if you could help me.' The receptionist made no comment, which had to be taken as a good sign.

"I'm looking for the birth records of twin baby girls born on the 4th of July 1995. Probably in a hospital in the region, later put up for adoption together through this agency. It would have been an open adoption with consent given for the adoptees to access identifying documents when they turned eighteen." Otherwise why would their mother send them here? It was hardly going to be a wild goose chase, the records had to be here and they had to be able to see them. That final but all important detail, along with jet lag and them being a bundle of nerves had prevented them from coming sooner. They had wanted to make sure nothing stood in their way. According to all the research she'd done over the past week or so, age would do just that.

The woman surveyed her sceptically. "And have you?'

Clare found herself taking another calming breath before answering 'I thought you would ask that.' With a flourish she pulled her passport from the depths of her rucksack. After scrutinising for a moment the receptionist murmured dryly, "Happy Birthday."

"Happy independence Day," was her response.

"I've got the post-adoption birth certificates here," she went on. After scrutinizing them, the receptionist called to the clerk. He came out of the store room empty-handed a few minutes later. "There are no birth certificates with that exact information relating to the date in question." Upon hearing this Clare felt her face fall.

"However I did come across one file that partially matched the description you gave. Maybe you'd like to pursue that? Keep in mind, there isn't anywhere else we can look." Kerry was nodding gravely. Clare felt numb. This could be it; everything or nothing. The gentleman scurried away and reappeared with another file. Upon reaching them, he turned away, opened the file and pulled out what, even from the distance, looked like a birth certificate.

Earl bent his head overt the file, running his finger down it until he came to the problem. "A baby matching this description was born at CUH: Cork University Maternity Hospital on the date you mentioned- your birthday I presume?"

Clare's head was bobbing up and down in excitement as she nodded. She and exchanged a delighted glance. Then, she felt the contents of her stomach shift with anxiety. This was too good to be true. Like he said, there had to be a mistake.

"She was born Abigail Sarah." He withdrew another document from the file. "This is the document finalising the adoption. At that time; about nine months later she had been renamed Clare Tara along with having been given the surname of her adoptive parents."

The lump in Clare's chest loosened considerably "That's her name!." Kerry shrieked, jabbing her sister with her index finger Then, remembering where she was she apologised, but the clerk waved it off. He noted, what she said, not the way she did.