The Whispers Of Identity

Epilogue

Elias Campbell.

Silence wrapped around me on the balcony as I sat alone, lost in my thoughts. I could hear birds chirping and cars passing by, but it was the wind against my face that made me feel a little better. The view was calming, and for a moment, I let myself breathe. Just for a second, I tried to forget everything.

"Hey, Buddy." The familiar voice cut through my thoughts. I turned to see my brother coming outside. It had been a week since we really talked, and things felt weird after what happened at the bar. Maybe he was avoiding me, or maybe I was avoiding him. Either way, my head felt too heavy to deal with all that. I just finished my first round of chemotherapy, and I was exhausted.

"I didn't know Audrey was your—" he started, but I quickly stopped him. I didn't want to go there. Not now.

"Let's not talk about her," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I didn't mean to be harsh; I just wanted to focus on what really mattered now.

He sat down in a plastic chair, looking worried. Ever since I got my leukemia diagnosis, I felt like I was carrying a huge weight. Why was this happening to me? Maybe it was some kind of payback for all the mistakes I'd made. Life had never been easy, and this was just another fight I had to face.

"Are you still mad at me?" he asked, breaking the silence. I could see the guilt in his eyes. I had every reason to be angry, but deep down, he was still my brother. Not by blood, but by the bond we shared.

I let out a sigh and managed a small smile. "I'm sorry for what I did," I admitted, feeling the guilt wash over me. "You're my brother, and I love you. Nothing can change that." The relief on his face was clear, and for a moment, I saw a spark of happiness in his tired eyes. He had his own struggles too, and we needed each other now more than ever.

"I love you too, Buddy," he said sincerely. I held onto that moment, grateful for our connection. He might have made mistakes, but he was still the brother I looked up to.

Just then, Mom and Dad walked in, and the atmosphere shifted. Dad looked serious, and Mom was holding Abigail in her arms. I could feel shame creeping in, knowing I had put them through so much.

"How are you, Son?" Dad asked, his voice shaky. There was an awkwardness between us since my blow-up last week.

"I'm feeling better," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. Dad smiled at me, then exchanged a look with Mom. It was like they were sharing some secret.

"Son, there's something you need to know," he said, his eyes starting to glisten. Confusion filled my mind. "Remember Ben?" I nodded. Ben was the second child they lost the day they found me. But what he said next hit me hard.

"He didn't die, Elias. He's alive." My mind raced. What was he saying? "Elias... you're not adopted. You never were. You're Ben, our son." The words felt like a punch to the gut.

"W-What?" I stuttered, my voice barely above a whisper. Everything around me started to spin. Dad held my hands, tears streaming down his face.

"He's right in front of me," he said, his voice cracking. I was shaking, my own tears starting to fall. This couldn't be real, could it? "We did a DNA test, and it confirmed you're our biological son. There was a mix-up at the hospital. You are Ben." I couldn't believe it. All my life, I had been living a lie.

Suddenly, my world flipped. I had been fighting through a life of crime and feeling abandoned, thinking I had no family. I was just trying to survive, and now this truth felt both freeing and crushing.

"Promise us, Son... promise you'll fight, that you'll keep living," Dad said, his grip tightening on my hands. The weight of his words hit hard, and I didn't know how to respond.

I was lost in the chaos of my thoughts, wondering how I could handle this new reality. The question echoed in my mind:

Can I still live?