Emily grew up in a village a few hundred miles from London. To get to the city in the summer, she had to take a small boat across a fast-flowing river, and in winter, she had to brave a snow-covered motorway.
Despite this, the village was home to a tight-knit community. Everyone knew each other, shared worries, and helped each other as much as possible.
Emily was the long-awaited child in her family, but her mother gave birth to her out of wedlock.
Her father, William, was a tall and handsome gentleman, married to Emilys mothers closest friend. Yet no one suspected who Emilys real father was. William raised three children of his own and never wanted to leave his family, while Emilys mother had no desire to break up her friends marriage.
From birth, Emily and Sophie (Williams daughter) were inseparable; they played together and were even in the same class at school. Both girls had a wonderful ear for music, so they started attending music lessons together. They graduated school with honours, and both dreamed of going to a prestigious music college in the city.
But after finishing school, the half-sisters neither of whom knew they were sisters then went on separate paths: Sophie moved to the city, while Emily stayed in the village. They lost touch, and for many years, they did not speak.
Naturally, their childhood fantasies faded, and those dreams turned out to be just dreams; neither went to music school. Sophie trained as a lab technician, and Emily became a hairdresser in the village. Time passed, Emily married, had two sons, and only occasionally thought fondly of her friendship with Sophie.
Some years later, doctors discovered that Emilys mother had a tumour, and Emily did everything she could to help her. But secrets always have a way of surfacing, and as her mother was nearing the end, she made a confession:
Your father your father Come closer to me, my child
The news Emily received shook her to her core. All those years, she had grown up alongside her own sister and never known it! No wonder theyd shared similar dreams their fathers genes had clearly played a role.
To find her sisters phone number, Emily had to work hard. William was no longer living in the village; Sophie had moved her parents to the city years ago, and their tracks had gone cold. But through mutual friends, Emily finally tracked down Sophies number.
When she dialled the number, delighted exclamations came from the other end. Sophie was thrilled that her childhood friend had called. Emily decided the truth her mother revealed was best shared in person, so she asked Sophie to meet.
A few days later, Sophie arrived back in the village and the two women sat down for an important heart-to-heart.
They talked for hours, reminiscing about their childhood and school years. Both were overjoyed to reunite after so many years apart. Now, they support one another again, travel to see each other, and of course, Emily started getting to know her father.
William apologised to his wife, who forgave him. Now, he and Sophie visit Emily in the village and go together to pay respects at Emilys mothers grave. William bonds with his grandsons, who are delighted to have a grandfather. Fate led them this way after many years the truth emerged, and no one was hurt by it.
