I still desperately hoped for a misunderstanding. A trick, a mistake.
Unfolding it stole my breath.
It was a printout from a DNA-testing website. The kind sold in pharmacies or online. You mail a saliva sample and later receive your ancestry and relative matches.
At the top, in big letters, it said: DNA Relatives — Ben Callahan.
A list of names followed. Mostly distant cousins in Ireland, Michigan, and Texas.
One name, however, was marked in yellow. It topped the list.
Luke Whitman.
Predicted relationship: Half-sibling.
Shared DNA: 24.7%.
A
