When my five-year-old son Danny showed me a drawing of our family with an extra member, I laughed it off—until he insisted on introducing me to his “sister.” What I discovered in the basement changed everything.
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Danny skipped into the kitchen, clutching his blue backpack. His messy blonde hair stuck to his forehead from running around after school. “Mommy!” he called, his voice bright and eager. “Guess what I made today!”
A boy walking into a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
I smiled and set down the dish towel I’d been holding. “What did you make, sweetie?”
“A picture! It’s the best one ever.” He dug into his bag, pulling out a slightly crumpled sheet of paper covered in colorful crayon strokes. He held it up with pride. “Ta-da!”
I bent down to take a look. “Oh, wow, Danny, that’s beautiful.” The picture showed four stick figures standing under a big yellow sun.
A child’s drawing | Source: Midjourney
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One had long brown hair—me. Another was Danny with his trademark scribbly hair. The tallest had black hair and a tie—Nathan, my husband. But the fourth one, a small girl with a pink dress and pigtails, made me pause.
“Who’s this?” I asked, pointing to the figure.
Danny grinned. “That’s my sister! She’s gonna be here soon.”
A boy talking to his mother | Source: Midjourney
I blinked, taken aback. “Your sister?”
“Yup!” He nodded with absolute confidence. “So I was told. I’ll introduce you to her tomorrow.”
“Introduce me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light. “Danny, we don’t—”
