A Family Affair - First Born by Marilyn McPherson

a red shirt enter the clubroom. He was tall with short dark hair not dissimilar to his own. The man’s eyes scanned the room as if he were looking for someone. That must be him.
    Tom smiled and stood up, waving towards the man, who immediately started moving in their direction. Tom wished Ellen had been there already to witness the moment. It was incredible. Where doubts may have existed in his mind before today, they were instantly gone. The man carried himself in such a similar way to Tom. They were definitely brothers, although the man was clearly more athletic than Tom had ever been at that age.
    The three men introduced themselves to each other and shook hands in a curious but detached manner, before Tom ordered a round of drinks to help break the ice.
    “It’s a strange thing to meet a grown son for the first time,” Jack commented.
    “I can’t imagine how this is for you,” Tom added, speaking to his new brother. It seemed as if he didn’t want to look at Jack, and Tom was puzzled by that fact.
    His brother looked down as he explained. “I never expected to meet my real family. I didn’t know what to think when I received that letter. To be honest, I threw it in the bin. I thought it must be a clerical error or something.”
    “I thought that too, at first,” agreed Tom.
    “When I turned eighteen, I requested a copy of my adoption records hoping to find my biological parents. My mother’s name was Sarah Rush and she died when I was young. There was no father listed on my birth certificate. I just assumed that she didn’t know who the father was.”
    Jack looked horrified, but remained silent.
    “I couldn’t find much more, as Sarah’s parents had passed away too. It was a dead end and I guess... I lost interest at that point.”
    “That is understandable,” Tom said, with sympathy for his brother’s situation.
    “I would like to know more about her – my mother, I mean. I want to know why she gave me up for adoption. Can you tell me anything about her, Jack?”
    “Yes, I’d like to hear this story too,” added Tom quietly.
    “I don’t know why she did that,” admitted Jack. “I’m sorry, son.”
    Tom’s brother flinched, but didn’t respond.
    “Why don’t you tell us what you remember, Dad?” Tom said, encouraging his father to remember whatever details of Sarah he could.
    “Your mother – Sarah, well... what can I say? She was a receptionist at my workplace. I liked her smile and she laughed whenever I spoke to her. She was a very fast typist, if I remember correctly.”
    Tom wrinkled his nose. This was probably not the sort of information his new brother wanted to hear.
    Jack noticed Tom’s expression. “Listen, Tom. It was a short lived affair, a long time ago. I shouldn’t have been messing around on your mother, I admit. I came to my senses eventually and ended it. The truth is - I didn’t know Sarah very well.”
    “But she got pregnant?”
    “I suppose she must have, but I never knew. She never told me.”
    “So you didn’t give me up for adoption?”
    “No. I would never have done that. If I’d known, I would have had to ‘fess up to Marg, but you would have stayed with me.”
    Tom’s brother nodded, pleased to hear that.
    “I heard that Sarah died a few years later,” Jack continued. “And I felt bad that I didn’t attend the funeral. I didn’t want the questions from Margaret, so I didn’t go. I’m sorry now. Maybe I would have learnt about you at that point.”
    Tom was suddenly distracted by Ellen who had just arrived, and he stood up to welcome her, wanting to introduce his new half-brother. Something told Tom quickly that everything was not all right with her. She stopped moving midstride and was staring at the three of them, dumbfounded.
    “Elle, are you okay?” Tom asked.
    She didn’t respond.
    “Elle, this is my half-brother Kane. Kane, this is my fiancée Ellen.”
    Ellen was tense and unmoving, and Tom noticed that his new brother was