Both my wife and I are Caucasian. However, everything changed on that day. Surrounded by family members, we eagerly awaited the birth of our child in the delivery room. Then there was a scream I will always remember.
“That isn’t my child! That isn’t my child! With a shaky voice and fear in her eyes, my wife yelled. “This is your baby, she’s still attached to you,” the nurse said gently in an attempt to reassure her. However, my wife refused to stop talking, and her scathing statement, “I’ve never been with a Black man! This isn’t feasible!
How could we have had a black baby?
I was paralyzed, standing still. Our relatives gradually left the room, leaving us alone in this nightmare while everything fell apart around us. My mind was racing with questions: how could this have happened? To get away from the hurt and betrayal, I wanted to run.
“Please, wait, my darling! Don’t leave. Never in my life have I loved anyone else. The only male in my life is you.
I pivoted. The woman I had known and loved for years, who had helped me through my worst moments, was standing there. Is she telling the truth?
The baby’s skin and hair felt strange to me when I first glanced at her, but then I noticed a few details: the eyes were just like mine, and there was a tiny dimple on her left cheek.
In an attempt to find some purpose in the midst of the commotion, I moved closer and lightly caressed the baby’s cheek.
At that moment, I noticed my mother standing at the end of the hallway, gazing out the window with the same severe look that used to frighten me as a kid. She snarled, “You can’t accept this,” which broke my heart. That’s not your child, as you witnessed.
I attempted to argue, but my voice wavered with uncertainty: “She’s my kid. I’m quite certain. I was left alone with my concerns as my mother waved me away.
I went to a geneticist because I was tired of hearing about people’s fears. The doctor discussed the DNA test in a calm manner, as if it were standard procedure. I waited by myself as swab and blood samples were collected, my head racing with feelings.
The hush was finally broken by the doctor’s voice: “The test confirms you are the biological father.”
The world became colorful again in that instant. But I realized in my heart that there were still a lot of unanswered issues and difficulties. And for my family, I was prepared to face them all.
