Serial: The Other Me

With shocking revelations coming to light, Anna could scarcely rest until she knew more

THE STORY SO FAR: When Anna is mistaken by a stranger, Cathy, for someone called Jessica, who has exactly the same birthday as her, she excitedly wonders if she has a twin sister. Anna knows she is adopted, but she has never tried to find her birth mother. However, Anna’s adoptive mother, Margaret, tells her she’s virtually certain she isn’t a twin. But Anna can’t let it go. She contacts Cathy, who says she was mistaken, and anyway Jessica hasn’t got a twin. Disappointed, Anna accepts this, but then Jessica rings her. She sounds just like Anna! But Jessica says she isn’t adopted – as far as she knows. But something from her past now makes her wonder. Jessica promises to try and find out more and get back to Anna. Maybe Anna has a twin sister after all…

Anna was so busy over the next few days she didn’t have time to stop and properly think about all that had been going on. Yet still she jumped every time her mobile rang, thinking it might be Jessica, ringing to say she’d talked to her mother. That maybe they were sisters – twins. But as the days went by with no word from Jessica, she started to think she’d been wrong. She’d got her hopes up, but they were being dashed once more.

And then on Saturday morning, when Anna was mid-shower, her mobile rang from its spot on the side of the sink. Hurriedly grabbing a towel, she jumped out and snatched it up.

‘Yes?’

‘Anna? It’s me… are you OK?’ came Jessica’s hesitant voice from the other end.

‘Yes,’ Anna replied, taking a deep breath. ‘I’m fine, thanks. How are you?’

‘OK, I think. I’m so sorry it’s taken a while to get back to you. I had to choose just the right moment to talk to my mum.’

‘Of course. I understand.’ Anna sank onto a chair, waiting to hear more. She heard Jessica take a deep breath of her own.

‘It wasn’t easy,’ Jessica continued. ‘Mum didn’t want to talk about it, but I persisted… and eventually she admitted the truth. I can hardly believe I’m about to say this but… I am adopted.’

Anna could hardly believe it, either. It took her a minute to take it in. ‘Are you sure you’re OK?’ she finally said. ‘It must have been such a shock. How is your mum?’

‘Mum’s fine,’ Jessica said shakily. ‘And I am too. Well, I will be. I just have to get used to the idea.’

Anna felt terrible. ‘I really didn’t think it would be true. I’m so sorry, I should have let it go…’

‘No, it’s fine,’ Jessica said quickly. ‘I had to know; I need to know who I am.’

‘And is your mum really all right?’

‘Yeah,’ Jessica sighed. ‘It was very emotional. We were both in floods of tears. I had to reassure her that I love her as much, if not more, than ever. She took some persuading.’

‘And what about you?’

‘I’m still getting my head around it, of course, but I can’t wait to meet you.’

Anna was filled with a warm glow. She couldn’t wait either. To think she’d finally discovered a blood relative, a twin. It was incredible.

Jessica said, ‘It’s Saturday. It’s probably a long shot – or far too soon – but are you free today by any chance?’

Anna smiled. ‘I am actually. All day.’

‘Me too,’ said Jessica.

‘Let’s meet, then. This morning?’

‘Great,’ said Anna, trying to sound calm. Inside, she was bursting with excitement.

She’d never dressed so fast. As Anna drove to their meeting place, her head was in a whirl, wondering what Jessica would be like. And she hoped Jessica wouldn’t be disappointed in her – her new-found sister.

As she climbed out of her car, Anna quickly scanned the tables at the cafe on the riverside terrace, but nobody looked like her. She gingerly sat down, watching for the next car to arrive.

‘Anna?’

Anna turned, and there, coming out of the cafe, was a woman the spitting image of herself. It was uncanny, breathtaking, like looking in a mirror. At first Anna couldn’t move… and then she stood up shakily as Jessica approached.

‘You’ve got my hair, my eyes, my nose… it’s

She knew her life would never be the same again

unbelievable,’ Anna said, torn between giving Jessica a hug and coming across as too eager.

‘And you’ve got my top,’ Jessica smiled, nodding at their identical patterned shirts.

‘It’s my favourite,’ they both said together, before bursting into warm laughter. And then Jessica held out her arms and Anna hugged her, and she knew that her life would never be the same again.

They talked for hours, smiling, laughing, completing each other’s sentences, finding so many similarities in their attitudes and yet so many differences in their upbringing. Jessica revealed that her dad had died when she was only six.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Anna said. ‘It’s OK,’ Jessica smiled. ‘I still had a very happy childhood. Evelyn, my mum, was brilliant at raising me single-handed, and it meant we formed an even closer bond.’

Just then, Anna’s phone rang. ‘It’s my mum. Do you mind if I answer?’ she asked. ‘I haven’t had time to tell her yet. Actually…’ she stopped. She’d been about to suggest that Jessica might like to come and meet her, but that would have been asking too much, too soon.

It was almost as soon as she’d dismissed the thought that Jessica spoke up. ‘Would you like me to come with you?’ she asked.

‘That would be brilliant, thanks,’

Anna smiled.

Margaret and Simon were delighted to meet Jessica and to hear their extraordinary news. They asked her about her life, showed her photos of Anna growing up and told her everything they knew about Augusta, her birth mother.

‘It’s great to know that she gave us up out of love, to give us a better life,’ said Jessica. ‘It must have been so hard for her. When my cousin had her baby, she told me she couldn’t possibly have given her away – the maternal instinct was too strong. I just don’t know how Augusta did it.’

Anna shook her head. ‘Nor me.’ Reflecting upon it now, Anna realised that she hadn’t thought about her birth mother that much over the years – Margaret and Simon had been such brilliant parents, she hadn’t felt anything was missing from her life. But recently, as friends had had babies, she’d thought more and more about Augusta and the sacrifice she’d made.

‘And she gave us so much happiness,’ said Margaret. ‘I’m sure she’d be thrilled to see how well you two have turned out, and to know you’ve finally met up.’

‘Maybe you should tell her?’ suggested Simon.

Anna and Jessica stared at him, shocked into silence.

‘Maybe you’d like to track down Augusta?’ Simon said gently. ‘I’m sure she’d be delighted to be reunited with you.’

‘You mean you don’t mind?’

Anna asked incredulously. ‘You wouldn’t feel I was… well, somehow rejecting you?’

‘Of course not, darling,’ said Margaret, getting up and giving her a big hug. ‘Your dad and I have been talking about this since you first heard about Jessica.’

‘We could see how much it means to you to find someone from your birth family,’ said Simon. ‘So we’ll happily support you in finding

Augusta. If you want to, that is?’

Anna looked at Jessica. ‘Shall we?’ she asked. ‘It is really important to me to find her. But only if it doesn’t upset anyone.’

Jessica sighed. ‘I don’t know. All these years, Evelyn didn’t tell me I was adopted because she was worried

I’d want to find Augusta and she’d take her place in my life. So if I immediately start looking for her now it would be like confirming her worst fears. I can’t do this to her. Not yet.’

‘You’re right,’ said Anna. ‘We have to think of Evelyn. And at least we’ve found each other.’

‘Yes,’ said Jessica, smiling at her. ‘That’s more than enough for now.’

Anna smiled at her twin. It was. It really was.

Anna could hardly sleep that night, recalling every minute of the day, just how lovely Jessica was. She couldn’t have asked for a better sister.

Early the next morning, Jessica rang her.

‘You’ll never believe it,’ she cried down the phone.

‘What?’ asked Anna, yawning.

‘Evelyn’s fully behind us in tracking down Augusta.’ ‘What? You asked her?’ ‘No,’ Jessica said breathlessly. ‘She suggested it. She feels guilty about hiding my adoption from me for so long.’

‘Oh, I’m so glad we’ve got her blessing,’ said Anna.

‘She wants to meet you, too, of course,’ Jessica continued. ‘Why don’t you come here, meet her and then we can plan what to do.’

Anna went straight round. She was surprised how old Evelyn was – more like

‘How heartbroken that poor girl must have been’

Jessica’s gran than her mother – but her green eyes twinkled brightly.

‘It’s lovely to meet you,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe how alike you are.’

‘Neither can we,’

Anna smiled.

‘Being given Jessica was the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me,’ said Evelyn. ‘And now, if you find your birth mother, I can finally thank her.’

‘Only if it’s OK with you,’ said Anna anxiously.

‘It is,’ said Evelyn. ‘Believe me. I can only imagine how heartbroken that poor girl must have been to give away not just one baby, but two. I’d love to know what happened to her. I’ve given Jessica all I have, her birth certificate, and this note from Augusta.’

Anna took it from her. There, written in her birth mother’s handwriting, she read, ‘Please tell my baby I gave her up because

I had to, and that I will always love her.’

She stroked the note, fighting back the tears.

‘Now you need to get on and I have to go to church,’ said Evelyn. ‘Lovely to meet you, Anna. Good luck with your search, both of you.’

They hugged her goodbye and then Jessica turned to Anna.

‘So where shall we start?’ ‘Well, we have Augusta’s address from our birth certificates, it’s only an hour away, so I’d love to start at her house,’ Anna said. ‘Just to see it, to walk down the street where she lived, where she cared for us for our first few days

– it would make me feel so close to her.’

‘Just what I was thinking,’ said Jessica. ‘And you never know…’

‘She might just be still living there,’ Anna finished.

As Anna drove them, they planned what story they’d tell when they knocked on her door, whoever opened it.

Rosemont Drive was filled with semi-detached houses with neatly tended front gardens. Augusta’s house looked like all the rest. Anna stared up at the small front bedroom window and wondered if it was the one that Augusta had gazed out of as she’d wondered what to do.

‘Hello,’ came a gentle voice. ‘Can I help you?’

Anna and Jessica both jumped as a man came out of the house next door.

‘Um, er, we’re looking for Augusta Warren,’ Anna said. ‘She used to live here. Thirty years ago.’

‘She was a friend of our mum’s,’ Jessica added quickly. They’d both agreed it may not be wise to reveal too much straightaway.

They didn’t know how much Augusta’s old friends or neighbours knew about her past. For all they knew, her secrets rested with them. ‘We promised we’d look her up while we’re in the area.’

‘You’re a bit late,’ he said kindly. ‘Augusta left here years ago, when her family moved up North.’

‘Oh… I don’t suppose… you don’t know her address, do you?’ asked Jessica.

‘So our mum can write to her?’ Anna added.

‘’Fraid not. But, Wendy, my sister, might be able to help you.’

‘Your sister?’

‘Yes. I’m still living in our family home. Wendy grew

For all they knew, her secrets rested with them

up next door to Augusta,’ he said. ‘They were great friends.’

‘Oh. Does

she live nearby?’

Anna asked.

He smiled. ‘Just round the corner,’ he said, pointing. ‘Number 14, Lister Close.’

Fortunately Wendy was in when they knocked on her door.

‘Hello!’ she said, seeing the twins.

‘Sorry to disturb you,’ said Jessica. ‘We’re looking for Augusta Warren. We called at her old house and your brother told us you might know her address…’

Wendy nodded, almost as if she’d been expecting their visit, though it didn’t seem likely her brother would have called her in the two minutes it had taken them to walk round the corner. ‘Come into the back garden,’ said Wendy. ‘We can talk there.’

They sat at a patio table beside the lawn.

Wendy smiled and stared at them, and then said, ‘After all this time, you came…’

‘Sorry?’ said Jessica. ‘Augusta was a friend of our mother’s…’ Wendy shook her head. ‘No, she wasn’t. It doesn’t take a genius to work out who you are. I knew as soon as I saw you. Twins, aged about 30, and you look just like her. You’re Augusta’s daughters, aren’t you?’

Anna and Jessica stared at her. ‘You knew about us?’ Anna gasped.

‘Augusta lived next door,’ Wendy replied. ‘I was a close friend. She

told me everything. I went through it all with her, the day she discovered she was pregnant, the day she broke the news to her parents and the day she came home, having given you away.’

She shook her head.

‘That broke her heart.’

Neither Jessica nor

Anna could speak.

But then Wendy smiled at them. ‘But look at you now! Two beautiful young women. Have you had good lives?’

‘Yes,’ said Anna. ‘We really have. That’s one of the reasons we wanted to find Augusta, to tell her.’

‘Do you know her current address?’ Jessica asked eagerly.

Wendy shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, she’s moved around a lot over the years and we’ve lost touch.’

‘Oh,’ Anna’s heart sank. She’d been so hopeful.

‘Well, thank you for seeing us anyway,’ Jessica sighed.

‘But I can tell you where your father lives,’ said Wendy.

Jessica and Anna gasped. It hadn’t even occurred to them that they might discover their father too. Finding Augusta was all they’d ever hoped for.

‘I haven’t seen him for many years, but I don’t think he’s moved,’ Wendy went on. ‘He’s always lived round here, rather like my brother and I. Would you like his address?’

Anna smiled at Jessica. Wouldn’t they just! CONTINUES NEXT WEEK

Elizabeth Dale, 2021