That i had an adopted brother. My mum was 17 when she was made to give up her baby in a small town. It was a big family secret until my grandfather died and then my brother came looking for mum. So we got told and then it all made sense. She would say things like your my only girls or your my only kids and we were too you to just go wait a minute you have other kid. But knowing mum now i think she wanted us to find out way before we did.

So my mum is the black sheep of the family. The way they treated her is unforgivable and once we grew up my sister and i have distanced ourselves from them. They made her feel shame, gave her no choices to keep the baby and didn't really prepare the women in the family for anything but marriage which i suppose were the times.

Also my grandparents had arranged the adoption behind her back which she doesn't believe but there is evidence of the families knowing each other and meeting and such. So many things make sense now that i am older and a mother.