George and Miranda found an old wallet under the seat of their used automobile. It had an adorable little girl’s image in it. Until George saw the same girl in Miranda’s mother’s photo albums, they gave it little mind. After the younger couple heard the awful reality from the older woman, they made a choice.
“Leave, Miranda! We’re going to make your mother unhappy again since we’re running late! Through the window of his car, George yelled at Miranda, his girlfriend. He was waiting for her to arrive while already behind the wheel. However, this was not unusual. Miranda was always a little slow to get ready and had a habit of leaving things behind.
George took a quick peek around their new car in the interim. New to them, that is. It was in excellent shape and they had recently purchased it for a very reasonable price. It was the first significant purchase they made together as a couple. That made him happy since it meant their relationship was progressing. Purchasing a home was the next step, but it would require more time.
George felt the impulse to glance at himself in the mirror and quickly pulled down the visor, only to have a piece of paper fall out. He tried to reach for it, but it landed up under the seat. However, when he went looking for the paper, he found an old wallet. He shrugged and shoved the paper—which was just an old bill—into his pocket to be thrown away later.
When George opened the wallet, he found a man’s driver’s license among other necessary items. A few twenty-dollar bills were present, but his attention was caught by a small girl’s photo. For some reason, while he gazed at the photo, George grinned and failed to notice Miranda getting into the car.
“Go ahead! You were the one in a rush, didn’t you? She laughed and exclaimed. Shaking his head, George turned on the engine. “What is that?” Miranda enquired while gesturing to the wallet.
“Well, I believe that Mir was the prior owner of this. “He seems quite youthful, don’t you think?” he asked, passing her the wallet. Miranda had a look at it.
“It looks like a photo of his daughter.” Very adorable. She has a somewhat familiar appearance. A bit like myself, Miranda remarked casually.
Correct? George answered, keeping his attention on the road, “That’s what I was thinking, but then again, a lot of blonde girls look similar.” I still have his number, though. We can give him a call later to find out if he wants his wallet returned.
***
George remarked, “Mrs. Francis, the food was delicious,” as Miranda’s mother scooped up their dishes and put them in the dishwasher.
“I’m happy you enjoy them, my love. I’m also happy that you purchased the new vehicle. “Your old one looked pretty roughed up,” Mrs. Francis remarked as she sat back down at the diner table and used a towel to dry her hands.
Yes, but this is Fort Lauderdale, Mrs. Francis. The weather is generally predictable and there is no snowfall. George retorted, recalling the older woman’s constant concern that they might be involved in an accident because of inclement weather.
Still. Mrs. Francis smiled and urged, “It’s better to have a car that won’t leave you two stranded in the middle of the road.” Miranda was happy about the car, but she also rolled her eyes and grinned at her mother.
“I totally forgot! Today, while organizing some boxes, I came upon some of Miranda’s old picture albums. George, would you like to view them? Grinning, Mrs. Francis questioned as she got to her feet.
“That of course!”
“No!” Miranda covered her eyes in embarrassment and moaned. Mrs. Francis unfolded the albums, and everyone began to listen as the elderly woman related tales of Miranda. But neither Miranda nor she could get George to listen. He had his eyes fixed on one of the photos.
The strange thing wasn’t that his girlfriend was so young—she must have been about four or five years old when they took the picture. She had the exact same appearance as the young child in the wallet. George felt suspicious and said, “Excuse me while I go outside.”
“George, what’s happening?” After following him to the doorway and saw him retrieve something from their car, Miranda phoned.
“Observe,” he exclaimed upon coming back and taking out the wallet. “You look exactly like you did when you were this girl.” Isn’t that strange? I no longer believe it to be a cute coincidence, as we once did.
Upon observing the photo with fresh eyes, Miranda said, “Wow, you’re right,” and she showed her mother. “What are your thoughts, Mom?”
The older woman took the wallet and used her reading glasses to examine the photo. She handed the wallet back to Miranda, exhaling, “Oh my.” After removing her glasses, Mrs. Francis closed her eyes for a moment.
“What’s going on, Mom?” Miranda questioned, casting a worried glance at her mother.
“It looks like you could be the girl in the picture,” Mrs. Francis scowled. “I never imagined I’d have to break the news to you. But honey, you’re adopted. When I adopted you, you were already five years old.
“I don’t comprehend. Most five-year-olds still have some memories, don’t they? Would I not be aware that I was adopted? Taking another glance at the photo, Miranda questioned. George took a seat beside her and comforted her by holding her arm.
“At first, you did. However, you never brought it up again. When you were ten, I dropped some hints about your history, and you gave me the creeps. You had no recollections. In order to keep you informed, I was hoping to tell you about your adoption. However, we postponed it since you didn’t recall, and I eventually forgot,” Mrs. Francis disclosed.
“It appears that my biological father could be the man who sold us his car.” Miranda enquired, her eyes glistening with tears.
“I suppose it’s a possibility. That a mother had abandoned you at the orphanage was all we knew back then. Frank and I clicked with you even though we didn’t want children. Thus, they delivered you to us earlier than we anticipated,” Mrs. Francis went on, bringing up her late husband.
Miranda sobbed on George’s shoulder, saying, “I don’t know what to do with this information.”
All you have to do is listen to your heart. I wholeheartedly endorse you reaching out to this man. Don’t worry about it; your father would approve too if he were here. Mrs. Francis patted Miranda’s arm and grinned, encouraging her to “know what to do soon.” She was also snivelling.
***
Miranda firmly suggested, “Let’s call him,” to George, who was seated in front of the TV in their living room.
“Are you sure?” he inquired, grabbing his phone.
Indeed!
George gave the car’s seller a call and made an appointment for them to meet the next day. He politely accepted their invitation to visit and arrived on schedule.
George shook Mr. White’s hand and said, “Mr. White, thank you for coming.” George then invited him inside.
Just give me a call, Bob. Is there a problem with the vehicle? I’m a master technician. Bob entered their home and looked about before offering to “check things out for free if you want.” He then wiped his hands on his pants.
“No, Bob. We need to discuss something with you. George picked up the wallet off the coffee table and said, “I found your old wallet in the car.”
“Whoa, that’s amazing. This item was lost years ago. It’s unbelievable that it spent the entire time under the car seat. How am I not finding it? Many thanks for that! The documents are no longer necessary, but I treasure this photo deeply.
Actually, that’s what I desired. George responded, “Well, my girlfriend and I wanted to talk to you about that picture,” and Miranda entered the living room. She didn’t spend much time with Mr. White when he was selling his car. He saw George infrequently and spoke with him most of the time.
However, this particular meeting was unique. “Have I met you before?” Bob inquired, his brows knitted as he stared at her closely.
“We believe that. Miranda answered, “That’s why we wanted to talk about the photo in your wallet, sir.
Bob remarked, turning his head away from Miranda to focus on George, “I don’t understand.”
“Bob, we believe the girl in the image is Miranda. George calmly said, “Her mother has pictures of her around that age, and the resemblance is so uncanny that they have to be the same.”
Bob said, “That’s impossible,” turning to face Miranda. His expression tightened as emotion gripped him. That is not possible. It’s not feasible. No. It’s not feasible.
I understand that this is surprising. We were taken aback as well. However, Miranda’s mother recently disclosed that she was adopted when she was five years old, so George emphasized that it’s actually rather likely.
Bob took a seat on their sofa. Once again, tears were streaming down his eyes as he unlocked the wallet. It’s Clarabelle here. My child. We didn’t have the finest relationship, her mother and I. We had constant arguments and never got married. Bob started his narrative by saying, “But I loved this girl with all my heart.”
George and Miranda took a seat to hear him out. She prodded him onward.
“Clarabelle’s mother vanished one day. She left after taking my child. I gave the police a report on her. I exerted every effort possible. However, there were no regulations regarding kidnappings back then like there are now. Bob said, wiping his tears, “If a parent took the kid, even if the other parent opposed, it was not deemed kidnapping, thus the police were not helpful.
“That woman was never heard from again?” George pondered.
Not at all. I still don’t know why she vanished with my daughter or what happened to her. More than 20 years have passed. After taking a breath, Bob remarked, “I thought they might be dead.” “You believe that you could be Clarabelle.”
“My mother clarified that I was adopted from an orphanage when I was five years old. All they said to her was that I was abandoned there by a woman. She added, “At some point, I forgot all my past memories.” Miranda wrung her hands nervously and muttered, “I don’t know; I don’t remember being called Clarabelle.”
But there’s a potential. God, I’m so sorry. Perhaps I ought to have inquired about orphanages. Bob murmured, “I didn’t think about that,” and looked up from the wallet. “Miranda is also a lovely name.”
After much discussion, they made the decision to have a DNA test done. It supported their suspicions. Bob’s daughter Miranda was gone from sight.
When they read the results, they gave each other a tight hug. Mrs. Francis also witnessed the entire event while she was present. For looking after his daughter so well, Bob thanked her.
Bob then pulled Miranda aside and had a serious talk with her.
“Now, I will never be able to replace your late father. However, I’m curious if we can occasionally stay in touch. Meet my family as well. You will be adored by my wife. Naturally, your mother would also be welcomed,” Bob begged.
Miranda immediately agreed and began to cry. Bob quickly established himself as an essential part of their daily routine, and years later, when she married George, he led her down the aisle.
