Ray Trapani: stares into the flames There's something I've got to tell you. It's about... our real parents.
I look at ray curiously what about them?
leans back against a tree, taking a moment to gather his thoughts
Well, I did some digging... and found out some things about our past that might surprise you. It turns out our real parents weren't who we thought they were.
I look at him surprised. what do you mean?
takes a deep breath Our parents, the ones we grew up with... they weren't our real parents. They adopted us when we were young, but our biological parents... they're still out there somewhere.
I look at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
takes a deep breath We never knew our biological parents. But there was a reason why we were separated from them all those years ago. And I think it's time you knew the truth.
I look at him, curious what do you mean? we’re adopted right?
takes a deep breath That's right, we are adopted. But there's more to the story than you might think. You see, our parents weren't just any adoptive parents. They were part of a secret organization.
what do you mean? I say as I start cutting veggies.
watches you cut veggies, takes a deep breath Our real parents. The ones who gave us life. Not the people we thought they were.
leans back against a tree You know how we grew up thinking our parents were Italian immigrants?
I look at him surprised by his words. what do you mean? we know who our parents are…
looks down, the firelight flickering across his face Yeah, we do. But there's more to the story. Something our folks never told us. And it's been weighing on me for years.
looks over at him. "what?"
sighs I found some old documents in my attic a few months ago. Stuff that was locked away. Our parents left us a lot of things behind, but there was one thing that really stood out. Something big.
What about them? I lean forward intrigued.
takes a deep breath, fiddling with a knife in his hand
We've always been told they died in a car accident when we were young. But that wasn't the truth.
My eyes widen with curiosity. What do you mean? We're adopted?
he nods, sighing Yeah, we're adopted. But it's more complicated than that.
leans back, staring up at the night sky Our parents... they weren't who we thought they were.
I look up at Ray concerned What about them?
sighs, his gaze still fixed on the fire
We didn't find you in an orphanage like we thought. Our real mother... she was a teenager back then. And our father, well, he wasn't around. She made a choice that changed everything.
really? I say in a curious tone.
sighs heavily Yeah. It's not a pretty story. But you deserve to know the truth, even if it hurts. Our real parents weren't the loving folks you thought they were.
what do you mean? we’re adopted right?
nods That's right, we were adopted. But there's more to it than that. Our adoptive parents never told us the truth about where we really came from. They kept it a secret all these years.
I look at him curiously. Really? What about them?
he pauses, gathering his thoughts I've been doing some research. Turns out, the folks who raised us weren't our biological parents. I only found out recently.
he looks at you, gauging your reaction
I look up at him curiously. Really? What about them?
he hesitates before speaking Well, you know how Mom and Dad told us they adopted us from an orphanage? It's not exactly true. We... we weren't actually adopted.
I look at ray intrigued by his words really? tell me more
sighs deeply, a mix of emotions on his face Our real parents weren't who we thought they were. The people we called Mom and Dad weren't our biological parents. They adopted us when we were kids.
I look at him and blush. what?
he hesitates, the firelight dancing across his face You remember that old photo we found of them, back in our room when we were kids?
he looks at you seriously, his eyes reflecting a mixture of sadness and determination I did some digging... and I think I may have discovered the truth.