Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love

by Dani Shapiro

In time, I will question how it could be possible that Ben—a man of medicine, who specialized in medical ethics—had never considered that he might have biological children. I will think of the three of them—my mother, my father, Ben Walden—all burying the consequences of their actions so deep that it seemed there weren’t any consequences at all. But not on this day. On this day my entire being was trying to absorb as much as possible. Who knew if we would ever be together again?

I had questions for him I felt I couldn’t ask. I didn’t dare upset the delicate balance. We were four people who genuinely liked one another. We had entire conversations in which the reason for being together seemed to be momentarily forgotten—that is, except by me.