“Well then, let’s wait until Kevin is old enough to decide for himself what’s best for him.”
Sarah was starting to get annoyed and wanted to drop the subject. Susan sensed the shift and decided it was time to leave.
“I should probably get going. I completely forgot I have a doctor’s appointment,” she said, making an excuse.
“Of course. I’ve still got a million things to do around here while Kevin’s asleep.”
Her friend left, but a sour feeling lingered with Sarah.
“Why is she so fixated on that birthmark? It’s tiny, and it looks interesting. So strange,” Sarah thought as she went about her chores.
That weekend, the relatives were scheduled to visit. Sarah’s parents, Michael’s parents, his brother with his wife and daughter, and Sarah’s sister with her husband and kids were all coming. Sarah was really looking forward to it. She had a wonderful relationship with her in-laws and was always happy to see them. She was on good terms with her own family, too—or so she thought.
On Friday, Michael took a day off work to watch their son while Sarah went shopping and prepared food for their guests. Unlike Sarah, Michael wasn’t so calm or excited about the visit. He knew that relatives on both sides would have plenty of questions about their son’s appearance. And knowing his family, he was sure no one would bother to choose their words carefully. In their families, people said exactly what they thought. He wanted to prepare his wife for the potential comments, but he didn’t know how.
Sarah returned from the store with armfuls of groceries and started cooking. Kevin was sleeping soundly, and Michael decided this was the moment to talk.
“Sarah, honey, are you ready for the family to descend on us?”
“Of course! I can’t wait to see them. I’ve missed everyone so much, and we see each other so rarely. Can you imagine how happy they’ll be for us?”
Sarah’s cheerful naivete always amazed Michael. “How can she not see people for who they really are?” he wondered. But he had no intention of trying to change her; it seemed pointless.
The next morning, Sarah was up at the crack of dawn, eager to show off her little bundle of joy to her closest relatives. Her parents were the first to arrive. Even though this was their third grandchild, they were overjoyed. Their older daughter had two girls, and Sarah’s father had always wanted a grandson. They walked into the nursery where Kevin was sleeping peacefully, leaned over his crib, and then recoiled as if they’d seen a wild animal instead of a baby.
“Sarah, what is on his face?” they asked in unison.
“It’s a little birthmark. Isn’t it cute?” Sarah replied innocently.
Her parents immediately left the room and headed for the kitchen. Michael tensed, sensing a difficult conversation was about to begin.
“Can’t you get that removed?” her father asked.
“Get what removed?” Sarah asked, genuinely confused.
“The birthmark,” her father clarified.
“But why?” she asked, still bewildered.
“Why? Sarah, it’s awful. The child has that… thing on his face.”
Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes. Michael understood exactly how she felt. She had so wanted her family to share in their joy, and instead, this was their reaction.
“It’s not a ‘thing.’ It’s a special mark, Dad…”
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