That’s when Michael’s patience ran out.
“What defect?” he snapped. “I told you, it’s not a defect, it’s just a birthmark. You have one on your back and another on your arm. Why didn’t you get plastic surgery to ‘correct’ your defects?”
“That’s on my back and my arm. This is on his face,” his father retorted, unwilling to back down.
Then Sarah’s mother chimed in: “I have a friend who’s a cosmetic dermatologist. I can talk to her and see what can be done.”
Sarah couldn’t take it anymore.
“That’s it. I’ve had enough. Thank you all for the congratulations and the gifts. The introductions to Kevin are officially over. We’ve seen how thrilled you are for us. I’m tired and I need to rest. Goodbye.”
She turned, walked out of the kitchen, and went to the nursery. Michael showed the guests out and then went to his wife. Sarah, of course, was crying by their son’s crib.
“Sarah, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t listen to them. Just you wait, one day they’ll be bragging about all of Kevin’s accomplishments,” Michael said, trying to comfort her. “You know, we probably shouldn’t have invited them at all. They just ruined the day.”
She leaned over the crib and whispered to her son:
“I know for a fact that you’re going to show them all how amazing you are. They’ll be embarrassed for how they treated you.”
Time passed. Kevin grew up. At fifteen, he graduated from high school early and was accepted into a top university. He was fluent in three languages, was a state-champion swimmer, and had won numerous academic competitions. His parents were overjoyed. The rest of the family watched Kevin’s achievements with their jaws on the floor. None of Sarah’s sister’s kids or Michael’s brother’s kids had a tenth of Kevin’s skills or knowledge.
But the most interesting part was that the birthmark on his forehead, the one that had so horrified the entire family, had remained small and was now barely visible under his hair. Kevin’s story was like the tale of the ugly duckling, with a similar outcome. Now, the grandparents on both sides couldn’t stop praising their only grandson, bursting with pride at his success. Michael’s parents were doubly proud, as the boy was carrying on their family name.
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