“Mom, this is Noah.
As soon as I saw Noah’s face, I was paralyzed.
Her eyes were blue-grey.
Exactly the same as my younger brother, Michael.
Then Noah turned his head and I saw a small reddish birthmark just below his left ear.
Michael had the same mark.
My hands were stretched around the serving spoon.
No.
It couldn’t be.
Then I noticed the necklace Noah was wearing.
A small silver pendant.
Oval.
With a scratch near the bottom.
I hadn’t seen him in 21 years, but I recognized him immediately.
My father had worn that pendant almost every day. After his death, my mother gave it to Michael.
Michael was wearing it when he disappeared.
He was 24 years old.
One Friday in October, my mother called me and asked if I had heard from him. I didn’t know anything. In a matter of days, we called his friends, hospitals and anyone who could know where he was.
