Uncharted Connections

I slowly opened my eyes, the bright lights blurring my vision. The sharp, sterile scent of medicine filled the air, and the constant beeping of monitors pulsed in the background. A searing pain shot through the back of my head, and I could feel the cold sting of needles piercing through the back of my hand. As I adjusted to my surroundings, my eyes landed on a woman sitting in a chair nearby, a book in her hands.

She had grey hair and wore a black sleeveless top, tattoos visible along her arms. When she saw me staring, she looked up, a soft smile curving her lips.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she said in an elegant tone.

I nodded, still dazed. “Uh… where am I?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“You passed out by the curb of the road,” she explained. “The doctor said you’ll be fine.”

I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain in my head. “Thank you… for staying with me.”

“It’s fine,” she replied, her voice surprisingly calm. “I had to check your wallet to get your information.”

Her gaze softened when she handed me my wallet. “When I looked at your ID, I saw your last name—Stan.” Her eyes met mine, searching for a reaction. “It’s mine too… well, it was.”

I frowned, confused. “What do you mean, was?”

She hesitated, then gave me a faint, bittersweet smile. “My name is Vivian Seacrest now.I taken my partner's last name after marriage. But before that, I was a Stan… just like you.”

The words hit me like a freight train, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My head spun, trying to make sense of what she was saying.

Vivian must have seen the confusion in my eyes because she continued gently, “I know it’s a lot to take in. But I always wanted to reach out to you. You know how our parents are, Raymond. After what they did to me—and to Brook—I’ve never had the chance.”

I stayed silent, processing her words. It was too much to comprehend all at once.

“So, you’re my sister?” I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief. “I only found out I was an affair  baby. I didn’t even know I had a sister.”

Vivian nodded, her eyes never leaving mine. “Raymond, our parents have a lot of skeletons in the closet—especially our dad. We’ll talk more about it when you’ve recovered,” she said calmly.

I agreed with a slow nod. The hospital wasn’t the place for this conversation. It felt like too much for one moment, one conversation.

We exchanged phone numbers, and as she scrolled through her contacts, she looked up. “Let me send you Brook’s number, too.”

The name Brook struck me with a jolt of recognition. My heart skipped a beat. “Wait. Is Brook a music director and sponsor at a bar called Violet Riot?”

Vivian’s brow furrowed slightly. “Wait… did you just say Violet Riot? The underground rock bar?”

I stared at her, confused. “Yeah. I’m a regular. I go there all the time. Brook’s been sponsoring the place for years, always helping out with the bands. You know him?”

She blinked, her lips parting in surprise. Then, she let out a soft laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. “Well, that’s Brook for you. Always keeping connections under wraps. That’s my brother—our brother, Raymond.”

My breath caught in my chest. “Wait, you’re telling me the same Brook who runs Violet Riot—my Brook—is our brother?”

Vivian nodded slowly, her expression softening. “The same. He’s been a part of my life, on and off, but I never imagined he’d be so involved with you without either of us knowing.”

I leaned back against the pillow, the weight of the revelation crashing down on me. All this time, I thought Brook was just the laid-back guy who cared about rock music, always supporting the local scene, helping out at Violet Riot. I had no idea he was connected to me, that he was family. And now, in one moment, I’d learned I had a sister I didn’t know existed and a brother I never understood. The world felt smaller—and yet, everything felt more complicated.

“Looks like Brook’s been keeping secrets from both of us,” Vivian said softly, her tone a mix of amusement and frustration. “But now we have a chance to uncover everything.”

My thoughts raced. “So, all this time, I’ve been friends with my brother and didn’t even know it.”

Vivian gave me a small, knowing smile. “And now you’ve got a sister too.”

The room suddenly felt charged with possibility, the weight of the past shifting into something new. Family secrets, hidden connections, and the strange twist of fate that had brought us together in this chaotic, unpredictable way.