Well…..here we are again.  This will probably be the last page I write for while concerning my birth family.  Hope I haven't bored you to tears with my story and with that…..here is the next installment. *smile*
In December of 2000, a wonderful friend, Linda S., found the address and phone number of my bdad Paul.  I received the information from her in the morning but sat on it until later in the evening.  I
finally worked up my nerve and made the call.  You could have knocked me over with a feather when no one was home!! *grin*  I had worked up sooo much nerve and then had no outlet for it.  Don't worry….I called again later.  LOL  This time he answered the phone and guess what guys? I made a fool of myself.  (I know you're shocked but hey….we all have our moments. *grin*)  I asked to speak with Paul Sr. and he said this is and I thought he sounded too young so I asked if he was sure this was Paul Sr. 
Hehehe  He said yes…..he was Paul Sr.  So, I told him my name and said that I was calling about a personal and private matter and would now be a good time to talk or would he prefer me calling back later.  He never answered that question.  He just kept repeating my name trying to figure out who I was so I just told him never mind and said listen….This may come as somewhat of a shock but I was born in May of 1973 and all the information I have leads me to believe that you are my bfather. (I'm telling you all this as an example of what NOT to do….LOL)  Well, we started talking and he said he supposed it was possible but he didn't think so because of this and that (not important now his original why fors) and so I asked him the big question…..are you a hemophiliac.  I had been sure he would say yes.  He didn't.  He asked what that was.  Well…..since it didn't appear that hemophilia ran in my bmom's family, I was sure that my bdad would have this disorder.  When he didn't, I almost lost it.  I didn't know what to think or where to turn.  So much other stuff matched genetically with this man though…..hmmmmm.  I finally promised him I would send some pictures and would call him back and got off the phone.  I was so angry and upset.  I didn't know what to think.  Had my bmom lied to me?  Had she completely forgotten an illicit moment with another man? I didn't think so as Jami and I had built such a wonderful relationship thus far so what was going on here?  This was the right Paul but not the right answers as far as I was concerned.
Well...believe it or not….I finally calmed down enough to think things through.  I then called bmom, Jami, and started discussing the problems here that needed to be faced.  She was still sure that Paul was my father.  There were no other men possible.  So we started discussing her family history again and I suddenly discovered something very scary.  There had been so many women and hardly any men born to her family in so very long that it looked like she was the carrier of this disorder and she didn't know it.  Oh...how that hurt to explain everything to her and to tell her that she had to be the carrier of this disorder.  I felt the pain all the way to my very soul coming through the phone.  I wished so very hard at that moment that I could reach across the 350 miles separating us and hold her close to me.  You see, if you have read the rest of my story you already know, that I have 4 sisters born to my bmom.  They would all have to be tested to see if they, like me, are carriers of this so that they will know what they face before having children.
O.K….back to Paul...I, of course, had promised to call him back and now I had a lot of reason to call him back more than I had had when I had made the promise.  So, as he is an hour behind me time zone wise, I waited until I had put the kids to bed and then I called him.  He was sooooo glad that I had called him back.  He had made a mistake the night before when we were talking and thought my bmom was someone else who had claimed that he was the father of her baby and he had never thought he was.  He, on the other hand, once he had sorted it all out in his mind, knew who I was, who my bmom was and had always been sure that I was his.  The poor man had been trying to get my phone number from directory assistance and couldn't as I had an unlisted number.  He had been afraid since I hadn't called earlier that I wouldn't call him back.  (Hint here….make sure when you call…..give them your number right away in case of disconnection or other problems so they CAN call you if they need too!) 
Well, we talked for hours (literally!) and he told me about himself and about his other 2 children, Paul Jr. and Joann, and all about their children (Joann has 3 girls and Paul Jr. has 1 girl) and about the rest of his family, brother, sister, his parents and so on.  I told him a lot about me and it felt soooo good to finally have the answers to the puzzle.  Unfortuately, this part of my reunion experience was a bit clouded for me as I couldn't help thinking about my sisters and what they might have to face.  So, at this point, I am putting it all in God's hands and will take each day one at a time and hope for the best for everyone.  I don't know when I will be able to meet any of this extended family, but I'm sure one day I will meet them all and, hopefully, will be able to build wonderful relationships with every single one of them.  --- That's all for now on this story….I'll update as needed--scroll down to change pages and see a note from me.