‘My what?’ Shane thought he hadn’t heard right. ‘You’re my sister? How? What?’

‘I know. I was just as shocked as you. Mum and Dad split only a few weeks after we were born. They found out Mum was pregnant, and their families forced them to marry. They didn’t though, so they pretended they divorced, and they took one baby each. Both of them knew that they wouldn’t be able to cope with 2 babies, so they took one each.’ She said it again, with total hatred in her voice. ‘Then Mum married again, within a year of the split, and told everyone that you were their baby. No one outside the family knew about Dad. We left for Dublin, and apparently that was the best place for us.’

‘You mean, hold on, you mean, Dad isn’t my Dad? My real Dad’s your Dad? But you said... That means my Dad’s.... That means he’s dead.’ The colour drained from his face. Karina nodded quietly.

‘When Dad found out he was sick, he decided he would tell me about you. He wanted me to find you before he died, so he could explain everything. He said they’d always planned to tell you one day, but when he and Mum lost touch, it got hard for him. I had to leave Dad up in Dublin, and I came down here to try and find you. I had to find you, but I couldn’t go anywhere near your family, especially Mum. She’d have recognised my surname, and I didn’t want her to know I was here. So, that’s why I was working at the stables. I kept calling your record company, trying to explain what was going on, but they just thought I was some kind of mad fan, and told me to get lost.’

‘They didn’t know..... I didn’t know, so I couldn’t have told them.’ Karina went and sat next to Shane and put her arm around him.

‘I’m so sorry Shane, I tried so hard to find you. I really did.’ She looked so hurt.

‘I know. It’s not your fault, it’s not your fault.’ Shane couldn't take any of this in.

‘I wanted to find you so much. For Dad’s sake. He wanted to know his son before he died. He made me record every TV programme, buy every magazine, with you in, so he could see you. He loved to hear you sing, he would play all your songs all the time, and he’d try to sing along with them, but his mouth was always so dry. He loved you as much as he could, and all he wanted was for you to know that.’

‘Did he.... I mean, was he proud?’ Shane’s voice broke on the last word, and he struggled to fight back the tears.

‘Oh God yeah. Every time he saw you, he would turn to me and say ‘That’s my son you know?’. He was so proud of you Shane. I was too. I am.’ The two of them hugged. ‘Y’know, after Dad passed on, I didn’t know if I should tell you or not. He only told me so I could find you before he died, and I didn’t, so I didn’t know if I should tell you or not. But I realised, that even though he’s dead, he’s still here with us, all the time, and he wants you to know Shane. I want you to know. I fell in love with Sligo, and wanted to stay, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to, if I kept seeing you with your family. I’m so sorry.’ Shane looked shocked.

‘Sorry? You shouldn’t be sorry. I just, I can’t quite take it all in yet. So, the rest of the kids?’ Shane looked perplexed. ‘They’re what? Stepbrothers and -sisters?’

Karina shook her head. ‘Half. Cos you’ve got the same Mum, it means you’re half.’

‘Oh.’ Shane’s face was totally blank, he seemed to have thrown all his emotions away.

‘Do you want me to go? I could come back tomorrow.’ Karina wasn’t sure what to do.

‘No, don’t go. I’m not sure I want to be alone right now.’ They hugged, and silent tears rolled down their cheeks. The radio, which had been on quietly in the background, started to play ‘We Are One’, and brother and sister sang along, with more feeling than ever before.