On Christmas Eve, I discovered a nearly-frozen boy in my yard who said, “I’ve finally found you!”

While decorating for Christmas, I found an old photo of my father, who vanished 24 years ago. Hours later, a freezing teenager arrived, holding the bracelet I’d made for Dad as a child. He introduced himself as David—my brother.

David shared memories of our father and revealed that Dad had left us for another family, only to later be abandoned himself. Before Dad died, he asked David to find me and apologize.

A DNA test revealed the truth: David wasn’t my brother, and he wasn’t Dad’s son. Despite the revelation, I couldn’t let him feel abandoned like I once did. My family and I welcomed David into our lives.

A year later, we hung ornaments together as a family, love and connection bringing warmth where there was once only loss.