It took 50 years, but a great ending

I found out that the man living in our home, my stepfather (who actually adopted me legally) wasn't my real father after yet another day of mental abuse. My Great Aunt who lived with us to watch over the children while they both worked did her best to protect each of us from his harsh words and physical abuse, but she was scared of him as well. But this particular day she felt it was time that I knew that he was not my real father. I can't tell you how much that meant to me as I couldn't believe that I came from someone who I felt was just plain evil. But when I asked about my real dad, I was only told that he was gambler from GA. who was raised by his Aunt and he wanted nothing to do with me. Of course, I day dreamed my childhood away thinking maybe this wasn't true and maybe he would come for me and take me away from all this chaos and abuse. But that never happened. His name was so generic, last name of Brown, that I never thought I would find him. So I mostly accepted this explanation and hoped it wasn't true. Fast forwarding to 4 years ago, almost 45 years later. I was at home doing some computer work when I found myself getting very frustrated with the program I was working on. Then I see this advertisement which said basically "Are looking for someone"? Of course they wanted $7.95, but I thought what the heck. I typed in all the information that I knew, and low and behold, here comes up his name, address, phone number, the name of the Aunt who raised him, the city where they told me he was from. I couldn't believe it. I called and a man answered but I couldn't speak so I hung up. After all, what does one say after 50 years?After confereing with my best friend and husband they told me I should write him a letter, so I did. I didn't send the letter off until several months later though, scared I guess that he may not have wanted me. Well, a few days after I mailed this generic letter there was this msg on the answering machine and it was him, my dad, asking me to call him back. It turns out that my mom left him because she didn't want to go to GA, and as she was walking out the door, she said I guess you know I'm pregnant. He said he thought that was just her way of making him stay, so after she left he went back into the Merchant Marines. He never saw any advertisement they had to run prior to the adoption going through and why would he, he was gone and she was in IL. He always wondered but never knew. Here's my dad, in his 70's and he's so excited and so was I. It felt like I had known him all his life. He told me he got this letter and showed Jean, my new mom, and then drove to his brothers house to show him. That's when they e-mailed me all this information about my family. Then the phone rings again and it's my grandmother! They were all so excited and so my dad invited my husband and me down to see him. My husband could only stay for a few days and had to go back home, but I stayed for 3 weeks. My husband told me that dad took him for a ride around the county and told him that he did not have to worry about me, he would take very good care of me. Good old southern manners! Well my dads remarried now, and now I have another mom and I even gained a new sister. My dad gave me my sister's phone number and asked that I call her directly. He told me not to worry, she would love the news! So I called her and we talked for hours. Yes, she was so excited as well. She told me she didn't even know dad was married he never told her. Well dad, my Uncle and Aunt took me down to FL to meet meet my grandmother. Turns out my dad had like 13 siblings I think it was. The most amazing thing is that he still lives in the same house where he was born. He never moved anywhere else after my mom and him separated. Funny thing is he lives in Fannin County in GA, a place that years ago, I guess there was a Dr. & nurse who illegally placed allot of babies with adoptive families. My Uncle (my dad's bother) tells me that they have allot of people coming down there looking for their real parents. He said all these years baby neice (that's what he calls me) you actually belong here, probably half of the people who live here are related to you. Anyway, when I got back home I told my mom where I was. She was shocked to say the least, but she got over it. She did tell me that she felt at the time, it was for the better that he not be in my life. But now looking back on things, she wished she would have had him involved in my life. My dad outright tells me how much he would have loved to have seen me growing up, there is just so much I missed. So now we are regular visitors and we have wonderful relationship, not only with him but my sister and new mom as well, along with Aunts and Uncles. So for any of you adoptive parents out there, whether your child has a good relationship with both adoptive parents or not, tell your children where they come from. Please don't be scared that your child won't love you, they will. My mom and I have a pretty good darn relationship now. I can't tell you how much it's meant to me meeting my dad and getting to know him. He has definetly filled that missing part I have felt in my heart with such joy. If I had to do it all over again, I'd still wait another 50 years if it meant I could meet my real dad. For the first Father's Day after meeting him, I sent him a letter telling him that his acceptance of me after all this time has gone by, give real tribute to what makes a man a DAD.