In my mid-twenties, I got a call that I’ll never forget. A young girl was on the line, and she told me she was my sister. She explained that her dad had shared stories about me, and she said I even looked like his sister. It was a shock, to say the least. We talked a few more times, and I eventually spoke with her mother as well. They wanted to meet, and I decided to go forward with it, though the whole thing felt surreal and, honestly, a little uncomfortable. I felt like I’d walked into a story that wasn’t mine—or, at least, one I didn’t fully know.

Afterward, I asked my mom if there was any truth to it all. Her response left me with more questions than answers. She didn’t say “yes” or “no,” and I was left wondering: Who’s my daddy? For most of my life, I’d known one man to be my dad, and now there was this new, unexpected possibility.

Reflecting on it, I realized something important: not having a dad had never made me feel incomplete. I’d taken my family situation at face value; it was simply what it was. I didn’t see it as a loss or a void. And that was largely because of my grandfather. He was the constant, the father figure who checked every box I ever needed in a man. In every way that mattered, he filled that role for me.

My grandad was present, supportive, and dependable. He was there for the big moments and the small ones, giving me the kind of guidance and security that a father typically provides. He was my “dad” in all the ways that truly counted, even if we didn’t label it that way.

This experience didn’t end with a neatly wrapped answer. I still don’t know for certain who my biological father is, and that might always be the case. But instead of focusing on the “what ifs” or feeling unsteady because of the unknown, I find peace in what I do know. I know who has loved me, who has been there, and who has shown me what a strong, good man looks like.

So, while that call may have stirred up questions, it didn’t shake my sense of who I am or where I come from. My grandfather taught me what it means to be steady, present, and loving. And that’s more than enough.