"We can always do a paternity test." Taylor suggested quietly, his eyes focused and trained on Zoë's blonde little head. Or what he could see of it through the snow hat with ears covering her.
   "Dad doesn't want to do DNA testing." Isaac shot out tiredly, his hands rubbing at the lines on his face. This was aging him way too fast for his liking.
   Sitting up from his angry sulk, Zac questioned, "why not? I mean, it would certainly clear this up! What if Emma was given the wrong information, and Zoë really is our sister?" He waved in her direction out the window; "She certainly looks like one of us!"
   "What about blood type?" Taylor asked suddenly, straightening from his spot by the window. "I mean, if she has the same type as Emma, then we'd know for sure."
   Isaac rolled his eyes, "She could also have the same type as us, and her father's, Tay."
   Glowering, Taylor slunk back down some. "Okay, so what else? Take a bandaid with her blood on it and secretly do the test?"
   Ignoring his scoff, Zac stood up. "You know that's not all a bad idea."
   "Thanks, Zac." He countered dryly. "But it'd never work."
   "Dad would flip." Isaac relayed, twisting his head from side to side, popping his neck. "And if he found out it was us that did it, it'd be hell to pay. And I don't know about you two, but I'm just not willing to pay it."
   "But we'd know, Ike!" Zac argued. "Don't you want to know?" He asked curiously. "To cement the knowledge that Zoë is our sister. That she is our flesh and blood!"
   Refusing to answer, Isaac stayed silent and contemplated the absurd plan.
   Sensing him weakening, Zac moved closer towards him, "You know this would work, Ike. And you know we should do it too!"
   "She's your sister too, Ike." Taylor added gently. "We have a right to know, and so does she and mom."
   Zac shook his head, "When I talked with Grace, if Zoë is Emma's daughter, Emma doesn't want her to know about it until she's 21, and that's still a big if then."
   Isaac groaned, "And dad doesn't want mom knowing whatsoever, that I do know."
   "Then we do the bandaid thing." Zac looked around at his brothers, "question is, whom do we go to, to do this? Who knows someone we could go to?"
   "I do." They both looked at Isaac, and Zac snorted. "Now how did I know, you would?"
   Shrugging dejectedly, Isaac rubbed his hands together slowly in front of him. "Emma's lawyer, Waylon Brubaker. Bru, he'd know."
   "So we what? Prick her, put on a bandaid, take it off, put it in a plastic bag and take it to him?" Taylor questioned. "Throw it in his face, say 'here, see if she's my sister!'"
   Zac watched him, "Pretty much, Tay."
   Isaac shrugged, and Taylor continued on. "And what if she isn't our sister? What then? Do we treat her differently? Push her away cause she's not our blood?"
   "Do you honestly think you could push her away, Tay?" Isaac asked softly. "Or that any of us could?"
   "We won't treat her differently, Tay." Zac explained calmly, "she's still family in every other way possible. Being blood isn't the only way to be family."
   Turning away to look at her again, Taylor felt a tight clenching in his chest. It was all good and well that they were doing this for their daughter. But what would happen if they found out that she wasn't?