On April Fools’ Day, I decided to have a little fun and prank my mom with a fake tattoo. I’d spent hours getting the design just right – a huge, bold tattoo of a snake wrapping around my arm. I thought it would be hilarious to see her reaction when she saw it.

When she first saw me, her face froze. She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then, with a trembling voice, she asked, “What did you do to yourself?” I couldn’t hold back the laugh, and I showed her the fake tattoo. But her response wasn’t what I expected.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she said, “I did something similar when I was young. Your father had no idea, but I was covered in tattoos before I met him. I even had one of those snake tattoos.”

My heart stopped. I had no idea about this secret past of hers. She explained that after meeting my dad, she had removed all her tattoos and decided to keep them a secret. That was the moment I realized – sometimes, a joke can open doors to the biggest family stories we never knew existed.