The world can seem like such a big place when you are searching for someone missing in your life, but then again sometimes that person turns out to be right before you.

Stephen Goosney, 29, and Tommy Larkin, 30, were born a year and a half apart. They were both adopted and began life knowing they were missing vital pieces of their personal history.

The two men told the Corner Brook Western Star they began the process of finding out who they were several years ago, both citing medical history as their primary reason behind the search.

They soon uncovered their past - just across the street from one another.

The pair discovered from an adoption agency that they had been within shouting distance for seven months.

"It was a good feeling, knowing there was actually someone looking for me too," Mr. Goosney said in an interview with the newspaper.

There was hope they would be living close together, but an understanding that, even if they were adopted by Newfoundland and Labrador families, there is a good chance they could be far apart.

However, it turned out they have spent the past seven months living almost directly across the street from each other on Wheeler's Road in Corner Brook.

In addition, for more than two years, they have lived on the same street. Mr. Larkin moved to a different residence seven months ago.

They say their reunion was a simple matter to arrange.

Mr. Larkin just had to look out his living room window, wait for his brother to come home, make the call, and invite him over.

"She gave me his name and asked me four or five times if I knew him," Mr. Larkin said, referring to the person at the adoption agency who assisted the search.

"I said I didn't, and she kept asking me, if I was sure I haven't met him."

"She told me, if I got the paper signed and back to her right away, she was sure she could have us meeting by the end of the week. I was like, 'OK, well he is in Newfoundland."'

Then, as he was pacing the living room, talking on the phone, he was given the address.

"I said, 'No ... I am looking at the house right now,"' he said.

Unfortunately, Mr. Goosney was out of town, but the next day, March 25, the brothers finally met.

"It was all pretty overwhelming," Mr. Goosney said. "It's been good. We have been seeing each other pretty much everyday, just hanging out and trying to catch up."

The unusual thing was, despite living across the road from each, they couldn't really ever remember seeing or speaking to each other.

However, there was an encounter just days before where Mr. Larkin was looking at Mr. Goosney's snowmobile. There were no words exchanged, but they did look at each other.

There has been no shortage of conversation ever since. The brothers say they had an instant connection, helped by the fact they have so much in common.

They were both adopted into families who informed them at a young age they were adopted, and both have an adopted younger sister.

Mr. Goosney grew up in Woody Point and Larkin in Cook's Harbour, two small outport communities on the Northern Peninsula.

They both enjoy the outdoors, snowmobiling and other activities, while both flourished as hockey players in their youth.

Mr. Goosney is a transport truck driver, something Mr. Larkin also did before attending school to be a truck and transport mechanic.

They are both continuing the search to locate the rest of their family.

It may be a little more difficult making those connections, because neither of the others have been officially looking for them.

However, they remain hopeful, and have faith the adoption agency will come through eventually.

They do have some information to go by.

They were born at the Grace Hospital in St. John's and their birth name is Smart. They know their mother's name, but didn't want to publish it.

They are hoping to eventually meet all of their family.

For Mr. Goosney, their union was extra special because he also met his niece, Chloe, who is already calling him uncle Stephen.

"It feels different, having someone I can call a brother," he said. "It is the bloodline. We both have families, but this is as close as it gets."

Cory Hurley

Source: theglobeandmail.com