This is really bothering me…

That’s right.  Colleen worked at an orphanage and got sick so she left John there while she was recouperationg with the intent to go back for him. When she went back he’d already been adopted, by the Alamains.

For years we had no idea who John Black really was.  Then it was revealed that Stefano’s wife had an affair, which resulted in the birth of John Black.  Stefano’s wife gave the baby to her sister to raise.  This sister was married to an Alamain, and the baby was named Forrest Alamain, which made John an adopted brother to Lawrence Alamain (technically they were cousins).  John’s biological father was never revealed at that time.  For a long time, John Black was considered to be a half-brother to Tony DiMera.  When history was changed to the Ireland story, John became a half-brother to Stefano.

I don’t remember Stefano’s mother being John’s mother.  I do remember that Forest Alamain was assumed dead as a young child.

That I do remember but someone posted that years ago it was revealed that Stefano’s mother had an affair that resulted in John and she gave him to her sister to raise as an Alamain.  I remember the storyline with Stefano’s mother, The Lady in White, but don’t remember her being John’s mother.

Wasn’t the lady in white Peter and Kristin’s mother?  I am so confused!  I can barely remember that storyline.

The Lady/Woman in White

The Lady/Woman in White turned out to be Rachel Blake, Kristen and Peter’s supposedly dead mother. Stefano became obsessed with Rachel while he was in Aremid and wanted her to divorce her husband and marry her. When she refused he grew angry. Rachel contacted John Black, then a young priest, to confess to. Stefano then tried to kill both her and her husband by setting off an explosion in their car. Because of John’s involvement he was brainwashed by Stefano He believed Rachel and her husband were killed and raised Kristen and Peter. However, Rachel was very much alive and living in Aremid all the time.

How could he remember?  History has been changed so many times.  The whole Ireland story was because of the chemistry between Sami and E.J. and the writers invented a plot to showcase that chemistry.  When John Black was thought to be Tony DiMera’s half brother (and Stefano’s son), it was more believable because of their ages.  Now John and Stefano are the half brothers.  Remember how John always called Stefano "old man"?