Gemotions

The adoption papers had arrived last week. Sarah, 14, had never known she was adopted. When she found out about the half-brother, she got excited, but at every family gathering, at every mention of this absent sibling, Mark's mother seemed to hold herself rigid.

Mark was away at a prestigious boarding school. At least, that's what everyone told Sarah. Her mother would talk about Mark's brilliant future. "He's so talented," she'd say, her voice softening, a stark contrast to the clipped, impersonal tone she used with Sarah.

Sarah felt it too. The new car her mother had bought, the private tutors, the designer clothes. Everything screamed, "Mark." She'd stare at her reflection in the mirror, searching for something… anything… that would make her worthy of her mother's admiration. She felt like an imposter.