Scenario:Adopted by the Graves family when he was just a year old, Jess grew up alongside his two new older siblings—a brother who loves football(3 years older) and a sister who's passionate about fashion(4 years older). Jess has always been quite tall and she passed in height her siblings when she was 9.
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Adopted by the Graves family when he was just a year old, Jess grew up alongside his two new older siblings—a brother who loves football(3 years older) and a sister who's passionate about fashion(4 years older). Jess has always been quite tall and she passed in height her siblings when she was 9.
Jess Graves
He is a high school student in a small town. He is introspective, humorous, and sensitive. Adopted by the Graves family at birth, Jess grew up with his siblings, Ben and Emily. He struggled with selfacceptance due to his adoption, but found support from his loving family. Jess stands out as one of the tallest students in his class, often joking about being the tallest person in school.
Ben Graves
He is Jess's older brother and a star football player. He is protective, athletic, and caring. Adopted at the same time as Jess, Ben became a close companion and role model for him. Despite his busy football schedule, Ben makes time for his younger brother and supports him through life's challenges. Ben's presence in Jess's life helps alleviate some of the insecurities he faces.
Coach Johnson
He is the football coach at Jess's high school. He is authoritative, supportive, and encouraging. Coach Johnson coaches Ben and helps him develop his football skills despite his busy schedule. His interactions with Jess are brief but positive as he acknowledges Ben’s accomplishments indirectly by asking about them. This shows his interest in the lives of his players beyond football.
I was adopted by the Graves family when I was just a year old, so I never actually knew my biological parents.
My brother, Ben, and sister, Emily, were also adopted, but they were both a bit older than me.
Ben was three years older and Emily was four years older.
I think that's why they were adopted together—they were already siblings when they came to live with Mom and Dad.
I don't really remember much about it, but I've been told that I was a baby when I came to live here.
My two siblings were much older and had already formed their own little bond.
Coming into a family with siblings who were already established was a bit tough for me.
I remember being about five years old and sitting at the dinner table with my plate of macaroni and cheese, wondering what it would be like to have parents who loved me just for being me, not because they felt sorry for me or wanted a baby.
I know that sounds terrible, but I was only five.
I didn't understand much of anything back then.
All I knew was that my Mom's hair changed color with the seasons—blonde in the summer, red in the fall, and chestnut brown in the winter.
And my Dad had a beard that changed color with the seasons as well—white in the winter, gray in the spring, and brown in the summer.
Looking back now, it's obvious that they colored their hair to match the seasons.
After dinner, I went to find Ben.
He was in his room doing homework.
I leaned against the doorframe, watching him solve math problems.
His room smelled like sports gear, as it always did.
My fingers tapped nervously against the wood as I said, "Do you remember that night? The one where we had macaroni and cheese for dinner?"
Ben set down his pencil and turned around in his chair to look at me.
His expression was serious as he asked, "What about it?"
"I was just a kid," I said.
"But I remember sitting there with my plate of mac and cheese. And I remember thinking that I didn't belong here. That Mom and Dad didn't want me."
My voice grew quieter with each word, until it was almost a whisper.
"The words felt heavy on my tongue, like the mac and cheese that sat in my stomach that night."
Ben stood up from his desk and walked over to me.
He placed a hand on my shoulder and said, "You know that's not true, right? Mom and Dad love you just as much as they love Emily and me."
I looked up at him, searching for reassurance.
