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In Lawrence, I grew up not only with my twelve adopted siblings but with three other kids close to my age. Jason, his older brother Christopher, and Arianna Valentine. They were the children of a very kind couple who lived across from our house. However, an ill-fated tragedy befell their family and they lost both their parents. Mom and Dad adopted them, along with our still growing family.

They’re not merely my neighborhood friends but my siblings—at least that’s what we all thought and promised back then. In their hearts, I belong to their small family.

We shared many things. Arianna used to be my playmate even before the adoption. We bathed together as babies. Our mothers were best friends. We all went to high school together, slept in the same room, shared clothes, celebrated holidays and birthdays. We had the same taste in food, had our first crushes together, cried, fought... we’re practically inseparable. And Jason and Chris would fight those who would try to bully us like the d