#Stepchild

A stepchild is someone protected by blood ties yet constantly placed on the emotional testing grounds. They simultaneously experience the recognition of becoming a new family member and the discomfort of feeling too distant to be called part of the old family. Gifts and affection arrive like installments on a split payment, with their arrival dates shrouded in uncertainty. Half the candles are lit on their birthday cake, and they’re relegated to the edge in the family photo. The louder the cries for fairness, the deeper the cracks it etches in their hearts.