“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh, not fair!! Moooooooooooom!! Jack cheated !!!”

“I DID NOT!!!”

“CHEATER!!”

“Okay, Sam I think that’s enough.”

“Ugh, that’s it, I’m telling ya, there has got to be some kinda conspiracy…!! The next person who wins is adopted!!”

“SAM!!”

“SAM!! CUT THAT OUT RIGHT THIS INSTANCE!!!”

Their parents called out Sam’s name, a little too loud and harshly. Loud enough to plant a little seed of doubt about how things were, harsh enough to let that seed of doubt grow. How Sam was situated in this family. Something started to not sit right and it started to bother him.

“So, Sam, you found out you were adopted from a game of monopoly?”

“Yeah. So stupid, huh?”

“I don’t think being adopted is stupid, but the way you found out was a bit random.. musta come as a bit of a shock. Are you okay?”

Sam shrugged.

“Yeah.. I suppose. It’s just an extra little nugget of knowledge I dug out about myself. Y’know, Jack and I have yelled at each other, telling the other that they’re adopted all the time, never really believing it. Just kinda comes as a shock when something vague comes into focus and it turns out to be true, if you get what I mean.

“Yeah, I think I do get what you mean Sam. So.. are you okay?”

Sam shrugged.

“Yeah. I mean, nothing has really changed, right? Things are.. business as usual, right?”

“Yeah.. I suppose you’re right.”

“Look, although I’ve joked about saying that I must’ve been adopted, I never quite believed it. My parents never let me believe it, y’know.”

“Hey, that’s sweet. You’ve got nice parents.”

“Yeah, I guess. So I suppose nothing has really changed…”