one
Ember
August
My mom blames herself.
Since the day I was born, she’s questioned every decision she made during her pregnancy. Maybe if she had changed her diet or exercised more, I would’ve turned out normal. When in reality, I was just unlucky. The doctor said something like this happening was one in a million.
I was that one.
The doctor told my parents it could’ve been worse… much worse. Blindness. Brain damage. Death.
But my mom didn’t care about what could’ve happened because, to her, this was worse. My appearance was compromised because her body never finished piecing me together. And the scar that travels across my face is a constant reminder of her greatest failure.
On the bright side, one good thing did come out of my mom’s pregnancy—my twin brother Campbell.
One of us grew up to be a golden child. Surrounded by friends and popularity.
The other one was me.
Shamed by even my own mother.
My mom blames herself, but not because she feels bad for me—
But for herself.
The first day of school has never been my thing, and it’s only gotten worse since starting college. And it doesn’t help that today, my body decided to wake me up five minutes before my alarm.
I turn my alarm off before it can go off, and the second I do, there’s a tap on my door.
“Em?” Cam pushes it open before I have a chance to respond. His eyes are closed like he’s worried I might not be decent.
“You can open your eyes.”
“Right,” he says, but he still hesitates before he does.
“You realize this can be avoided if you didn’t come into my room?”
“How else can I annoy you?” he wonders, and I roll my eyes. “Plus, I wanted to make sure you went to class.”
He knows me too well. I hoped college would be a fresh start, but it’s just more of me hiding in my room while my brother has the time of his life.
“You don’t have to worry about me so much,” I respond.
“Someone has to.”
I drag myself out of bed as he leans against my doorframe.
“Speaking of, have you talked to Mom recently?”
“Nope.” I sort through the clothes in my closet, trying to find the best outfit to swallow me up.
“You should give them a call.”
“Yeah, I will.”
I won’t.
