The Irish Twin and The Unlucky One

Christiana always thought about her birth story. She’s always known she was adopted but became increasingly curious of the details around the beginning of high school. She wasn’t looking to form any relationships right away, but at least start from the beginning and find one member who shared the same blood as her. All she knew was that she had an ‘Irish Twin’ sister (she was also adopted to a different family), and a birth father living it up in the beaches of Santa Barbara. But that was it…

Where exactly did I come from? Has my sister, father, or mysterious mother thought about me at all? Where exactly is my sister? These thoughts ran through her mind on a daily basis. But why would she? Christiana had it all – parents who loved her, a sister and brother that adored her, friends who would do anything for her, and the social skills of a girl who acted two times her age. 

Now, she was starting on the journey of college in the beautiful city of Eugene, Oregon. Excited for her next step in life, Christiana embraced her current opportunities with a variety of new and exciting people. She moved into the dorms with a positive outlook on her future relationships, as well as a little hesitation.

Biology was the first class on her schedule and she decided to walk with her roommate, Kenz, since she happened to be attending ENG123 with Professor Carter as well. Kenz was the kind of girl that could say one sentence when meeting someone and gets straight to the point – which Christiana found unusual and amusing at the same time. 

“So, tell me – do you know anyone who attends the same school or are you one of those mysterious chicks who moves to start all over and get away from something their hiding?” Kenz bluntly asks, while walking excitedly ahead in a skipping fashion. 

“Uh, nope. Not besides two girls I barely talked to in middle school I guess,” Christiana quietly giggles as they both stumble over a puddle in front of the class entrance. 

After entering, they walk down the aisle straight to the second right row. Christiana gazes around as classmates pile into the room, quietly watching all the unfamiliar faces pass by struggling to find a seat. She notices a thin, red-haired boy that portrayed more of a personality of an 8^thgrader, but she thought he had an interesting way about him. He also looked like he had more money than the average college student. High-end watch on his wrist, fresh haircut, and clothes that were straight out of a men’s fashion magazine. He ended up sitting in the same aisle as her and Kenz.

“Alright everyone,” Professor Carter announces to the class. “Let’s begin with a quick exercise. I will select three of your names and when I say each one out loud, I want you to stand and say one word that describes you in your family situation at the moment or during the course of your life. Please try to think outside of the box because I am not interested in hearing words that don’t create any sense of feeling – it’s pointless.” 

A look of distress poured over the faces of every student. Christiana realized many others probably thought the same as her - surrounded by three hundred new heads turned your way, while getting personal isn’t the most comfortable situation in the world. 

The professor begins without hesitation, “Christiana.” Ha, just my luck… She complained inside her head as Kenz giggled beneath her breath.  

Standing up and looking straight ahead at the front of the room, she says in more of a question form, “Uh… ‘searching’?” 

She quickly sits back down. Professor Carter smiles. He seemed impressed, but also curious. Christiana assumes that’s a good thing. 

“Alright, next we have… Drake.” 

The lanky boy Christiana saw in the beginning stood up. She never pictured him with a name like that. She glances over as Drake stands, interested in his answer to Professor Carter and the class.  

“Okay, I guess I would say the word that describes my family situation would be ‘invisible’,” he said in a deep tone and in a direct manner, which seemed to shock the whole class, including Christiana. Never mind, she thought to herself as she moved her eyes from him to the ground. She expected somebody with that young of a look and who acquired such luxe items would be close with his family, or at the very least, was acknowledged. 

With one more name to go, every student started shuffling uncomfortably in their seats, petrified if they were going to be the unlucky one. 

Professor Carter looks down at his piece of lined paper. “Taylor,” he states with eagerness. All heads turn around the room, looking for the last unlucky one. A petite girl in ripped blue jeans raises her hand and says, “Hi, that’s me.” She was perched in the back row on the opposite side of the room. 

She illustrated the type to be a nonconformist and a decider of her own rules. That was clear since she didn’t stand up, creating an awkward silence exhausting the entire room in less than a minute. Christiana was catching on to the idea that college is a massive mixture of various personalities. That realization led to the craving of finding her birth family even more. Just to understand their quirks, interests, hobbies, what makes them tick, and all of those little things that make a person who they are. 

Lost in her thoughts, Christiana flinches when Kenz nudges her shoulder. 

“You good?” Kenz asks. Christiana nods and snaps back to reality. She turns her attention back to the last unlucky one as she’s about to reveal her family word. 

“Adopted,” Taylor says. 

Christiana stops. She stops breathing for .2 seconds and stares forward at Taylor. Could it be? There’s no way. Many people are adopted. But she is the same age as her and has some similar qualities. Like her small narrow nose, blush skin tone, and vivid blue eyes. Christiana’s mind wanders rapidly. In a couple minutes, she concluded that it was not her birth sister. Her mind determined the theory was just absurd.

The class pursued on for another thirty minutes, which seemed like thirty days to Christiana. Students quickly bustled out the back door and the two roommates followed along in the sea. Almost free of the flock, Christiana bumps into another student. It was Taylor. The unknown and mysterious, Taylor. 

No words were spoken. Taylor grips her backpack with her left hand and pulls it over her shoulder. As she turns away to continue walking, Christiana catches a glimpse of the back of her neck. It was a shamrock intertwined with a Celtic Knot. 

Chills go down her spine. She knows the symbolic meaning since she has the exact same tattoo - ‘Irish Twins.’