Family on Paper

I stared at the form for five minutes. I would work around it, but eventually I had to fill in the inevitable lines. Mother’s name. Father’s name. Emergency contact. My pen hesitated and hovered over the lines as if it were afraid to write. I've memorized countless new names and phone numbers, but none felt right enough to claim. I wish I could write a name that matches mine, something permanent, something I wouldn’t have to explain. Instead, I wrote what I knew. Names that, on paper, formed a traditional family. I turned it in and wished it were true.

Mariam Aleksanyan is a high school student who advocates for foster care youth and voices through art, volunteering, and involvement in advisory boards.