One day

I have a twin. In fact, I love my twin, but sometimes it's hard to identify myself from her because it's easy to feel lost. Here's my story:

"I met up with my younger self at lunch today She sat across from me, eyes down, stirring her drink with a straw. Her hair was longer, her shoulders thinner, I watched the way she let herself curl in, Like she was trying to take up less space. She kept tracing invisible lines on the table, Like she was trying to map out who she was in a world that already had another version of her.

“How are you?” I asked. She looked up at me, putting on her fake smile, “Fine.” I let the silence stretch and let it press in close. She sighed and finally whispered, “I feel like a shadow.” Her fingers twisted together in her lap. “I don’t know who I am without her.”

I knew this feeling too well. I wanted to tell her that she is valuable. That she is not a copy, not a reflection, More than just a duplicate. But I remember what it was like to not believe that.