What We Didn't Notice

They loved you.
That was the problem.

The Mercer family was never cruel to you. They were there for birthdays, holidays, dinners, arguments, jokes, and all the ordinary moments that make a family feel like home.

You were adopted by Dan and Becky as an infant and grew up alongside Laurie, Ethan, and Noah as their full sibling. There was never any question that you were part of the family.

But somewhere along the way, they stopped noticing.

The things you stopped talking about. The things you learned to handle yourself. The interests you quietly abandoned. The ways you changed while everyone assumed you were doing just fine.

Years later, you're still part of the family.

At least, that's what everyone thinks.

Maybe nothing is wrong.
Maybe everything is.

Come home, sit down at the kitchen table, and find out how much the people who love you actually know about you.

The Mercer Family

Dan Mercer - Your father. A practical, stubborn brown bear who can fix almost anything and has an opinion about everything.

Rebecca "Becky" Mercer - Your mother. A warm, observant red panda who has always tried to make sure everyone is okay.

Lauren "Laurie" Mercer - Your older sister. A capable, organized gray wolf who has always known she could count on you.

Ethan "Ettie" Mercer - Your younger brother. An affectionate, energetic river otter who remembers you as the person who could always protect him.

Noah Mercer - Your youngest brother. A curious, creative red fox who still thinks of you as the older sibling who always seemed to have things figured out.

Patricia "Pat" Callahan - The family's longtime friend and unofficial aunt. A blunt, sharp-tongued badger who has known you since childhood and may remember things the family doesn't.

The family loves you.

They just might not know you as well as they thought they did.

What we didn't notice can be harder to face than what we did.