"Mason...there's something your father and I need to tell you."

She picked up a manila colored folder and slid it across the table to me.

Slowly I picked it up and opened it. Paperclipped to the inside cover on top of stacks of papers was a picture of me as a baby wrapped up in a blanket in a woman's arms that I didn't recognize.

"What is this?" I asked.

My parents looked at each other before she answered my question.

"Sweetie, we've been meaning to tell you. Well for the past few years. And now that you're going to be turning 16 , and becoming a yound lady, we thought we should tell you."

I was starting to get impatient.

"Okay! Well can one of you just spit it out already! Because I'm going to be late for Tennis practice!"

"Sweetie-" My dad cut her off. "-Mason. You're adopted."

"Wha- what...?

All of a sudden my whole life started to make sense. Why I was an only child, and why my parents and I look nothing alike. Why they always tell me anything I want to know about their relatives, so I wouldnt go searching about myself on the internet. I finally understood.

After a long moment of silence I spoke again.

"Do you...do you know who my real parents are...?"

"No, but we know somebody who might... Your brother."

"I have a brother?! Who is he!? Where is he?!"

I was starting to get frantic. I had just learned that my whole life was basically a lie and that I had a brother. I had a million things flying through my head but one thing kept replaying. Who is my brother.

My mom took another piece of paper and slid it across the table to me.

"We don't know anything about him. All we have is an address."

I looked at the paper.

"This is in Seoul Korea. That's half way around the world."

"Well we've been saving up money since you were born in a seperate fund for you to be able to do this...well if you want to." My dad said.

"Yes! Yes! I do! I do!! Thank you! Thank you!!"

I got up and hugged my dad and then my mom.

They were both crying.

As I hugged them, which I now realize was for the last time, I whispered "No matter what you will always be my parents."

As I pulled away my dad held something out to me. It was a plane ticket.

"What's this?"

My mom clutched my dads side as she laid her head on his shoulder.

"Its a plane ticket. Your flight leaves in an hour. We've already sent your luggage and there's a car waiting outside. Go explore the world and find your brother and your parents. Find the real you."

The second he finished I ran to my room and packed a carry on then ran downstairs and out the front door.

As I got in the car and it pulled away I saw my parents stand in on the front porch. Quickly I rolled down the window and shouted "I love you!"

I rolled the window back up and settled into my seat. Letting all of the events that just happened sink in as I realized I was on my way to finding my family. I was going to find the real me.

The whole world was in front of me all I had to do was explore.