Every dysfunctional family has its own zodiac, its own constellation of roles that orbit around the unspoken truth everyone’s pretending not to see. And in almost every constellation, two stars shine the brightest: the Golden Child and the Black Sheep.

Some people grew up in families where their existence made sense at a glance. They spoke and were understood. They felt something, and it was believed.

When I married into his family, I truly believed I was stepping into something beautiful. A big family. Loud, lively, connected. The kind of family I hoped would fill the spaces mine never could.