Panel 1: Kate: In my somewhat expert opinion, you can be a parent up to three ways; legally, emotionally, and actually. A child's actual parent is who takes care of them, who's there for them, who will always be there for them. Legal isn't necessarily the same person. And neither is who your child gets emotionally attached to—who they choose to think of as their parent. | Portia: And blood. There's four kinds of parents—because there's also blood. || Panel 2: Portia: What do you know about my birth parents? || Panel 3: Kate: Every adoption is unique. Some birth parents don't ever want to see the child again. Others let the child reach out when they're 18. Some even stay in the child's life as a friend. I know nothing about your biological father. We email your biological mother a few times a year. I pick out pictures, I write a bit about how you're doing. She doesn't respond; I've never spoken to her. But just writing the emails is really nice for me. They end up a kind of diary of your life—I reread them sometimes. || Panel 4: Portia: Can I meet her?
