ADVERTISEMENT
I tried to be friendly. I’d bake things she liked, ask about her life, and laugh at jokes that weren’t funny.
I thought if I were accommodating enough, she’d see me as family.
That Tuesday evening, she knocked just after dinner. William was playing with dinosaurs.
Ethan was working late.
I let her in because saying no to family feels impossible.
We sat at the kitchen table. I made tea. She scrolled through her phone while I made polite conversation.
Then she set her phone down with a deliberate click.
“I need to talk to you about something important,” she said.
My stomach tightened.
“Okay.”
ADVERTISEMENT