Then Ethan happened.
And we became roles instead of sisters.
“You should have told me about the guardianship forms yourself,” I said.
“I know.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I thought Mom and Dad had.”
“You never checked?”
Denise looked away.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because checking meant talking to you.”
“That was the point.”
“I know.”
I waited.
She looked back at me.
“You knew exactly what I had done, Joanna. Everybody else could believe whatever version made them comfortable. You couldn’t.”
I said nothing.
“When I talked to you, I felt twenty-three again. Tired. Scared. Certain I had ruined everything.”
“You didn’t ruin everything.”
“I left you with a newborn.”
“Yes.”
“You lost your scholarship.”
The words hit harder than I expected.
“I made a choice.”
“You made a choice after I left you almost no good options.”
“That is also true.”
Denise looked down at her hands.
“I used to tell myself you wanted Ethan.”
