She often talked about the importance of family history, social standing, and preserving the Carter name.
I came from a much more modest background.
My parents had worked ordinary jobs, and I had grown up believing that honesty and kindness mattered more than money.
Margaret had never particularly liked me.
She smiled politely during family gatherings, but I often noticed her watching me with quiet disapproval.
When I became pregnant, however, Richard seemed genuinely excited.
And when the doctors discovered we were expecting five babies, he was overwhelmed.
Five children.
All arriving at once.
We spent months preparing a nursery, choosing names, and imagining our future.
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