At the picnic, my sister said, “Here’s to the relative who thinks paying bills makes them important.” My parents burst out laughing. I just smiled, I just smiled, lifted my drink, and said, “Then tonight, you’ll all see how unimportant I really am.” My dad’s

My mother waved a hand like she was brushing away smoke. “Rachel didn’t mean anything by it.”

Rachel shrugged, already bored. “Yeah, don’t be dramatic.”

Dramatic. That word landed like it always did. Funny how the person carrying the weight is always the one accused of making a scene when they finally clear their throat.

Across the yard, Lily ran past the table with Tyler at her heels, her ponytail bouncing, her cheeks flushed. For a moment I let my eyes rest on her, because kids still believed the world was fair. They still believed adults were safe. They still believed that if you did your best, things worked out.

Rachel leaned back in her chair, plastic creaking under her. “You act like you run the family or something.”