AT MY SISTER’S ANNIVERSARY PARTY, SHE KISSED MY HUSBAND AND LAUGHED IT OFF AS A JOKE. HER HUSBAND’S FIRM RESPONSE STUNNED THEM BOTH—AND GAVE ME A REASON TO HIDE WHAT I REALLY KNEW.
My sister Rachel had always made everything into a competition.
When we were little, if I brought home a drawing, she would place hers beside mine and ask Mom, “Which one do you like better?” “Both,” Mom would answer.
“That’s not an answer,” Rachel would insist, already examining mine.
If I joined a school club, she would enroll the following week. If I bought a new jacket, she’d ask where I found it, then get one she thought was better. For years, I assumed she was simply trying to keep up with me.
Eventually, I stopped telling her about things before she could turn them into another competition.
Then I met Michael.
During our first family dinner together, Rachel watched him help me carry the plates.
“Where did you find him?” she asked. “He’s handsome, polite, and he helps without being asked.”
“He was at the grocery store,” I said. “I offered him a basket.”
She laughed but continued watching him. “Seriously, Sadie. I’m jealous. I wish I had a husband like yours.”
“You haven’t even met your husband yet,” Dad teased.
“Maybe I’m setting my standards,” she replied.
I rolled my eyes, and everyone laughed. I convinced myself it was just Rachel being Rachel, wanting whatever I had simply because I’d gotten it first.
When she met Tom, I felt relieved.
He was kind and patient, the sort of man who listened closely and remembered what she told him. Rachel appeared happy. They got married, and a year later, Michael and I drove to their home for their anniversary celebration.
By then, Michael and I had been married for ten years. We had two children, a house full of school bags and mismatched socks, and the life I had once dreamed of.
I thought Rachel had finally found happiness for herself.
Tom opened the door before we even knocked. “You made it. Rachel’s been checking the window every five minutes.”
“Only because I wanted the food to stay warm,” Rachel called from the dining room.
She kissed my cheek before turning toward Michael. “You look handsome. Did Sadie pick that shirt?”
“She has good taste,” he said.
