EMMA
I sat beside Mum and Olivia in the sunlit corner of the living room, the silence between us thick, taut… and somehow louder than a scream.
Mum's eyes flicked toward the window, pretending to be distracted by birdsong. Olivia traced the pattern of the cushion in her lap like it held the answer to a question none of us wanted to ask.
But I couldn't stay quiet anymore.
"I AM sorry," I said, voice barely a whisper. "I thought it was the only way… the best way to keep Olivia safe."
My little sister nope, my daughter looked up at me slowly. Her lashes were still wet, and the corners of her eyes puffed from earlier years. "But you don't care about me," she mumbled. "You never wanted me." My breath caught.
"You made everyone believe I am your sister… instead of your daughter. Didn't you want me at all, Mum?"
