“So you punished me.”

“I was angry.”

“I was a baby.”

“I know!”

Ava was silently crying now.

I looked at her.

For years, I’d believed she was simply the favored daughter.

Now I understood something much uglier.

**Linda had used both of us to punish a dead sister.**

She spoiled Ava because Ava belonged to her.

She diminished me because I didn’t.

And she turned us against each other because our rivalry gave her resentment somewhere to go.

Grandpa moved toward me.

I stepped back.

Not because I blamed him equally.

I simply couldn’t bear anyone touching me.

Then Ava stood.

She walked to the desk.

Picked up the SUV keys.

And placed them in front of me.

“I’m sorry.”

I looked at her.

She trembled.

“I knew it was yours,” she said. “I knew taking it was wrong. I told myself Mom was right because… because believing you were spoiled made me feel better about being jealous.”