fine.”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Nobody believed me.
After everyone was in bed, I called Claire.
My younger sister.
Seven years younger than me.
Growing up, I was the responsible one.
Good grades.
Marriage.
House.
Children.
Claire was always the fun one.
The beautiful one.
Parties.
Musicians.
City life.
No children.
She had joked before that kids were a trap.
Then during the last year, she started coming over constantly.
Sunday dinner.
Soccer games.
Random Tuesday nights.
She said she was lonely.
I was happy.
I thought maybe we
