Chapter 3

December 27th

I flew home in the late afternoon.

My apartment was exactly as I had left it.

Quiet.

Organized.

Mine.

I unpacked slowly.

That evening, my phone rang.

It was my sister.

I almost didn't answer.

Then I did.

"Hey."

Her voice was tight.

"We need to talk."

"Okay."

"What you did was incredibly selfish."

I sat down on my couch.

"I took a vacation."

"You left us stranded."

"No. Mom made a plan that required my participation without asking me first. That's not the same thing."

"You could have just helped."

"I could have. But I didn't want to. And I don't have to."

Silence.

Then:

"Do you know how hard it was?"

"Yes. That's why I don't agree to do it anymore."

"We've always been able to count on you."

"You've always been able to assume I would say yes. That's different."

She exhaled sharply.

"I don't even know what to say to you right now."

"Then don't say anything. I'm not apologizing."

She hung up.

The Group Chat

Two days later, the family group chat started up again.

This time, it was my brother.

I think we need to have a family meeting about what happened over Christmas.

I typed one response.

I'm not interested in a meeting where everyone tells me I was wrong for taking a vacation I planned months in advance.

My aunt replied:

Jessica, nobody is saying you can't take vacations.

I wrote back:

That's exactly what you're saying. You're upset because I took a vacation when you wanted me to babysit. If I had gone any other week, this wouldn't be a conversation.

Mom finally chimed in.

You embarrassed me in front of the whole family.

I stared at that message for a long time.

Then I typed:

May you like

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You told everyone I agreed to something I never agreed to. Then you were surprised when I didn't show up. That's not me embarrassing you. That's you making assumptions.

Nobody replied after that.