I refused to pay my sister’s rent for the third time, and she stopped speaking to me. A week later, an expensive restaurant called to confirm I was paying for her party. She clearly thought I’d be too embarrassed to refuse in public. She had no idea what I’d arranged before arriving.
My younger sister once told me that family shouldn’t keep score.
She said it after I asked when she planned to repay the money I’d lent her for rent.
At the time, I thought she was being defensive.
A week later, she invited 11 friends to an expensive restaurant, ordered almost $2,000 worth of food, and told the manager I’d be paying.
I’m Natalie, 38. My sister, Vanessa, is 31.
Our parents died several years apart, and for a long time I believed it was my job to make sure Vanessa never felt alone.
When Dad died, she was 22 and still figuring out what she wanted to do.
