looked over.
I frowned.
“What?”
Jessica turned the phone toward me.
“You actually walked around the beach dressed like this?”
My son, Michael, immediately looked uncomfortable.
“Jessica…”
But she ignored him.
Then she held the phone up so everyone could see the picture.
“This is embarrassing,” she said, laughing again. “Imagine if somebody posted this online.”
Psychology
Nobody knew what to say.
My sister stopped smiling.
Michael stared down at his plate.
I could feel my face getting hot.
Then Jessica added the sentence that changed everything.
“Sometimes people need someone to tell them when they’re making a fool of themselves.”
I stared at her.
For years, I had treated Jessica like my own daughter.
Writers Resources
When she and Michael struggled financially after having their second child, I helped them.
When their mortgage increased and they started falling behind, I quietly began sending them money every month.
