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She twisted her lips as though trying not to say what she wanted

to say. Then she lost the battle. “Feels like it sometimes.”

My immediate instinct was to take her comment personally, but I

didn’t want to argue with her when we were close to saying goodbye,

and when I let myself think about her position, I totally understood

why she’d feel she had to mother me.

“I’m sure it’s a hard habit to break,” I said stepping out of the

elevator ahead of her. I’d meant to let it go at that, but I turned back

to her instead of walking on to her door. “I’m ready to have you just

be my sister. I need you to be that more than my parent these days.”

She wrapped her arms around her body and frowned a moment.

But then the lines around her mouth relaxed and her lips turned into

a small smile. “As long as you still need me.”

“I’ll always need you, you psychopath.”

We walked silently toward her apartment, both of us in our

thoughts. Then, when she opened her door and held it open for me

to go inside, she