Chapter 2

At dinner, Noah came running in from the living room clutching his toy truck. "Sis!"

But he ran right past me and threw himself into Amanda's arms.

"Amanda! Summer! Ethan says he's taking you to see the university!"

Amanda smiled and pinched his cheek. "You want to come too?"

"Yeah!"

Noah was five now, my dad and Deborah's kid. When he first learned to talk, my dad taught him to call me "sis." But he always called Amanda "sis" and me "Summer." My dad just smiled and said, "He's still little. Give him time."

Years passed. He still called me by my name. I knew he'd never really seen me as his sister.

My dad cut a piece of grilled chicken breast and put it in Amanda's bowl.

"Amanda, you've lost weight lately. Eat more. When school starts and you're in the city, if your allowance isn't enough, just tell Dad."

Amanda immediately shook her head. "Mr. Wilson, I don't need that much. I'll budget carefully."

Deborah sighed. "This girl. Just too considerate for her own good."

I stared down at my rice, remembering freshman year. My dad had taped my awards up in the most visible spot in the living room, telling everyone who visited, "My daughter. Straight A's."

Then Amanda transferred in. She failed her first monthly exam and hid in her room crying for ages. Deborah sighed in the living room, "Amanda's already so sensitive, and Summer is so outstanding. Two girls under the same roof, comparisons are inevitable."

Day one, my dad took my awards down.

Day two, he told me, "Summer, it's good you do well, but don't always bring it up. And don't put too much pressure on your sister."

I hadn't said a single word.

Getting good grades had become a sin.

"Summer." My dad suddenly called my name. I looked up, thinking maybe, finally, he would ask one thing about the West Coast.

He frowned. "Amanda was talking to you. Didn't you hear?"

Amanda quickly waved her hand. "Summer was probably just thinking about the West Coast. She didn't mean to ignore me."

"What's there to think about?" My dad's face was cold. "You think you're so capable? You filled out your own application, you go to your own school. Don't act like the whole family owes you something."

I had filled out the West Coast school myself. Ethan was right next to me when I did it. He filled out the same one, turned his screen toward me, and said, "Summer, don't be scared. The three of us will look out for each other."

I found out later that was a screenshot taken before he submitted. When he submitted, he'd changed it back to the university near home.

"Summer." Ethan was also at dinner tonight. His voice was very soft. "I'll help you look over the West Coast paperwork again."

"Look over what?" I asked.

He fell silent.

Amanda looked down. "Summer, I'm sorry. It's all because of me... I really can't handle the climate there, and I'm scared I won't be able to do anything right on my own."

I looked at her. She had never filled out the West Coast school from the start.

"Amanda." Ethan frowned. "It's not your fault."

"But Summer going alone... it makes me really sad too." Her eyes reddened. "Ethan, maybe you should still go with Summer. I'll be fine in the city by myself."

My dad immediately set down his knife and fork. "Absolutely not."

Deborah also hurriedly spoke up. "Amanda's health is fragile. I'm not comfortable with her in the city alone, let alone the West Coast." She turned. "Ethan, it's Amanda's first time living in a dorm. Your schools are close. Help her out with dorm stuff, keep an eye on her."

Ethan said nothing. He just accepted it.

I thought about my last birthday. They said the family was too busy, they'd make it up on the weekend. Amanda said she'd accidentally picked up my cake order—a strawberry cake with her name on it now.

I sat alone in my unlit room. Ethan climbed through the window and brought me a tiny cream cake. Scrawled on it, crooked letters, [Summer.]

He said, "It's okay if everyone else forgot. I remembered."

I cried so hard. He wiped my tears and said, "Summer, from now on, I'll always stand behind you."

I guess words like "always" really can't be trusted.

After dinner, Ethan followed me to the balcony. "Summer, did you hear something?"

I leaned against the doorframe, not looking at him. "What do you think?"

"I didn't mean to lie to you."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I just..." He paused a long time. "Amanda needs someone to look after her more than you do."

I lifted my head. "So?"

"So I'm staying in the city with her. That doesn't mean I don't want you. You go to the West Coast first. When you graduate, we'll still—"

"Still get married?" I finished for him. "Ethan, what do you think my four years of university are?"

"I didn't—"

"You did." I looked at him, word by word. "You thought I would just wait for you. Wait for you to finish taking care of Amanda. Wait for you to finally remember that you still had a Summer standing behind you."

From outside the balcony, Deborah's voice suddenly rang out. "Amanda, what are you doing standing there? You're so pale. Are you feeling unwell again?"