“That’s not what I’m saying,” Uncle Tony growls. “You’re not a burden, you’re my niece, and I want you to have a good, long life.”

For just a second, a look of remorse covers her face.

We are so lucky. What if we hadn’t had relatives like them to take us in? Parents who could leave us money? What if we’d been poor, with horrible, abusive kin? What if they’d released us to the state, like my bio mom did?

So strange, to know we are the lucky ones.

“Everyone in this room loves you,” Aunt Nora says. “And we’ve been worried sick about you.” She fidgets with the little buttons on her blouse, and I catch her fingers shaking. “I should have seen what was happening. I thought it was depression.”

“It’s my fault,” I say.

“No,” Aunt Nora says, firm. “It’s a disease. Annie’s cancer was a disease, and it wasn’t our fault or hers. Your sister’s addiction isn’t her fault—that’s genes and bad luck and evil pharmaceutical companies the government isn’t regulating. This is one equation you are not a part of, Mae.”

I shake my head. “I should have told. It didn’t have to get to this point. I tried to fix things on my own—”

“Any other betrayals you want to add to the list, Mae?” Nah says. Sneers. She actually sneers. I hate her drugs, and I hate how she is when she’s on them, but I hate even more how she is when she’s not on them but wants to be.

“Just to myself,” I say.

I am tired of being seen as her enemy. And failing. Every day I fail with her, and I don’t know how to deal with failure.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she says.

I look at her, Nate, my aunt and uncle. “I cancelled my Annapolis interview. I lied to all of you and said I did it, but it never happened. I’m staying here.”

“What. The. Fuck.” Nate’s staring at me. “Are you kidding me right now? That’s your future. You’ve worked your whole life for this!”

I keep my eyes on my sister. “You think I see you as some math problem I can fix. But I don’t. You’re my sister. And I love you.” I am leaning so far forward on my chair that I’m almost on my knees. Begging. “And I’m scared. So I decided to stay so that we could beat this thing. Together.”

Her skin goes blotchy. “I don’t want that. Call them back, Mae. I didn’t ask for that!”