Christy gave a faint smile. “Robyn the rebel.”

“Yes.” It was strange hearing that, because she was nothing like that person now. “And then Elizabeth got married. She was twenty-one. I think the reason she got married so young was because she wanted to create her own stable family. She saw it as a way out. By then I was doing a series of jobs. I was often late and unreliable, so they didn’t last long. But she didn’t give up on me. Not then.” Her heart was beating a little faster, and she realized that even now, so many years later, she could still feel something of the emotion she’d felt back then. It was uncomfortable, but she’d learned to deal with those feelings rather than trying to block them out. “And then our mother died. Elizabeth and I saw each other at the funeral. She was pregnant.”

“And your father?”

“He was trying to rebuild his life. He didn’t want to meet up or get involved.” Robyn paused. “I was too much like her, I guess. Or that’s what he thought. Elizabeth thought it, too. And I think she blamed herself for leaving me, but it wasn’t her fault. It was complicated, as life so often is.”

They were standing side by side, looking at the snow through the window.

“I don’t understand,” Christy said. “I don’t understand why she suddenly cut you out of our lives after always being there for you and supporting you through so much. And she wouldn’t talk about it. She wouldn’t have your name mentioned. Why did she take such a drastic decision? Do you know?”

Oh yes, she knew.

Robyn took a deep breath. “Because I almost killed you.”

Christy stared at her. “Me? You almost killed me? But—” she frowned “—I don’t remember ever meeting you.”

“You don’t remember, but we have met, Christy. In fact, we met several times. After you were born, I turned up at the house. I wanted to see you. And Elizabeth made me welcome. Fed me good food and gave me a warm bed, always hoping, I suppose, that she might be able to tempt me to abandon my lifestyle for another one. But she had these rigid routines. After a few hours I felt stifled there. Everything had to be done just right, at exactly the right time. It was the way she’d handled chaos, of course, but I didn’t understand that so clearly at that time. I was young and self-centered. I was offended that she wouldn’t let me through the door without checking me for alcohol.” Robyn paused. “We had a few strained visits where I showed up drunk, and she tried to help me. But I didn’t want help. It was tense, but still we muddled along.”

“Until?”

“Until the kitten incident.”

“The kitten incident?”

“It was a week before Christmas. I was working at a cat-rescue center. I’d only had the job for two weeks. There was a litter of kittens they were trying to rehome. They were gorgeous. I brought one home to you as a gift.”