“I’m sorry for being so harsh the other day,” she said.

I looked down at her hand resting on mine.

For a second, the thick layer of caution I kept between us started to wear thin.

She sounded completely genuine.

She sounded exactly like the older sister who used to help me with my math homework at the dining room table.

“Thank you,” I said.

“We’re family,” she said.

“That means we take care of each other.”