“He made a mistake.”
“You gave him my login.”
“It was his birthday.”
“And when I told you he spent almost three thousand dollars, you laughed.”
She folded her arms.
“You make more money than I do.”
There it was again.
The justification underneath everything.
Not that they believed the purchases were reasonable.
Not that they thought I had agreed.
They believed my ability to absorb the damage gave them permission to cause it.
“My income is not your spending limit,” I said.
She rolled her eyes.
“Oh my God.
Listen to yourself.”
“I have been listening to myself.
That’s the difference.”
Jason muttered something under his breath.
My sister shook her head and reached for her phone.
“Fine.
Give me the keys and we’ll deal with the Amazon thing later.”
“No.”
Her hand stopped.
“What?”
“No.”
She stared at me like the word belonged to a language she had never heard me speak.
“I need that car.”
“I know.”
“I have work.
Jason has school things.
I have groceries to get.”
“I know.”
“So give me the keys.”
“No.”
Her voice rose.
“You are seriously going to leave your own sister without transportation?”
I thought about every time I had driven across town because she was stranded.
Every bill I had paid because she was short.
Every crisis that somehow became mine five minutes after she called.
Then I thought about my daughter staring into her cereal.
“You’re going to need to make other arrangements.”
My sister’s expression hardened.
“This is because you’re angry.”
“Yes,” I said.
“I am angry.
But I’m not confused.”
She opened her mouth.
I continued before she could interrupt.
“The Amazon password is changed.
The saved payment methods are removed.
Anything I can cancel has been cancelled.
Anything that still needs to be disputed, I’ll handle through the account and my bank.
You and Jason do not use my accounts anymore.”
Jason looked at his mother.
“What about my stuff?”
Neither of us answered him immediately.
