I Raised My Sister’s Kids for 15 Years—On My Birthday, She Demanded Their Gift Belonged to Her.

Frustration bubbles over

Her phone message sounded like an unwelcome echo. How long will you continue to ignore me? Every syllable was oozing with a familiar insistency as it read. Sarah tossed the phone away in anger and said, “Not now.” The constant interruptions of her day by the phone had worn her tolerance thin. Even as she longed for a respite, she realized that she could not avoid these remarks indefinitely.

Past conflicts resurface

Staring at her phone, Sarah sat on the couch. Like an unwanted ghost, old memories seeped into the present. She heard that voice again, filled with bitterness and rage. Muttering softly, “I just wish you stayed away,” she said. Her rage surged, but it was fought off by that bothersome guilt she couldn’t get rid of. Sarah missed the tranquility she had worked so hard to create over the years.