Counting Down Her Favor Cards

Summary

When I was little, my mother told me that I was the reason my sister was deaf in her left ear. She said I had hit her during a toddler outburst, and to make up for my unforgivable sin, my parents gave Daisy ninety-nine "Favor Cards."

On my ninth birthday, when Daisy wanted mango cake, she produced a card. Mom immediately swapped out the cake I had picked for a mango one—a fruit I was severely allergic to.

When Daisy was caught smoking in the high school bathroom, she pulled out another card. Mom forced me to take the fall.