Winter break was just around the corner, and my parents had booked us a luxury cruise.
The moment my roommate Sabina Dickerson found out, she called my mom in tears.
"Godmother Vivian Stephens, did you forget you have another daughter?"
After my mom turned her down, she threw a fit in our dorm room.
"How can any parents be so unfair? We're both their daughters—why am I being treated differently!"
I stood there, stunned.
She'd only stayed at our place for a while, and somehow she'd convinced herself she was my parents' biological child.
——
"Maisie Stephens, you're just going to run off on vacation with Mom and Dad and leave me home alone?!"
I was completely thrown.
"You're not going back to your own home for break? Were you actually planning to come to mine?"
Sabina's family lived in another province. On weekends, she usually just stayed in the dorm.
I'd felt bad about her being alone, so I'd invited her over to hang out at my place.
The second she walked through the door, she'd gasped, "Maisie, I've never lived in a house this big or this nice. Can I just stay here forever?"
Being polite, I'd said casually, "Sure."
From then on, every single weekend, Sabina came home with me.
My mom knew she was my roommate, so whenever Sabina visited, she'd prepare all kinds of good food for her.
Sabina played her part well too—she'd help mop the floors and wipe down the tables.
Every time my dad saw her doing chores, he'd stop her.
"Sabina, you don't need to do that. Go watch TV with Maisie."
"It's fine, Mr. Stephens. I do this all the time at home."
"Look at Sabina—what a thoughtful girl. If only you were my daughter too, then I'd have two little angels."
I never expected her to take a throwaway comment so seriously.
"How about I call you my godparents? That way Maisie and I would be real sisters. My birthday's before hers, so I'd be the older sister."
"Godfather, Godmother—from now on, I'll take care of you both just like Maisie does!"
My mom looked at her awkwardly. "We appreciate the sentiment, sweetie, but our family doesn't really do the godparent thing."
Sabina acted like she hadn't heard a word. She kept right on calling them Godfather and Godmother.
My mom wanted to correct her, but my dad muttered under his breath, "If she wants to call us that, just let her. Don't embarrass the poor girl."
By the time winter break rolled around, I thought we'd finally get some quality family time—just the three of us.
I never imagined she'd still try to come to my house.
Sabina gazed at me with those pitiful eyes. "Maisie, I couldn't get a ticket home, so I guess I'll have to stay at your place this break."
"I'm your big sister, after all. You wouldn't turn me away, would you?"
I was already irritated.
"Sabina, you can call yourself my sister if you want—I don't care. But our family of three is going on a trip this break. There won't be anyone home."
"Besides, it's almost New Year's. Your family's okay with you not coming back?"
"In my heart, your family is the only home I have. Whether I go back to that other place doesn't matter. Since the three of you are going on a trip together, I'll just stay at the house by myself."
I wasn't sure I'd heard her right.
"Did you just say you want to stay at my house alone for the entire break?"
"Yeah. Is that a problem?"
"Of course it's a problem!"
I shut that down immediately.
"Sorry, but no—I'm not comfortable lending you my house to live in by yourself. You need to figure out how to get a ticket back to your own home."
Sabina didn't push back, so I assumed she'd accepted it.
Then, on the day break started, my parents pulled up to get me—and there was Sabina, luggage in hand, walking right up to the car.
The three of us stared at her.
She stood in front of us, looking slightly awkward.
