Some families just have a favorite, then build the holiday schedule around that one person and their pets. Bailey is that person. Bailey gets the spare room, the cats, the full Christmas experience. Older sister flies in from another country after years away, and gets told, «Actually, never mind, go find a hotel.» All because the golden child insists on traveling with two cats and everyone else is expected to adjust.

So this year the plan is different. A short, polite visit, then a solo vacation somewhere that does not come with cat hair and old resentment. Parents promise no animals in the house this time, but that trust account is low. Calling it boundaries does not feel dramatic. It just feels like finally treating her own time off like it matters as much as Bailey’s.