Not sure why, but in a lot of families, there always seems to be one kid cast as endlessly capable and another treated like a glass ornament that might shatter if life gets too loud. That dynamic shows up hard here. One adult child gets trusted with mortgages, insurance, taxes, long term stability. The other gets trusted with choosing the next vacation and announcing how far ahead the savings account is, all while living in a house that runs on someone else’s money.

Parents clearly see the younger daughter through a softer lens. Past mental health issues, the general mess of the current economy, a genuine fear she might spiral if pushed too hard. All of that mixes into a kind of permanent safety bubble. It makes emotional sense from where they are standing. From the older sibling’s angle, it feels like the same history got interpreted differently. Struggles at the top of the ladder turned into proof of strength. Struggles at the bottom turned into proof that she must never be allowed to fall.