Being the family fixer sounds absolutely exhausting, the one expected to patch up every blunder, absorb every meltdown, and never ask for anything in return. For this middle child, that means watching her younger sister skate by with a lifetime of second chances, while she gets saddled with guilt trips and lectures for the smallest misstep. 

After years of being the emotional mop for her sister’s endless crises, from messy divorces to financial disasters and, most recently, a totaled car with no insurance, she finally reached her limit. Her mother, as usual, called in tears, hoping for comfort and advice, but when she dared to suggest a little realism, like not co-signing for another car, she was met with cold silence and a reminder that she would never understand unconditional love.