The Spare Who Spared Herself

Synopsis

I was my parents' second child. My sister, Dorothy Shields, was born after a traumatic delivery. A medical accident left her permanently disabled from the waist down. My parents carried that guilt for years, and in the end, they decided to have another child. That was how I came into existence. She was love made flesh, while I was guilt given a name. As soon as I was strong enough to push a wheelchair, caring for Dorothy became my job. Wherever she wanted to go became the limit of my world. She couldn't stand, so I was never allowed to dance. She was self-conscious about her withered limbs, so I was never allowed to wear a skirt. My mom said, "If it weren't for your sister, you wouldn't even exist. You should be grateful to her for the rest of your life. "You were born to take care of her." How ironic. Being born whole became my sin.