The way Magnolia gets to learn about Iris’s fears and faults through the trauma of her leaving is so impactful.

This passage felt so familiar and true, and also broke my heart for them a little bit.

“I never spared a thought for how strong Iris has had to be her whole life. As far back as I can remember our parents always said I was the ‘good one’ and Iris was the ‘problem child,’ and I’m only now realizing that maybe there was a good reason she choose to rebel. Maybe she saw at an early age that our parents didn’t love her the way they should. That they only saw us as commodities. And so she had to grow a thick skin to protect herself from the world.

And I don’t even know how she must have felt watching me acquiesce to their teachings. Molding myself into what they wanted me to be. No wonder she was so tough on me. Always poking and prodding at me. Trying to get a rise out of me. Trying to get me to rise up and stand up to them.

Iris is so strong. I don’t know how she does it.”

Love the sister relationship here.