Colin and I were getting married soon, and his sister Meredith was supposed to fly in for the event. We had never met before since she lived so far away, but Colin always spoke about her.

He described her as fun, strong-willed, and someone he shared a deep connection with. I felt like I knew her through his stories and was eager to finally meet her in person.

I wanted to make a good impression, especially because Colin and I were about to start our life together, and his family was important to him.

As I walked home from work that evening, I knew Colin had already picked her up from the airport.

I imagined how the meeting would go, hoping it would be friendly and warm. When I stepped inside our house, the sound of laughter filled the air. Curious, I followed the noise to the living room.

There, I saw Colin and Meredith on the couch, and he was tickling her. My eyebrows lifted in surprise. It seemed playful, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly confused.

Was this normal for siblings? I didn’t know, because I grew up as an only child, but something about it felt… strange.

“Hey,” I said, trying to get their attention. They didn’t hear me. I stepped closer and said it louder. “Hey!” Still no response. My patience was wearing thin. “Colin!” I shouted, finally fed up with being ignored.

“Jeez, no need to shout. We’re not deaf,” Meredith said, glancing at me.

Colin finally noticed me. “Alexis! Honey, I didn’t hear you come in.” He got up from the couch and hugged me.

“You two seemed pretty busy,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“This is just a game we’ve played since we were kids,” Colin said, smiling.

“Yeah, he’s always tickling me,” Meredith added with a grin.

I forced a smile. “Meredith, I’m really happy to finally meet you!” I moved in for a hug, hoping it would ease the tension. “Colin has told me so much about you.”

Meredith stood up and hugged me back, but her response felt cold. “Well, he hasn’t told me much about you.”

“That’s not true,” Colin jumped in. “I’ve told you lots about Alexis.”

Meredith shrugged. “Maybe I forgot. Why didn’t you come to the airport with Colin?”

I shifted a bit. “I was at work. I couldn’t make it.”

“Yeah, he said that, but it’s not every day your future sister-in-law visits. You could’ve taken some time off,” she said, her tone sharp.

“If I could have, I would’ve been there,” I replied, trying to stay calm.

Meredith smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. I couldn’t figure out why she seemed so unfriendly when we had just met.

During dinner, Colin and Meredith didn’t stop talking about their childhood. It was like I wasn’t even there. They laughed and shared inside jokes, and every time I tried to add something, they moved on without noticing.

Meredith kept touching Colin’s arm, running her fingers over it, and I wasn’t sure if this was normal for siblings. It made me feel uncomfortable.

After dinner, Colin got up to help me clear the table. At least that was something normal.

“Wow, your future wife can’t even clean up the dishes herself,” Meredith said, looking directly at me as if I weren’t standing right there.

Colin didn’t seem to notice the edge in her voice. “It’s fine, I don’t mind helping,” he replied, stacking plates casually.

Meredith raised an eyebrow and smirked. “I see. Well, I wouldn’t let my fiancé do women’s work, but it’s your life.” She pushed away from the counter and smiled at Colin. “Anyway, I’ll be waiting for you in the bedroom. We’ll have a movie marathon tonight, just like the old days. Remember?”

I stared after her, trying to process what had just happened. When she was gone, I turned to Colin, feeling the irritation bubbling up. “What was that all about?”

Colin sighed, avoiding eye contact. “Uh… I guess I forgot to tell you. I’m sleeping with Meredith tonight. We always used to do that when we lived with our parents. It’s kind of a tradition.”

I blinked, not sure I had heard him right. “You’re what? And where exactly am I supposed to sleep?”

He looked at me, still calm, like this wasn’t strange at all. “You can sleep in the guest room.”

I frowned. “Meredith is the guest. Why doesn’t she sleep in the guest room?”

“Alexis, come on. It’s just one night. We haven’t seen each other in so long.”

I felt my anger rising but didn’t want to cause a scene. With a heavy sigh, I muttered, “Fine, but only for one night.”

Colin smiled and kissed me quickly. “Thanks, you’re the best.”

I didn’t feel like the best. I felt like I was losing.

The next morning, I woke up in the guest room, feeling exhausted. I had hardly slept because Colin and Meredith had been laughing and talking all night.

Their voices drifted through the walls, making it impossible for me to rest. I sighed, dragging myself out of bed and into the kitchen.

I decided to make pancakes—Colin’s favorite. After a while, Meredith walked into the kitchen, her expression unreadable.

“What are you doing?” Meredith asked, stepping closer to the stove, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the pancakes.

“Making pancakes with chocolate chips—Colin’s favorite,” I replied, flipping one over in the pan. The sizzle was the only sound in the room for a moment.

Meredith frowned. “Colin likes pancakes with bacon. Always has.”

I glanced at her, feeling a bit thrown off. “No, he likes them with chocolate chips. I’ve been making them for him for a long time now.”

Meredith folded her arms. “I think I know what my brother likes. We grew up together, you know.”

“Maybe he liked them with bacon when you two were younger,” I said, trying to stay calm, “but now—”

Before I could finish, Meredith cut me off. “Colin!” she shouted, her voice loud and sharp.

Colin appeared in the doorway, faster than I’d ever seen him move. “What’s going on?” he asked, looking between us.

Meredith gave me a sideways glance. “What kind of pancakes do you like better—chocolate chip or bacon?” She stressed the word “bacon” as if it was a challenge.

Colin hesitated, glancing at me. “Uh… bacon, I guess.”

My heart sank. “What? You always ask me for chocolate chip pancakes,” I said, confused and hurt.

“They’re not the same,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Not the same?” I repeated, trying to understand.

“Not the same as Meredith’s,” he said, avoiding my gaze.

Meredith smirked. “Told you,” she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

I put down the spatula. “Fine. Let Meredith make your breakfast.” I turned and walked out, feeling my chest tighten.

Behind me, Meredith called out, “Gladly! Seems like your future wife can’t handle a simple breakfast.”

I went into the bedroom and sat down on the bed, trying to calm myself. After a few minutes, Colin walked in.

“Come to apologize?” I asked, hoping for some kind of resolution.

“No, I wanted to talk,” Colin said, his voice serious. “Meredith wants to be the maid of honor.”

I stared at him. “What? I already have a maid of honor—my best friend. The wedding is in a week. I’m not changing it.”

“Yeah, but Meredith is my sister.”