64. Sisters
Sisters
I had always been mistrustful of sisters.
Perhaps it was because of my own.
I had only ever known sisters
to be constantly cruel to one another.
I had witnessed so many nymphs
treat each other kindly only to turn on one
another when it came to receiving attention.
I had forgotten that my sisters, like I, had to survive.
When Asteria first brought Leto to the cave,
I had felt an uncomfortable well of mistrust
within my belly when I saw her.
I know now that this was both fear and jealousy.
I waited for her to betray Asteria the way
my sisters betrayed one another.
But when I watched them together,
I noticed it. Asteria and Leto
were all they each had. And they did not
see each other as competition.
Instead they saw each other as soulmates.
Instead they saw each other as friends.
I did not have this with any of my sisters.
Perhaps I could have had this with Metis.
But she only knew me as cousin.
Nothing felt lonelier.