Two or Three Things I Know for Sure

Allison includes a photograph of Anne and herself as two girls embracing each other. When Allison was 34, the two finally had a frank conversation about how they hurt each other and their assumptions about each other. As a girl, Allison resented the attention Anne got because of her beauty, and Anne resented that Allison was their mother’s favorite. As girls, they taunted each other, Anne ridiculing Allison’s obsession with books and lack of conventional beauty. Allison was jealous of her, and Anne now says that Allison made her feel stupid.

Now, Allison sees the cost of Anne’s beauty. She was assumed to be sexually available by all, was pregnant by 18, and was abandoned shortly thereafter. People called her “‘ruined’” due to the scandal. Anne admits that she knew their stepfather was abusing Allison; he abused her too, and—she guiltily confesses—she felt some relief when their stepfather turned his abuse on Allison and away from her. After sharing these painful truths, the two cried and embraced. Allison notes that the difficulty of Anne’s life since then showed in her weathered face.

When Anne’s daughter interrupted them, Anne and Allison assured that her nothing was wrong, and Allison went further by telling the defiant girl that she was pretty.