The Good Sister

Police hold off Rose and escort Fern and Willow to the hospital. They take Willow to the pediatric wing while Fern is examined in the psych ward. A psychiatrist and a police detective called Brookes visit her, probably because she is being charged with kidnapping. Detective Brookes asks Fern about her bracelet and her relationship with Rose. Fern gets annoyed with the questions and keeps insisting she hasn’t kidnapped Willow, only changed her mind about the adoption. Detective Brookes seems surprised and tells Fern she is here in connection with Nina’s death, not the adoption. Since the cause of Nina’s death is unclear, police need to investigate it. In response to the detective’s questions, Fern replies that Rose didn’t have a relationship with Nina. She only visited her once in 10 years. Rose and Fern differ in appearance because they are fraternal twins. Rose is a diabetic while Fern has sensory processing issues. Their mother had matching bracelets made and engraved them with their names and a fern and a rose, respectively. Nina had recently told her not to give her baby to Rose.

Owen visits Fern. Rose called him so he could help her; she told him about Fern being in the psych ward. Fern’s conversation with Owen reveals that he hasn’t been in London the past year but in Brunswick, a suburb on the other side of Melbourne. Rose has been lying to Fern throughout. Owen left the marriage because he could not deal with Rose’s moods. He came to the library a couple of times to catch up with Fern but didn’t find her. Fern realizes Owen was her mystery visitor. Fern can’t understand Rose’s lies. Owen tells her Rose always needs to control the narrative and fit it to her version of reality. He believes she is a narcissist, a person consumed with their own needs. Rose is not well, and Fern should not give her the baby.

Detective Brookes returns to see Fern. She assures Fern she cannot be arrested for kidnapping Willow, as Willow is her own child. Fern doesn’t understand why the police would come to the library if they didn’t believe she had kidnapped Willow. Detective Brookes tells her Rose may have reported the baby being taken from the hospital without medical clearance. This would have prompted a welfare check from the police and social workers. Because Fern was having a panic attack at the library, the police brought her in for a psych evaluation.

The police suspect Rose may have murdered Nina. Nina’s autopsy revealed puncture marks on her scalp. As a diabetic, Rose had access to insulin, with which she probably injected Nina. Police have also found a bracelet similar to Fern’s in Nina’s room, indicating a struggle. Fern tells Detective Brookes she doesn’t believe Rose is a murderer, yet she realizes Rose has done many dangerous things, such as lie to Wally and try to take away Fern’s baby.

Rose will be arrested and charged with murder. Wally comes into Fern’s room, having been rung up by Carmel. Fern tells Wally Willow is his daughter too. She didn’t tell Wally before, as Wally had said he didn’t want to have children. Wally replies while this is theoretically true, his answer would have been different if Fern had told him she wanted a child. Fern feels a huge sense of relief. The nurse brings in Willow and places him in Wally’s arms. Wally cuddles the baby.

Fern tells Wally that he is her person after all. Wally gently tells her she actually has many persons who love and support her: Carmel, Gayle, and her other library colleagues, even Owen. Fern takes a moment to digest the fact that she matters to so many people. She feels unsuitable to care for the baby, partly because of Billy’s death and partly because of her sensory issues. She can’t do regular mother things like birthday party drop-offs and pick-ups. Wally says he will do all these things instead of Fern. He has sold FollowUp for a lot of money. He can stay home and take care of Willow while Fern goes to the library or does whatever else she wants.

Fern confesses to Wally that she first asked him out so she could have a baby for Rose. Wally thinks Rose manipulated Fern into wanting to have a baby for her since she knows Fern’s psyche. She must have deliberately left the pills for Fern to find. Fern does not believe Wally’s theory.

Fern and Wally bring Willow home from the hospital, stopping en route to pick up Alfie from Rose’s place. They soon fall into a hectic routine caring for Willow and Alfie. Rose is in judicial custody, waiting for her trial. Fern often thinks of Rose, and Nina. Detective Brookes asks Fern to visit her at the police station. At the station, she shows Fern Rose’s diary, which Rose gave to the police. Fern is squeamish about reading someone else’s private journal, but Detective Brookes says Rose wanted it read. Fern goes through the diary. It contains many incidents from their childhood, but manipulated. For instance, Fern remembers she had written on the coffee table, but Nina hadn’t been angry; she had laughed at the confusion. Rose had grown angry because she felt Nina would have punished her had she done the same thing. Rose had broken all of Fern’s toys in anger. All the times about Nina leaving the house Fern remembers as Rose walking out in anger.

Fern tells Detective Brookes the entries about Billy are manipulated. She never meant to deliberately drown Billy. Detective Brookes tells Fern she believes her. The police think Rose wrote the diary possibly as groundwork to paint herself as a sympathetic character. She wanted to present Fern as dangerous and unstable so Fern would be the prime suspect in Nina’s murder. It would also help her secure custody of Fern’s baby. Fern’s heart hurts that Rose would maintain such a diary for months to frame her.

Wally and Fern discuss the diary at home. Fern says the events in the diary contain facts, but Rose assigned the facts to different people. Wally calls Rose’s writing “lies” (297), but Fern recalls Rose experienced things differently from her. Her versions of events were always more dramatic than hers. Perhaps Rose believes these versions are true. The one thing from the diary Fern and Rose experience similarly is Gary’s inappropriate touching. He tried to harass Fern too but stopped after Fern kicked him in the groin. Fern feels bad that she couldn’t protect Rose from Gary.

Wally turns to the Billy incident. Fern realizes that it was Rose who was keeping time when Billy was underwater. Rose had indicated when Fern should hold Billy underwater and when to let him go. Fern didn’t actually kill Billy; Rose had manipulated her. Fern cries tears of relief that she is not a dangerous person and can be trusted with the baby.

Fern is soon to begin work at the library again, conducting sensory storytelling sessions with dim lights and low sounds. Wally will bring in Willow often to visit Fern. Fern remembers how Nina used to say library visits were the best education for a child. She feels Willow will be very well-educated. Fern hasn’t met Rose, though she has “felt the pull” (300) to let Rose see the baby. Fern is in therapy, and her therapist has asked her to describe how her relationship with Rose has served her. Fern doesn’t have the answer yet. Till she finds the answer, she decides to keep away from Rose.

Rose writes in her new journal, given to her by the prison psychologist. She notes that despite the more flexible rules of remand (custody), she has not gotten a single visitor. “Not Owen. Not even Fern” (301). The journal is her only friend. Rose believes Billy got what he deserved for kissing Fern after flirting with her. He was another Gary, wanting to exploit Fern because she was vulnerable. Fern was too foolish to see through Billy. Rose had kept time for Fern, ensuring she held Billy down till he died. Nina covered up the incident to save Fern, as Fern had told her it was all her fault. When Nina began to pester Rose for the truth, Rose searched the internet to find out how to administer insulin to the hairline. She injected Nina, causing her to go into a coma. Nina’s newfound speech bothered Rose, so this time she ensured the insulin killed her.

Rose has spent a lifetime making Fern dependent on her. She would tell Fern she forgot things, such as feeding Alfie. The truth was Rose had never asked to care for Alfie. Fern’s dependence on Rose made her “a great sister” (303), but Fern had ultimately turned against Rose, like Nina and Owen.

Rose reads her new journal entry and tears it up. She knows this is what the psychologist hoped she would write, so the case against her would be stronger. She is not a fool. She does not plan for Fern’s baby to be raised by “a couple of imbeciles” (304). She will write new entries about Fern’s interest in her insulin dosage and how she and Nina haven’t been getting along recently. Once the journal is in circulation, people will begin doubting Fern’s testimony. Fern may be the librarian, but Rose is “the one who can spin a tale” (305).