blood and faith in two different places.

"you want to know the truth? i don't trust her."

"oh no, you can't say that about your family!"

"i'm telling you, i don't trust her. i mean, i can trust her with the important things, like secrets and feelings. but money? no. make her do errands? no. i can't trust her to do anything i want her to do, and that bothers me."

"but that's how a lot of people are."

"i know. most other people act that way, i don't care. they can do whatever. they can do whatever they want to as long as it doesn't encroach on me. but she's family. because she's family, i hold her to my own moral standards. is that too much to expect? i know i'm not morally perfect, and whatever flaws i have, i cannot hold against her. but you know what she doesn't do that i do? she doesn't keep her word. she's not outright dishonest exactly, but when you lend her money, you have to badger her about it. otherwise, she money never makes its way back to you. and every time she goes out with her girlfriends, she tells you she'll be back at a certain time and always comes home late saying 'oh, i figured i only had to have left by then,' even though she definitely knew you told her you needed her home by that time. they're just little things like that, nothing huge, but all the same, they reflect her lack of integrity. and i don't know if it's naïve of me or what, but i do hold to my word. when i say i'll do something, i'll do it, and it really bothers me when other people don't do the same. i'm not talking about the empty polite offers people make all the time to be social, like 'oh, i'll call you later,' because both parties know it's not going to happen. i'm talking about actual promises where you're counting on the other person to really follow through. and if someone can't do that, i can't be close to that person. i won't stop relations or anything drastic, but i won't like them as much."

"but you can't just shut all these people out just because they don't do what you want them to do."

"i know, business is business. i realize that. but her? i'm just saying, i don't care that she's family; if she ever comes running to me because her lack of integrity gets her into any trouble, i am not going to give her any financial favors. moral support, sure. we can talk it out, discuss ideas. but i can't trust her with any real affairs."

"are you really sure about that?"

"i told you, if she doesn't have integrity, i can't trust her."

"you have no heart."

"you're right, maybe i don't."