"All the effort in the world is useless if my body betrays me." She turned her fingers back to the blanket, just so she could have something to dig her nails into. ""It's... I can't afford to ever get sick, because..." She clenched her jaw and forced the words out. "Because I was premature and I'm predisposed to contracting some of Mama's illnesses and infirmities."

She coughed once, hard. "So don't make promises that I could begrudge you for someday."