Their unusual circumstances have created a perfect storm, an ideal mix that most people don't get to experience. They describe levels of intimacy and exploration, of freedom and kink, of sacredness and naturalness. Tantric and bondage are mentioned. To them, it's more than romance: Their relationship covers all the forms of love the ancient Greeks espoused — friendship, sex, siblinghood, and self-sacrifice. Life has its ups and downs, times of sadness and times of joy. You, little sister, have been through it all with me, thanks for being there.”—Catherine Pulsifer

The latest twist in this is that my sister-in-law and her husband are moving here and will live about 10 miles away. My wife knows how I feel, but she is excited and plans to spend a lot of time with her sister. This continues to bother me, and I have much less enthusiasm and interest in my marriage. But the love of sisters needs no words. It does not depend on memories, or mementos, or proof. It runs as deep as a heartbeat. It is as ever present as a pulse.”—Lisa WingateThat’s the best thing about little sisters: They spend so much time wishing they were elder sisters that in the end they’re far wiser than the elder ones could ever be.”—Gemma Burgess Sisters are best friends, they are advisors, they are teachers, and best of all they are people with whom you can talk with about anything—someone you have a special bond with!”—Catherine Pulsifer My sister and Michelle have recently asked two of their friends to join us in our discussions. I've also shared my project with the parents of these girls. These parents are beginning to realize that abstinence-based sex education is more beneficial than the model now used at their daughters' high school. Until then, they will keep sharing their Saturday nights and balancing the challenging dynamics of a relationship under-cover. It's well worth it to them.

Especially when sexual assault occurs in a family, other members of the family will often seek to minimize it by saying that you’re exaggerating or misinterpreting, or by blaming you for being “too sensitive.” Sometimes people will even suggest that you had a role in inviting the sexual behavior. Sister. You are not only a strong woman, you are the strongest tie to the best years of my life.”—Melanie J. Pellowski They drove together to a nearby bar, and on the way, Brian grabbed Melissa's hand and found himself telling her everything. "He starts divulging these deep dark secrets. Things he's never told anyone," she says. "I'm doing the same. We're talking nonstop, insane and enthralled." I gave real-life examples of teens who became pregnant or who contracted STDs even with the use of condoms; one of those persons was a close friend of mine. Am I overreacting? I think that my sister-in-law’s actions were rude, disrespectful, indecent, and calculated to cause trouble. What she did is also considered assault in the state where I live.I’m the big sister. I want to make sure she has everything, even if I don’t have anything. It’s hard. I love her too much. That’s what counts.”—Venus Williams She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling even in the dark.”—Barbara Alpert Until she was 40, Melissa* thought she was an only child. For the first decade of her life, she grew up happily in a suburban, upper-middle class area of the Great Lakes. Then, her father committed suicide, and soon after, she says, her mother's mental health began to decline. Don’t talk about my sister; don’t play with me about my sister. If you do, you’ll see another side of me.”—Beyoncé On top of this, some people don’t believe that women commit sexual assault, especially against men. If your wife holds that belief, then your sister-in-law’s reputation for being “flirtatious” might be informing your wife’s perception that what her sister did was inappropriate but harmless. Imagine that you had a brother who made your wife uncomfortable with his inappropriate comments and intrusive touching and then one day grabbed and forcibly kissed her, leaving her feeling angry and violated. My guess is that if your response was a dismissive “Well … that’s my brother,” your wife would feel as you do now—angry, alone, resentful, and betrayed.