Bending my knees and, using the wall for leverage, I shoved us upwards. It wasn't a clean stand, but it was a start. A couple more stumbling shimmies against the wall got me up on my feet, holding my sister in place at my waist. Madison wrapped her arms around my neck. Closed her legs against my back.

This was difficult for sure, but it wasn't as bad as I'd anticipated. All that exercise I'd been doing was paying off. Plus, like I said, my sister was tiny. And she was both quite flexible and particularly strong. Competed at the state level, remember? Madison was holding herself up as much...