Peeling the layer of an onion

Day two/last day in Santa Cruz
I'm here to visit my sister but the "real" (whatever that is) purpose is to, not in a spy-way, investigate an "issue" that I've been dealing with for a while now.
Every family has issues/dramas and if it's not dealt with....then things become artificial.

What do I mean by that? Things like: avoiding each other, pretending to be happy, so on and so forth..
Anyways, since I am pretty close to my sister, I was able to bring myself the courage to "open up."
Thankfully, I didn't get out hand and start bawling like a baby..I handled it very maturely (at least I think i did).

After having some-what long conversation with sis and bro-in law about the "issue" I feel as if we've, metaphorically speaking, peeled our way to the next level of sister to sister relationship. This is in a good way, of course. As we slowly get to know each other more, we peel away the pungent and strong smell and make our way toward the core.

I've gained knowledge about my sister's past. I am, in a sad way, satisfied.