Authors Interviewing Characters: Wendy Haller

Regret No More: A Flannigan Girls Story

One mother. One daughter. A lifetime of things left unsaid.

Becca Flannigan believed distance was the only way to survive her complicated relationship with her mother. But when Justine asks her to come home during her radiation treatments for breast cancer—and swear her to secrecy from her sisters—Becca is pulled back into the role of the eldest daughter.

Regret No More is a moving story of forgiveness, generational healing, and the complicated love between mothers and daughters.

Inside Becca Flannigan’s Story: The Weight of Being the Eldest Daughter

A conversation about family, independence, caregiving, and the complicated weight of being the eldest daughter.

Wendy: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. I know how busy your schedule is.

Becca: It’s my pleasure.

Wendy: While preparing for this interview and learning more about you, it seems to me that being the eldest daughter really defined you. What was it like growing up in that role?

Becca: A lot of expectations were put on my shoulders. When I was younger, I loved being Mommy’s little helper. As I got older, especially in my teen years, I felt more like the third parent in our house than a child. Don’t get me wrong, I love my sisters. They are my best friends, but their day-to-day care fell mostly on me.

Wendy: Is that why you chose to move to Boston for college instead of staying closer to home?

Becca: I had to get away from my parents—from the responsibilities and expectations that had been put on me as the oldest. I needed to go away to find out who I was outside of my family. I needed to find a life of my own.

Wendy: Did you come home often for visits?

Becca: I intended to, but I didn’t come home as much as I probably should have. Mostly for holidays or family events.

Wendy: What about your sisters? Were you able to maintain your close relationship with them?

Becca: To some extent, but I know I could have done better. I do regret that I wasn’t there for them the way I once was.

Wendy: Do you think that was because you needed to make a clean break from everything?

Becca: Maybe. Probably. When you go off on your own and start creating a separate life for yourself, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day of your new world. Time slips by.

The distance with my sisters wasn’t intentional. I know Laney understands, but it was harder for Claire because she was the youngest. Laney and I moved out to find our way in the world, while Claire was left at home with our parents, who struggled to show affection.

It was the three of us for so long. I’m sure it was hard for her.

We have a motto: the Flannigan girls stick together. But life, distance, and time happened as we got older.

Wendy: Do you hold resentment toward your parents?

Becca: I did at one time. I wish they had done things differently, behaved differently. My father is a workaholic, and my mother struggles to show affection.

As an adult, I have a better understanding of them. They are flawed people, but aren’t we all in one way or another?

Wendy: Were you able to forgive your parents?

Becca: That’s a difficult question. I would say I can forgive them because I need to for my own peace of mind, but I have struggled with excusing their behavior.

Wendy: When your mother asked you to come home during her cancer treatment, what went through your head?

Becca: Fear. Anxiety.

I was finally living a life separate from my family. I was finding my way in the world. I was afraid I would get sucked back in. I worried about losing what I had worked so hard to build for myself—my independence.

Wendy: But in the end, you moved home.

Becca: Yes. How could I say no? My mother had breast cancer.

Wendy: You took on a caregiver role at a young age. What was it like stepping back into those shoes—not for your sisters this time, but for your mother?

Becca: It was challenging. My mother doesn’t like to be vulnerable or show weakness.

But I’m a natural caregiver. It’s who I am. For me, it was about finding a way to care for her through treatment that met her where she was.

Some days it was a tug-of-war, and other days it was baby steps.

Wendy: How is she doing now?

Becca: She’s good. Her margins have remained clear, and she seems happier in a way she wasn’t before. I’d say she’s cautiously happy—and grateful.

She lost her friend, Eve, to cancer during her own treatment. That loss really impacted her. In a way, I think losing Eve helped us come to a better understanding of each other.

Wendy: It sounds like you both have gone through a healing journey.

Becca: I would say so. She’s still her. I’m still me. And we can now walk side by side, moving forward together.

Wendy: Beautifully said. Thank you, Becca, for sharing your story with us.

Becca: Thank you.

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Wendy Haller is the author of heartfelt women’s fiction exploring love, family, resilience, and the journey of becoming who we’re meant to be. A former special education preschool teacher, she now writes emotionally rich stories featuring relatable characters and the transformative power of human connection. She lives in Connecticut.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews