"Twin" sisters

My mother was a natural tailor, knitter, decorator, chef, etc. In other words, she was a "well-rounded" housewife and mother.

When my sister and I were little, my mother, to save money, often sewed our dresses. Originally, she made us identical outfits. However, a while later, due to my dad's dislike of the outfits looking like "uniforms", my mother started making the attire in different designs, but from the same materials.

My sister and I often acted like rivals. With petty jealousy, we frequently complained to mother on each other's dress, pointing out that this looked better than the other.

Taking advantage of my deafness, my mother whispered to my sister, complimenting her on certain designs on her outfit, and then she mouthed to me, without using her voice, complimenting me on my outfit.

Her strategy worked. My sister and I walked away proudly with our "unique" designed attire.

But, it eventually backfired. I asked my mother the reason.

She replied, "Your sister learned to lipread me."