My sister and I are 10 years apart and used to hate each other. Our dynamic has totally changed over the years.

The author and her sister have gotten much closer over the years.

Courtesy of Hayley Folk For a while, I thought I'd be an only child, and I was fine with that.

Then, when I was 10, my parents told me I'd soon be a big sister.

My sister and I didn't get along when we were young, but our dynamic has changed over the years.

When I think of my childhood, I often think of one thing: being an only child .

I see myself as a blonde, curly-haired toddler who played alone with her toys.

A girl who seemingly got all the attention from her parents and her family, and never, ever had to share.

I never thought I'd have siblings — especially because my parents weren't even together (yes, it's complicated) and I was already 10 — until one day, when I was sat down to be told, "Hayley, you're going to be a big sister." The only problem? My little sister Hanna and I came to hate each other.

Our age gap caused friction and made it hard to relate No, I'm not being dramatic.

She'd agree we did, too.

I'm not sure whether our mutual hatred stemmed from our 10-year age gap, the loss of my 'only child' status, or the fact that we'd often antagonize each other for no reason, as children often do, but I'd argue it was a combination of all of the above.

Although research shows that large age gaps of 4+ years between siblings are becoming more common than ever, nearly 20 years ago, it wasn't quite the same.

It's fair to say that we both felt out of place, freakish for not relating to each other, and lost in our own stages of life.

Me: going through early stages of awkward puberty, braces, unsure if I liked boys and girls, and braving middle school.