I Finally Said No to Free Babysitting, and My Sister Lost It, but Then Mom Made It Worse – Story of the Day

Me: “Hey, Lauren. I love the kids, but I need to set some boundaries. If you need babysitting, I’d like to be compensated. I hope you understand.”

I stared at the message, my heart thudding. Then, before I could second-guess myself, I hit send.

Three dots appeared almost immediately. Then her reply.

Lauren: “Are you serious? They’re family. It’s just a favor. I thought you loved spending time with them.”

I swallowed hard. I did love them. I loved the way Bella always reached for my hand when we crossed the street and the way Jake’s face lit up when I helped him with his science homework.

I loved the giggles, the hugs, and how they trusted me without hesitation.

But love didn’t pay my rent. Love didn’t give me back the Saturday mornings I lost to exhaustion.

Love didn’t mean I had to keep sacrificing myself whenever Lauren snapped her fingers.

I rubbed my temple, already feeling the headache forming. I knew exactly what was coming next.

The guilt trip. The lectures about how family helps family. How I was being selfish and unreasonable.

And the worst part? A tiny part of me still felt guilty anyway.

I arrived at my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, bracing myself. The air inside was thick and heavy with something unsaid.

The clatter of pots and pans came from the kitchen, but there was no usual warmth, no cheerful greeting from Mom.

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