Relief washed over me, warm and unexpected. “That sounds fair.”
She let out a small laugh, a little awkward, a little familiar. “And, you know… maybe sometimes you’ll just do it because you love them?”
She laughed again, and for the first time in weeks, it wasn’t forced or bitter. It was real.
It wasn’t perfect. It wouldn’t fix everything overnight. But it was something. A new beginning built on mutual respect instead of unspoken expectations.
And for the first time, I wasn’t just the reliable babysitter—I was a person whose time mattered, too.
