A forgotten thank-you.
An assumed favor.
A decision made with my time before anyone bothered asking me.
A family photo where the person doing the work was conveniently behind the camera.
Two weeks later, Mom called while I was working on a major website project for a client in Austin.
The deadline was right after Christmas.
I had every day mapped out.
“Jason and Stephanie are exhausted,” she said.
“Yeah. Three kids will do that.”
“They need time together.”
“Probably.”
“I thought it would be nice if they went away to a cabin for a few days.”
“That sounds nice.”
Then I stopped typing.
Because I knew what was coming.
“You can take the kids from the twenty-third through the twenty-sixth.”
Not Could you?
Not Would you mind?
“You can.”
“No.”
There was a pause.
Then Mom laughed.
“Riley.”
“I’m working.”
“You work from home.”
“Yes. Notice the second word.”
“They won’t bother you.”
I looked around my one-bedroom apartment.
“There are three children.”
“Emma is practically independent.”
“She’s six.”
“Oliver can use his tablet.”
“He’s four.”
“And Sky mostly sleeps.”
“Sky is nine months old.”
“She naps.”
“So do house cats, Mom. That doesn’t make them self-supervising.”
Her voice tightened.
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“I have a deadline.”
“Family matters too.”
“My clients pay my mortgage.”
“You rent.”
“My rent, then. Congratulations on the technicality.”
Then she started listing reasons.
Jason had been working long hours.
Stephanie hadn’t slept properly in months.
Childcare over Christmas was expensive.
A few days alone could be good for their marriage.
All of those things could be true without making me the solution.
“No,” I said again.
This time I said it slowly.
“I am not babysitting the kids over Christmas.”
Mom sighed like I was being difficult for sport.
“Fine.”
I should have known that “fine” did not mean fine.
Nine days later, we had a family dinner at my parents’ house.
Jason and Stephanie were there with the kids. My aunt was there. Two cousins had stopped by.
I was in the kitchen pouring myself sparkling water when Mom clinked her fork against her glass.
“I’m just so happy Jason and Stephanie are getting a few days away after Christmas,” she announced.
Stephanie smiled.
Jason raised his beer.
Then Mom looked at me.
“And thank goodness Riley volunteered to keep the kids.”
I froze.
Everyone turned toward me.
“I didn’t volunteer.”
Mom’s smile stayed in place.
“Riley.”
“I told you no.”
Aunt Carol looked between us.
Mom gave a little laugh.
“She’s joking.”
“I’m not.”
Stephanie’s smile disappeared.
Jason frowned.
“Wait. What?”