My daughter convinced me to go on vacation to the seaside: “All inclusive, Mom, you won’t have to do a thing.” I paid for the tickets myself. Upon arrival, I discovered I’d be staying with my grandchildren, while she and my son-in-law would be in a different building.

Anna was afraid that one day David would pack his bags and leave.

 

This trip was her idea, a last, desperate attempt to save their relationship. She hoped that during a week at the seaside, they would remember why they had chosen to be together in the first place.

 

However, organizing such a vacation on their own proved difficult for them, so Anna decided to turn to me.

 

Or rather, not relying on me, but rather on developing a plan in which my effort and time were already allocated in advance.

 

“Why didn’t you just ask me?” I asked quietly.

 

Anna raised her tearful eyes.

 

“Because I was afraid you’d say no. Remember when I asked you to babysit the weekend after Dad’s funeral? You said you’d raised your own children and weren’t going to babysit other people’s.”