How could you leave my son hungry?
Whats for lunch today?
Emily flinched and spun around. In the doorway stood a familiar figureAlex, her husbands twelve-year-old nephew. The boy stared at her with a mix of expectation and pleading, a look she had grown accustomed to over the past month. The same question, every single day.
Emily set aside the jumper she had been foldingJamess, her husbands.
“Come on, lets see what we have,” she said, forcing her rising irritation down.
Alex trotted obediently after her into the kitchen. Emily opened the fridge and exhaled sharply. As usual, her sister-in-law, Charlotte, had left nothing for her own son. Emily pulled out a container of soup shed made the night before for herself and James, heated it in the microwave, and set the bowl in front of Alex. She added a scoop of mashed potatoes and a leftover roast from the previous nights dinner.
“Thanks, Aunt Em,” Alex murmured without looking up.
As the boy ate, Emily returned to the bedroom, resuming her folding, though her mind was far from laundry. How had she ended up like this? Two months ago, her life had been entirely different…
She remembered the evening that changed everything. James had come home grim-faced, sat beside her on the sofa, and taken her hands.
“Em, Ive got a favour to ask,” he began carefully. “Charlotte and Petertheyve been kicked out of their flat. Landlord kept the deposit. Theyre in a rough spot right now, and our place has plenty of room…”
“My place has plenty of room,” Emily cut in sharply. “James, I didnt marry into a commune. Yes, the house is big, but that doesnt mean theres space for them.”
“I know, love. But theyre family. Charlottes my sister, Alex is my nephew. Just a couple of months, till they find somewhere. Give them time to save up a bit.”
His voice was soft, persuasive. He spoke of how hard it had been for Charlotte, how the boy needed stability before school started.
“You know I work from home,” Emily protested. “I need quiet. Focus.”
“Em, come on. Charlottes quiet, keeps to herself. Alex is a good kid, hardly makes a sound. And Peters always at work anyway. Its temporary.”
She had relented, seeing the plea in his eyes. How could she refuse?
Now, folding another pile of shirts, Emily knew she only had herself to blame for not standing her ground. The first week had been fine. Charlotte helped with cooking, cleaning. Peter stayed out of the way. Alex did his homework without complaint.
Then Charlottes leave ended, and she went back to work. That was when everything changed.
From then on, Charlotte cooked only once a daydinnerand only enough for her own family. She didnt care that her son went without a proper meal at midday. And so, every day after school, Alex came to Emily with the same question:
“Whats for lunch today?”
The words made Emily clench her fists. She wanted to scream, to force a reckoning, to make them see how unfair this was. But the boy wasnt the one at fault.
That evening, she tried again with James, waiting until he settled in with a book before sitting beside him.
“James, we need to talk,” she said firmly. “This isnt normal. Charlotte only cooks dinner. Alex comes home hungry, and Im expected to feed him.”
James set the book aside, frowning.
“Whats the problem? Youre home. Its not hard to feed him.”
“I work from home, yes. Its not about effort. But my salary doesnt stretch to feeding someone elses child every day. And more importantlyhes not my son! His parents should be looking after him. This is about principle!”
James frowned, clearly not understanding her frustration.
“Em, were family. Charlotte and Peter are busy. Youre here. Whats the big deal?”
“Thats not help, James! Its disrespect. Charlottes dumped her responsibility on me.”
“Youre overreacting.”
Emily realised thenhe didnt see the problem. To him, it was natural for her to take on extra burdens for his family.
She didnt know how to fix it. Throwing them out wasnt an optionthey had nowhere else to go. But living like this was becoming unbearable.
Then, a small miracle. Over coffee, her old university friend Sophie made an offer:
“Em, come stay at my cottage for a couple of weeks. Peace, quiet, great Wi-Fi. Escape the city madness. James wont mind.”
Emily lit up. Two weeks without the daily question, without worrying over someone elses child, without suffocating in her own home.
“Soph, thats perfect. I need this.”
The next morning, she packed a bag. James, buttoning his shirt, noticed.
“Going somewhere?”
“Sophies cottage. Two weeks. Work in peace, clear my head. Shes just been through a breakupneeds the company. You dont mind?”
He kissed her goodbye. They parted wayshim to work, her to freedom.
At lunchtime, as Emily and Sophie relaxed on the cottage patio, her phone rang. Charlottes name flashed on the screen.
“Emily!” her sister-in-law shrieked. “How could you leave my son hungry? He came home to an empty house! Whats he supposed to eat?”
Emily answered calmly.
“Charlotte, Im busy. Feeding your child isnt my responsibility. Youre his mother.”
“How can you say that!” Charlotte was furious. “We had an arrangement!”
“We never agreed to anything. You assumed Id do it.”
Charlotte raged, calling her selfish, heartless, a traitor to family. Emily ended the call. For the first time in months, she breathed freely.
The two weeks passed too quickly. Emily returned refreshed, full of plans with Sophie.
But at home, she was met with fury. Charlotte sat stiffly on the sofa, James looking torn beside her.
“Finally decided to come back?” Charlotte snapped. “Do you have any idea what these two weeks were like? My son ate frozen meals! You betrayed this family!”
Emily set down her bag, removed her coat, and met their gazes.
“Who exactly is that child to me?” she asked quietly. “Hes Jamess nephew, not mine. Im not obligated to feed him. Charlotte, I dont demand you care for my relatives.”
“Were family!” Charlotte cried.
“Charlotte, reheating food for Alex isnt hard. But I wont cook for him again until Im shown respect.”
The house went silent, thick with tension.
From then on, Emily bought food only for herself and James. James mostly ate at work or cafés. Alex gave her mournful looks, but she didnt relent. For him, there was nothing.
On the third day, Charlotte learned. She woke early, clattering pans as she cooked multiple dishes. Fuming, but the food was there.
Before leaving for work, she approached Emily stiffly.
“Please heat up the stew and potatoes for Alex at lunch,” she muttered through gritted teeth.
Emily nodded. “Was that so difficult?”
Charlotte flinched but nodded back. A fragile peace settled over the house.
Emily could finally breathe again. Soon, theyd save enough to leave. And shed make sure James understoodthis would never happen again. She was a person too.
