Oh, for heavens sake, stop putting on the hero act and pretending you can do it all yourself, Olivia said, setting a bag of nappies and a box of baby porridge on the kitchen table. Ive seen your Instagram posts, all polished and perfect. You have no idea what the reality looks like.
Hannah didnt even glance at her sister. She sat hunched over her phone, a stonecold expression on her face. From the next room came the plaintive wail of her twoyearold son, Oliver, demanding attention. Hannah remained unmoved.
Oliver, Im coming! shouted a voice from the master bedroom, their mother rushing to rock her grandson.
Olivia slipped off her coat, draped it over the back of a chair, and turned to Hannah, too irritated to back down.
Tell me straight, do you really think youve got this motherhood thing under control, or are you just parroting slogans from online groups?
Hannah sighed, paused for a heartbeat, but never met Olivias eyes.
Look, I never asked you to buy anything.
Right. Never asked. So the pattern repeats: you sit there hungry, covered in dirty nappies, while Mum pours soup and buys fresh nappies. Then you go back to being the strong woman.
Silence fell. Even Olivers cries died down. Only the soft, soothing voice of their mother could be heard. Olivia closed her eyes for a moment.
Theyd all been exhausted for the past eighteen months.
Hannah left her husband when Oliver was barely six months old. She walked out in a blaze of anger, railing that he couldnt even wash a dish or change a nappy. Daniel, her ex, just shrugged. He worked two jobs, came home late, often fell asleep on the sofa, but he tried. He washed bottles, lugged bags, even sang lullabies, however offkey.
He abandoned us, Hannah had said then. He chose his work over us.
Olivia simply shrugged; everyone makes their own choices.
Only the case where someone chooses anothers burden and proudly refuses to pay child support is different. Hannah now lived like she were on holiday. Her father paid the bills, her mother cooked, and she proudly posted about inner strength and female independence.
Their mother entered the room, two tired crescents under her eyes.
Olivers finally asleep, thank God. Olivia, why are you picking on Hannah again?
Me? Picking on her? Olivia was ready to laugh. You barely wipe his bottom, and she doesnt even flinch. Shes happy with everything.
Im not asking for anything, really. No one owes anyone anything! Hannah snapped.
Yeah, right. You just sit here, enjoy the comforts.
A memory flashed of how, two months earlier, their father had postponed installing a dental crown yet again.
Ill manage, hed said to Mum with a grin. We need to clothe Oliver, hes already outgrowing his old ones.
Father never complained. The family later discovered he wasnt taking his essential medication because there was no money to buy it. Olivia quietly transferred money, hoping it would buy the meds.
Hannah sprang up, darting past Olivia, fleeing the conversation as usual.
Olivia you dont have to Hannah
What about Hannah? Shes just comfortable. Her pride will ruin you all. Money issues arent solved with pretty words. Youve had a stroke, Dads heart is weak, and she pretends shes the heroine of a Hollywood dramaalone, proud, misunderstood.
Mum looked at her daughter with a pained gaze. Everyone understood, but none could act.
Olivia walked toward the door, stopped, and wanted to say something kind, something that would keep her mother from weeping after she left.
Bye, Mum. Check the firstaid kit and speak with Dad. Ill bring the tablets tomorrow if they run out.
Ol thank you, Mum answered, her voice strained.
Olivia left without looking back, certain shed see tears.
A week passed. Olivia visited less often. She wasnt angry; she just didnt want to watch the household unravel. She came mainly to drop money, medicine, or a toy for Oliver, then left quickly. Hannah accepted everything with a detached air, as if it were the natural order.
One morning, while scrolling through contacts, Olivia stumbled on a name shed almost forgotten: Kyle. Hed once worked with Daniel. Hope sparked. Perhaps this was a chance, maybe even a sign.
Three days later Olivia met Daniel in a modest café. She fidgeted with a napkin. Daniel arrived seven minutes late, apologized, and sat opposite her. Hed lost a few pounds, but the thinness made him look older, not healthier.
You see he began after listening to Olivias long story. Im not abandoning my son. I tried to fix things. Even when I send money, she sends it back and makes a scene.
They wont last long like this, Olivia sighed. Dad halves his pills. Mum turned down a rehab centre. And Hannah she clings to stubborn principles. No ones to blame for that mindset.
Daniel nodded, determined to find a solution.
Heres what well do. Ill transfer money to you, youll distribute it. Send me receipts or photosif you canso were on the same page. I just want Oliver to have a normal life and my parents not to suffer because of all this.
Olivia felt uneasy; it felt like betrayal, yet Hannah wasnt a saint either.
Two days later the first transfer arrived: £120. Olivia immediately sent the cash to her mother. Mum was surprised by the amount, not the fact that her daughter was still helping.
Another, smaller transfer followedfor Dads medication, then for Olivers shoes.
Hannah pretended not to notice, or at least to ignore it.
One evening Olivia dropped by for half an hour. Hannah was in the bathroom, Oliver watched cartoons, Mum was rolling dumplings at the kitchen table, Dad kneading dough beside her.
Olivia, we bought a new coat for Oliver with your money! Mum beamed. Youre such a darling, always helping. Its getting awkward for us to keep taking maybe we can manage on our own from now?
Olivia felt a pang of guilt. Shed taken unsolicited praise before; each time it pressed on her conscience. Now the whole chain of assistance threatened to break.
Mum I need to tell you and Dad something. Its not me, its Daniel. Hes the one helping, Olivia whispered.
Silence fell. Dad stopped rolling the dough. Mum froze, a spoon in her hand.
Daniel? she repeated. Hannah told us hed vanished.
Yeah. He said hed cut off her phone, but she ignored him everywhere, Olivia sighed. Anyway, truth always sits somewhere in the middle. The important thing is help.
Parents took the news calmly, almost relieved. They continued accepting the money without shame.
Then a new problem surfaced.
Thanks to Daniel, things are a little easier, Mum murmured to Dad about the next months budget.
Mum didnt know Olivia was still awake, her ears sharp as ever.
What followed was a cascade.
So youre taking money from my ex behind my back?! Hannah burst into the kitchen. Youre all traitors! Youve conspired!
A fullblown interrogation ensued. Mum cracked under the pressure, then Hannah started calling Olivia in the dead of night.
You thought you were clever, sneaking everything around, didnt you? Youve insulted me! My child doesnt need these handouts! Hannah screamed.
What are you on about, Hannah? Olivia replied, halfasleep. Im just doing what you lackboth strength and conscience. Stop blaming the healthy for the sick.
Out with you! Hannah shouted. I dont need anyones help! Ill manage on my own!
The argument ended there. Hannah grabbed her things, shoved Oliver into the stroller, slammed the door, and disappeared into the night without saying where she was going.
A phrase a friend, Laura, had whispered to her six months earlier replayed in Hannahs mind: If you need anything, call me. At the time it sounded like a comforting platitude; now it was the only thread left to cling to.
Laura didnt refuse. She welcomed Oliver, kissed him, set up a spare room, even warmed a meal for them. She encouraged Hannah to talk about what had happened.
Everythings fine, just its getting stifling here, Hannah muttered. I need some space. Ill stay with you for a while, then figure things out.
The first night passed quietly. Laura seemed to enjoy the company; a house is never truly lonely. But by morning, small complaints began. Hannah left dishes unwashed, complained about the salt level, the grease in the food.
The next day she rummaged through a cupboard and pulled out a sealed jar of coffee she hadnt asked for. It turned out to be a stash meant for gifts. That evening she complained about money.
Ive spent the last bit on nappies. Could you lend a little? Im not settled yet.
Laura forced a smile, said shed see what she could do. Later, when Oliver finally fell asleep, Laura approached Hannah.
Listen I have a guest arriving. Its Arthur from Cambridge. You remember? Wed talked about him before. Hes coming over.
You want me to leave? Hannah asked, bewildered.
Not exactly. It just happened. Maybe you have somewhere else you could go?
Hannah nodded, though her chest tightened. She whispered, Ill manage.
That morning she packed in silence, trying not to cry. Laura moved about the kitchen, avoiding eye contact. Hannah dressed Oliver, slipped on his shoes, lingered a moment in the hallway, then left without a proper goodbye.
Standing outside the block, she felt a hollow she hadnt felt in yearsempty, ashamed, terrified. Options swirled like knives. Going back to her parents was impossible. Their pills and retreats were theirs alone. With Laura everything was now clear.
Then she remembered Daniel. Hed been desperate to reconcile, even after shed ignored him. Of all the people who could help, he was the only one left, so she dialed his number.
Hello?
Its me Hannah. Oliver and I could we stay with you for a few days?
A surprised pause.
Of course, Daniel said, his voice cautious but warm.
The conversation ended, and an uneasy joint life beganawkward, trustdeficient, but at least a start.
Olivia was the first to learn of their reunion. Her parents tried calling Hannah, got no answer, gave up after three days. On the fourth, Olivia finally got through.
Hello?
Hi, Hannahs voice sounded thin, almost deflated. Were at Daniels. Ill call back later.
Daniels? Is Oliver alright?
Yes, were okay.
Olivia raised an eyebrow, surprised but relieved. A faint smile tugged at her lips; better this than hanging on her parents throats. She could only hope that the stubborn pride that had driven Hannah toward Daniel wouldnt cause another breakup.
Through the turmoil, the family learned that pride can build walls as high as any fortress, but genuine helpoffered without egocan chip them away. The lesson lingered: humility and honest support are worth more than the façade of selfsufficiency.
