“Im not cooking for everyone anymore! Just for me and Annie.”
“Why on earth not?” snapped Nicholas, looking thoroughly put out.
“Because in this family, Ive realised, its every man for himself. So live with it!”
“Mum, wheres my breakfast?” barged in Jessica, storming into the bedroom without knocking. “Im going to be late for school!”
Nina tried to sit up, but her head spun. The thermometer read thirty-nine. Her throat burned, her chest rasped.
“Jessica, Im ill Grab something from the fridge.”
“Theres nothing in there! Just Annies yoghurts!” Jessica stood in the doorway, arms folded. “Its always about her!”
A wail came from the nursery. Annie was awake. Nina forced herself up. Her legs wobbled, spots dancing in her vision.
“Nina, wheres my shirt?” Nicholas called from the bathroom. “The blue striped one?”
“Should be in the wardrobe”
“Its not! Did you iron it yesterday?”
Nina leaned against the wall. Shed spent all day yesterday running a fever, trying to care for the baby.
“No, didnt get round to it.”
“Brilliant! Ive got a meeting!” He slammed the bathroom door in irritation.
Annies cries grew louder. Nina shuffled to the nursery, scooped her up. The little girl clung to her, sniffling.
“Mum!” Jessica shouted from the kitchen. “Theres literally nothing here! Not even bread!”
“Moneys on the table, buy something on your way.”
“Im not stopping at the shop! Ive got a test! And anyway, feeding us is your job!”
Nina wordlessly walked to the kitchen, Annie in her arms. Pulled some frozen burgers from the freezer, slapped a pan on the hob.
“And make pasta!” Jessica commanded, glued to her phone.
While breakfast cooked, Nicholas emerged from the bedroom in a crumpled shirt.
“Had to wear this one. Look like a proper tramp. Cheers for that!”
Nina stayed silent. Speaking hurt, and frankly, she had no energy left to explain.
“Sophies birthdays today,” Jessica announced, piling pasta onto her plate. “Im going round after school. Be back late.”
“Jessica, I feel awful. Could you stay and help with your sister?”
“Yeah, right! Ive waited six months for this party! And anyway, I didnt ask for a sisterthats your problem!”
She snatched her bag and slammed out.
Nicholas finished his breakfast, scrolling through headlines.
“Nick, any chance you could come home early? I really dont feel well.”
“Cant. Work drinks after. Professional obligation, you know how it is.”
“But Im sick”
“Take something. Paracetamol or whatever. Youre not bedridden. Manage.”
He pecked her sweat-damp forehead and left.
Nina was alone with her three-year-old. Annie demanded attention, food, play. Nina moved on autopilot, feeling her strength drain.
By lunch, her fever hit thirty-nine. She half-heartedly fed Annie, put her down for a nap, then collapsed onto the sofa. Her head pounded, heart racing.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Jessica: “Mum, send money for Sophies present. NOW!”
Nina didnt reply. Couldnt even lift the phone.
Nicholas returned first, tipsy and cheery, clutching a takeaway bag.
“Got some beer and crisps! Match is on!” He flopped onto the sofa and turned on the telly.
“Nick, feed Annie, please. I cant move.”
“That bad?” He finally looked at her. “Blimey, youre red as a tomato!”
“High fever. All day”
“Well, call the GP if its that bad. Wheres Annie?”
“In bed. Shell wake soon.”
“Fine, Ill feed her. When she wakes up.”
Half an hour later, Annie cried for her mum. Nicholas reluctantly paused the match, picked her up.
“Whats all this fuss? Come to Daddy!”
But the toddler squirmed, wailed harder. Nicholas floundered.
“Nina, she wants you!”
“Give her a biscuit from the cupboard. And juice.”
“Where? I cant find anything!”
She had to get up. The room tilted; she grabbed the wall. Nina fetched a biscuit, poured juice. Annie quietened.
Jessica rolled in past midnight. Nina hadnt sleptthe fever wouldnt let her.
“Why didnt you reply?!” Jessica started before the door shut. “I had to borrow money from Sophies mum! So embarrassing!”
“Jessica, Ive had a fever all day”
“So? Couldnt pick up your phone? Two seconds!”
Next morning, Nicholas shook her awake.
“Nina, get up! Ive got work, and Annies kicking off!”
Her fever had broken, but exhaustion lingered. Nina dressed Annie.
“What about breakfast?” he asked.
“Make it yourself. Im taking Annie to nursery.”
“Make it?! I dont know how! And Im late!”
“Youll learn.”
Something in her tone silenced him. He grumbled and stomped to the kitchen.
When Nina returned, the house was a bombsite. Dirty dishes, clutter, unmade beds. Normally, shed clean immediately. Not today.
She showered, drank tea, and went back to bed.
That evening, the family gathered for dinner. Or rather, an empty table.
“Mum, whats for dinner?” Jessica asked.
“No idea. Whatever you make.”
“Sorry?” Jessica gaped.
“Exactly that. Im not cooking for everyone anymore. Just me and Annie.”
“Whats got into you?!” Nicholas blustered.
“Because in this family, Ive realised, its every man for himself. So crack on!”
“Nina, come on” He reached for her, but she stepped back.
“Im done being your maid! Yesterday proved Im just unpaid staff to you lot.”
“Mum, I said sorry!” Jessica lied.
“No, you didnt. Neither did Dad. No one even asked how I was.”
“Fine, sorry!” Jessica huffed. “Are we meant to starve now?”
“Fridge is full. Youve got hands. Cook.”
The first week was chaos. Jessica had meltdowns, Nicholas sulked and slammed doors. Nina held firm. Cooked only for herself and Annie, washed only their clothes, tidied only the nursery.
“Mum, my jeans are filthy! Everythings dirty!” Jessica wailed.
“Washing machines right there. Detergents under the sink.”
“I dont know how!”
“Youll learn. Instructions are on the lid.”
Nicholas wore stained shirts to work, ate in cafés. Their savings dwindled.
“Nina, this is ridiculous! Eating out every day!”
“Cook at home. Cheaper.”
“I dont know how!”
“Try YouTube. Millions of recipes.”
The house descended into squalor. Piled dishes, dusty floors. Nina saw it all but didnt intervenekept only the nursery clean.
Two weeks in, Jessica attempted pasta. Forgot salt, overcooked itinedible gloop.
“Mum, help!”
“No. Learn.”
“Youre my mum! Youre supposed to!”
“My jobs to care for minors, not cater to you. Bread, milk, cerealyou wont starve.”
Nicholas tried scrambled eggs. Burnt them. Second attempt, edible-ish.
“Look, Nina! I made eggs!”
Nina nodded and returned to her book. No praise, no fuss.
By week three, the flat resembled a tip. Jessica sobbed over a mountain of laundry.
“Mum, please! Just this once! Ive got nothing clean for school!”
“You were home all yesterday. Couldve done it.”
“I had homework!”
“And I work remotely, cook, clean up after Annie, take her to the park. Still manage.”
“Youre the adult!”
“And you want adult privileges? Late nights, pocket money? Then act like one.”
By months end, resistance crumbled. Jessica learned laundry, simple meals. Nicholas mastered eggs, pasta, even basic soup.
One evening, Nina returned from the park with Annie. A set table, food smells. Nicholas and Jessica stood sheepishly.
“Mum, we made dinner,” Jessica mumbled. “I did salad, Dad roasted a chicken.”
“Thanks,” Nina said evenly.
“Mum, were sorry,” Jessica whispered. “We didnt get it how hard it is for you.”
“Nina, well do better,” Nicholas added. “Honest. Well help.”
Nina studied them. They hadnt magically transformed, no. But fear had sunk infear life without their live-in maid might actually be grim
