Hey love, youll get a kick out of this. My niece Olivia turned up at my flat in London, but shes sulking because I havent been feeding her.
So, I live in London and my sister Emma is over in Manchester. Emmas daughter, Bridget, dreams of getting into the university here, so shell be moving into a hall of residence soon. Shes only in town for a couple of weeks to sort out some exams and paperwork before the term starts. I didnt get into the nittygritty of the formalities just know that popping over before university is pretty normal. Emma arranged for Bridget to crash at my place while shes here.
We never really talked about whod be on kitchen duty. If Mom doesnt bring it up, they sort it out between themselves, right? I walk in and see Bridget just fuming on the couch. I ask whats up, and she says she thought Id whip up a proper lunch for her. I shot back, Im not going to be your personal chef, and Ive got my own schedule to keep. Ive got to dash now! Call your mum, have her transfer some cash to your account, grab a pack of biscuits, some pastries, and a cup of tea. And yeah, buy the tea too Im out. Come on, youre 18, you can manage a bit.
Her mum, Margaret, hasnt spoken to me in ages, so she doesnt know that after the kids flew the nest, my husband vanished, and I threw myself into work. My workload is bonkers, so Im only home sporadically and Im wiped out. All I want is a good nights sleep, and even that feels like a luxury.
Im not about to starve my guest, but Im not the freewheeling Aunt Lucy I used to be the one who could pull a roast for an elephant without batting an eye. Let Bridget do the grocery shopping, chop, boil, fry, or steam whatever she wants. Even better, let her pick up something readymade so I dont have to worry about the stove or the flat.
Shes been pouting, cooling off, and silently stewing day after day, probably hoping Id foot the whole bill for her and Mom. Maybe things will settle down. Its tough to go from being the goto, easygoing aunt to this more handsoff version overnight, especially after years of keeping the peace with everyone in the family circle. Im still friendly, I did give her a free place to crash, just without the allinclusive bit. I even saw a therapist for tips on how to gently explain to the family that Im not as functional as I used to be they need to dial down their expectations a notch.
Anyway, thats the drama. Catch up soon!
