When my boyfriend asked me to babysit his 7-year-old daughter for the weekend, I hesitated. I had looked after her many times before, and while I cared about her deeply, it was beginning to feel less like occasional help and more like an ongoing responsibility. After thinking it over, I decided to be honest. I told him that if he wanted me to keep doing it regularly, I couldn’t do it for free anymore.
That Friday evening, when he dropped her off, I reminded him about what we had discussed. He looked surprised, almost disappointed, but agreed. Still, the air between us felt different. I sat with the uneasy feeling that money had just built an invisible wall between us.Later that night, while I was sitting on the couch reading, his daughter came into the room. She clutched her favorite stuffed toy and stood quietly for a moment before speaking. Her voice was small but steady:
