Lera was standing by the mirror in the hallway, touching up her lipstick, when the doorbell rang. She glanced at the clock — half past six in the evening. Sergey hadn’t come home from work yet, and she was supposed to meet a friend at a café. The bell rang again, more insistently.
“Lera, open up, it’s me!” came the familiar voice of Inga, her husband’s sister.
Lera sighed and opened the door. Inga stood on the doorstep in a bright dress, followed by three children: ten-year-old Maxim, eight-year-old Sonya, and five-year-old Kirill.
“Lerusha, help me out!” Inga began before Lera could respond. “I have a date, a very important one, you understand? Could you watch the kids for a couple of hours?”
Lera looked at the children in confusion as they already squeezed into the apartment, dropping their jackets on the floor.
“But I was planning to…”
“Oh, come on, what’s it to you!” Inga was already kissing her on the cheek. “They’ll have dinner and go to bed. I’ll be back by eleven, I promise!”
And she was gone, leaving Lera with the three children in the hallway. Lera took out her phone and messaged her friend: “Sorry, can’t make it, emergency.”
Maxim had already turned on the TV at full volume, Sonya was rummaging through the fridge, and Kirill was running around the apartment loudly pretending to be an airplane.
“Aunt Lera, what do you have to eat?” Sonya asked, pulling out a yogurt from the fridge.
“I want pizza!” Maxim declared without looking away from the screen.
“I want ice cream!” Kirill added.
Lera closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten. When she opened them, Sonya was already smearing yogurt across the table, and Kirill was pulling the tail of their cat, Barsik.
By the time Sergey came home, the apartment looked like a battlefield. Couch cushions were scattered on the floor, there was a strange smell of burnt porridge in the kitchen, and toy boats floated in the bathroom.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, stepping around the scattered toys.
“Your sister dropped off the kids again,” Lera answered tiredly, picking markers off the floor. “She said she’d be back by eleven.”
Sergey shrugged.
“So what? Kids are kids. You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Lera pointed to the wall decorated with Kirill’s artwork. “Is this overreacting?”
“It’ll come off,” Sergey waved his hand. “Help calm them down instead.”
Inga returned at half past midnight, glowing and happy.
“Thank you, dear!” she hugged Lera. “You literally saved my life! I think I’m in love!”
After Inga took the kids, Lera silently cleaned up the mess while Sergey read the news on his phone.
“Sergey, maybe you should talk to your sister?” she asked. “This is the third time this week.”
“Oh, come on,” he waved it off. “She’s going through a divorce. She needs support.”
“And who supports me?” Lera asked quietly, but he was already not listening.
The next “raid” happened Saturday morning. Lera planned to visit her mother, but at eight a.m., the doorbell rang.
“Lerochka, help me out!” Inga’s voice sounded excited. “I urgently need to go to the cosmetologist, then to a manicure. My new boyfriend invited me to a romantic dinner!”
Half an hour later, the kids were storming their apartment again. This time Maxim brought a skateboard and was riding it down the hallway, crashing into the walls. Sonya decided to play hairdresser and cut some strands off her doll—and the cat too. Kirill made a “rain” of toilet paper in the bathroom.
“Aunt Lera, can I have some sausage?” Maxim asked, already putting a piece of expensive delicacy into his mouth—something Lera was saving for a romantic dinner with her husband.
“Sure,” she said resignedly, realizing the romantic dinner wouldn’t happen anyway.
Sergey came home from work and found Lera crying in the kitchen, while the kids were enthusiastically turning the living room into a blanket-and-chair cave.
“What happened?” he asked, sitting down next to her.
“I’m tired,” Lera sobbed. “I work all week, and I spend weekends taking care of other people’s kids. When was the last time I went somewhere? When were you and I last alone together?”
“The kids aren’t to blame their parents are divorcing,” Sergey said. “Inga is just trying to build her personal life.”
“And what about mine?” Lera snapped. “Or am I supposed to forget about it because your sister has problems?”
“Oh, don’t be so childish,” Sergey said annoyed. “Watching kids isn’t hard labor.”
Lera gave him a long look, then silently started cleaning up after the kids’ creativity.
Inga picked up the kids at half past eleven, talking about what a wonderful evening she had.
“Imagine, he’s a real gentleman!” she chirped. “Gave me flowers, took me to a restaurant. I think he’s serious.”
“That’s nice,” Lera replied dryly.
Monday started with Lera oversleeping—the alarm didn’t go off because Kirill had been playing with her phone and turned it off. She was late for work, got a reprimand from her boss, and felt exhausted all day.
On Tuesday, Inga called again:
“Lerochka, are you free today? Pavel and I need to discuss serious matters, and the kids will be a distraction.”
“Pavel?” Lera asked.
“He’s my new man,” Inga said mysteriously. “Very serious. Might even propose.”
Lera looked at Sergey, who was pretending not to hear.
“I can’t today,” she said firmly. “I have plans.”
“What plans?” Inga was surprised. “You’re just at home.”
“I’m not just sitting at home, I’m resting,” Lera explained. “That’s important too.”
“Oh please,” Inga begged. “This is the last time I ask!”
Sergey took the phone:
“Inga, bring the kids, Lera will watch them.”
“Sergey!” Lera protested, but he had already hung up.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked. “She’s my sister, we’re family.”
“And who am I?” Lera asked quietly.
“You’re my wife,” he answered. “You have to understand and support.”
Lera said nothing but realized at that moment that things couldn’t go on like this.
The kids arrived as usual and enthusiastically began to settle in. Maxim immediately turned on the computer and started playing some noisy game. Sonya set up in the kitchen with coloring books but decided to decorate the table instead of the album. Kirill found the box of Christmas decorations and began testing their durability.
“Aunt Lera, why don’t you have kids?” Sonya asked, carefully coloring the tabletop.
“Just don’t,” Lera replied, taking the markers away.
“Do you want some?” the girl persisted.
“I do,” Lera answered honestly.
“Then why don’t you have any?”
Lera found no answer. Really, why? Maybe because she’d been spending every weekend for three months watching other people’s kids, and by evening she had no strength left even to talk to her husband, let alone plan her own family?
On Friday, Lera came home from work exhausted — it had been a hard day, an important deal fell through, and the boss was in a bad mood. She dreamed of a hot bath and a quiet evening, but as soon as she changed clothes, the phone she left in another room rang. Sergey brought the phone and put it on speaker.
“Lerochka,” Inga’s voice was heard, “you’d really help me if you watched the kids. Pavel and I have an important evening; he wants to introduce me to his parents!”
Lera looked at Sergey, who was already handing her the phone.
“Inga wants to talk to you,” he said.
“Sergey,” Lera said quietly, “tell her I can’t.”
“Oh, come on,” he waved it off. “What’s it to you?”
“Tell her I can’t,” Lera repeated.
“Don’t be cranky,” Sergey grimaced but turned off the speaker.
“Since I’m now the nanny for your sister’s kids, here’s the bill for my services,” Lera said and pulled a piece of paper out of her bag.
Sergey looked at her in surprise.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a bill,” Lera replied calmly. “I calculated how many hours I spent with the kids over the last three months. It comes to forty-eight hours. The average nanny rate in our city is three hundred rubles per hour. Total: fourteen thousand four hundred rubles.”
“Are you joking?” Sergey asked, confused.
“No,” Lera shook her head. “I’m not joking anymore. Either your sister pays me like a nanny or she finds other options.”
“Inga,” Sergey said into the phone, “here’s the thing…” He hesitated. “Lera wants you to pay her for babysitting.”
A furious yell came from the phone, and Sergey pulled it away from his ear.
“She says you’ve lost your mind,” he relayed.
“Then she should find another crazy person,” Lera said and went to the bedroom.
Sergey talked with his sister for a long time, explaining the situation. Lera heard bits and pieces: “She doesn’t understand… family duty… just a few hours…”
When he finished the conversation, he came to her bedroom. Lera was sitting on the bed reading a book.
“Are you serious?” he asked.
“More serious than anything,” she replied without looking up.
“But she’s my sister,” he said confusedly. “She’s going through a divorce.”
“And I’m upset that I have no personal life,” Lera answered calmly. “When was the last time I went to see friends? When were we last at the movies? When did I last get a full night’s sleep on the weekend?”
Sergey was silent.
“I work all week,” Lera continued. “And weekends have turned into an extension of the workweek, only now I’m a nanny. For free.”
“But they’re kids,” Sergey weakly objected.
“Kids,” Lera agreed. “Other people’s kids. Who have a mother that’d rather have fun than take care of them.”
“She has the right to a personal life,” Sergey said.
“She does,” Lera nodded. “But not at my expense. If she wants someone to watch her kids, she should pay. Like everyone else.”
“That’s unethical,” he tried to argue.
“And exploiting me is ethical?” Lera asked. “I didn’t sign up to be a free nanny.”
Sergey sat on the bed next to her:
“Ler, why do you act like an outsider? Family should help each other.”
“Family should help,” Lera agreed, “but not ride on your back. Your sister has been dropping kids on me every weekend for three months. She doesn’t even ask if it’s convenient or if I have plans. She just presents it as a fact.”
“Maybe she doesn’t realize it’s inconvenient for you,” Sergey suggested.
“Sergey,” Lera said wearily, “I told her straight that I have plans. She waved it off saying it’s only a couple of hours. But those couple of hours turn into five or six, the kids turn the whole apartment upside down, and I spend half the day cleaning up.”
“Okay,” Sergey gave in. “I’ll talk to her. Ask her to call less often.”
“No,” Lera shook her head. “Either she pays or she finds other options.”
“But she can’t pay a nanny every weekend,” Sergey objected.
“Then she should have less fun,” Lera said firmly. “Or ask your parents for help. Or make arrangements with other moms for mutual help. Or at least take the kids on dates — if the man is serious, he should accept her with the kids.”
Sergey was silent, digesting her words.
“You know,” he said finally, “you’re probably right. I didn’t realize how hard it was for you.”
“Didn’t realize,” Lera agreed. “Because for you it was easy. You come home from work, the kids are already fed, someone’s played with them, made them laugh. You only saw the good parts.”
“And you only saw the bad,” Sergey said.
“I saw reality,” Lera corrected. “Broken toys, drawn-on walls, scribbled furniture, scattered things. I saw my weekends turn into a daycare.”
“Sorry,” Sergey said quietly. “I really didn’t understand.”
“But now you do,” Lera smiled. “And if you call your sister and explain the situation, I’ll be very grateful.”
Sergey took the phone and dialed Inga’s number.
“Inga,” he said, “we need to talk. Lera is right — if you need a nanny, you have to pay her. She shouldn’t sacrifice her weekends for your dates.”
From the phone came outraged screams, but Sergey stood his ground:
“No, Inga, it’s fair. Lera works all week and spends weekends with your kids. That’s not family help, that’s exploitation.”
The conversation lasted a long time. Inga cried, shouted, and tried to guilt-trip him. But Sergey was firm.
“If you need a nanny — pay,” he said at the end. “If you don’t want to pay — find other options.”
After that conversation, Inga didn’t call for two weeks. For the first time in three months, Lera spent the weekend the way she wanted — she and Sergey went to the movies, met friends, and on Sunday just lounged on the couch, watched series, and ordered food delivery.
“How nice,” Lera said, resting her head on her husband’s shoulder. “I’d forgotten what peaceful weekends are.”
“I like it too,” Sergey admitted. “Turns out it’s nice just to be together.”
On the third week, Inga finally called. Her voice was strained but polite:
“Lera,” she said, “I need to leave the kids on Saturday. Are you willing to watch them… for payment?”
“How many hours?” Lera asked businesslike.
“From ten in the morning to six in the evening,” Inga answered.
“Eight hours,” Lera counted. “Two hundred rubles an hour, family discount. That’s one thousand six hundred rubles.”
“Okay,” Inga said restrained.
On Saturday, the kids came calmer — apparently Inga had a serious talk with them. Maxim brought a tablet and spent most of the time playing on it, occasionally distracted by the TV. Sonya drew in a sketchbook instead of on furniture. Kirill also behaved quieter than usual.
“Mom said we have to behave,” Sonya explained. “Otherwise, Aunt Lera won’t babysit us anymore.”
“Smart mom,” Lera smiled.
At six, Inga picked up the kids and silently handed Lera the money.
“Thanks,” she said dryly.
“You’re welcome,” Lera replied. “Call if you need.”
After that, Inga called much less frequently. Sometimes she still asked to watch the kids, but now it was all by the rules — she arranged in advance, confirmed the time, and paid properly.
Lera noticed the kids started behaving better. Apparently, when mom started paying the nanny, she explained to them they had to respect other people’s apartment and time.
“You know,” she said once to Sergey, “it turns out when people pay for services, they start appreciating them more.”
Another month passed, and Inga called with unexpected news:
“Lera,” she said, her voice trembling with excitement, “I’m getting married! Pasha proposed!”
“Congratulations,” Lera said sincerely. “I’m very happy for you.”
“Thank you,” Inga answered, tears in her voice. “I want to apologize to you. I was wrong to be angry with you. You were right — I really exploited you. I just wanted to get my personal life sorted and didn’t think about others.”
“It’s okay,” Lera said. “The main thing is that things are working out for you now.”
“Yes,” Inga said happily. “Pavel is wonderful, he accepted the kids as his own. We want to invite you to the wedding.”
“We’ll definitely come,” Lera promised.
“And one more thing,” Inga added, “I realize I was a bad sister. To Sergey and to you. Can we start over?”
“Of course,” Lera smiled. “Family is family.”
The wedding was beautiful and fun. Inga looked happy, Pavel was in love, and the kids joyfully ran between the tables, finally feeling like a real family.
“You know,” Sergey said, hugging Lera, “I think you should raise your rate. Two hundred rubles an hour is too cheap for such a professional nanny.”
“Do you think?” Lera laughed. “Maybe it’s time to think about having our own kids?”
“Maybe it is,” Sergey agreed. “But only if you promise not to charge me for raising them.”
“I promise,” Lera laughed. “Family discount for our own kids — a hundred percent.”
“That’s great,” Sergey said and kissed her. “Then we can start planning.”