Just help her heat lunch, bring water if she needed it, and be around in case she felt weak. The same way you’d watch over your own mom, right?
Brian didn’t object.
The first day seemed to go smoothly.
Mom said he was polite but quiet, and he mostly stayed in the living room. She didn’t need much that day, so I figured it worked.
But then the next morning, while I was getting ready for work, dressing one of our children for daycare, and giving my mom her medication, Brian walked up to me and handed me a sheet of paper.
Before I even got my car keys from the hook, he asked me if we could discuss it in the kitchen.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, casual as ever when we were alone.
“So, I made a list.”
I unfolded it. My first thought was that he had written down the groceries or maybe a to-do list.
It was not that.
At the top of the paper, in his neatest handwriting, were the words:
“Care Services — Estimated Value.”
Below that was an itemized breakdown.
It read:
• Preparing simple meals (sandwiches, soup, tea) — $7 per meal
• Bringing water or snacks during the day — $2 per trip
• Medication reminders — $3 each
• Helping her get up from the couch or bed — $5 each time
• Walking behind her on the stairs to make sure she didn’t fall — $5 per trip
• Staying home while she rested instead of running my own errands — $15 per day
At the bottom, he’d added:
“Daily totals may vary depending on needs.”
And underneath that, in smaller print:
“We should discuss how this will be paid moving forward.”
I was stunned!
I stared at the paper. Read it twice, then three times.
At first, I thought perhaps he was joking!
But he wasn’t smirking, though. He looked dead serious, as if he had just handed me a professional invoice!
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