We went into a little side room off the fellowship hall. Plastic chairs stacked against one wall. A kids’ coloring table in the corner.
Paige came with me.
Heather unlocked her phone.
“I lent him the money last spring,” she said. “His engine went, and he couldn’t afford it.”
I remembered that. Seth was furious about the repair bill. He borrowed my car twice while his truck was in the shop. He told me most of his savings went into that engine.
“He promised he’d start paying me back once he got caught up on his other bills,” Heather said. “He paid me two hundred dollars once. Then nothing.”
She looked down.
“I needed that money back, Natalie. Daycare was eating up most of my paycheck. Colin pays his share for the kids, but I’ve still got rent, groceries, everything.”
I understood money problems.
What I didn’t understand was why my life was paying for her brother’s.
“Three weeks ago,” Heather said, “Seth came over and said he had a solution. He said you’d decided to stay home after the wedding. That you wanted a break from the office.”
My mouth went dry.
“He offered to have you watch the kids for a year.”
I stared at her.
“And in exchange,” I said slowly, “you’d forgive his loan.”
Heather nodded.
For a long moment, I couldn’t speak.
Seth hadn’t just volunteered me to help his sister.
He’d traded a year of my life to get out of his own debt.
Heather scrolled through her texts and handed me the phone.
The first message from Seth said:
Nat’s serious about leaving the office after the wedding. She loves having the kids around. I think this could help both of us.
Heather had written back:
Are you sure she’d want all three every day? That’s a lot of work.
Seth:
She’s already planning to be home. I wouldn’t offer if we hadn’t talked about it.
Further down, Heather had written:
So if Natalie does daycare through next spring, we’re square on the truck money?
And Seth answered:
Yeah. Call it even.
I read that last message three times.
Fifty hours a week. For almost a year. Diapers. Meals. Naps. Laundry. School pickups.
No paycheck. No retirement contributions. No promotion.
All so Seth wouldn’t have to pay back his sister.
Sophia Rivers is an experienced News Content Editor with a sharp eye for detail and a passion for delivering accurate and engaging news stories. At TheArchivists, she specializes in curating, editing, and presenting news content that informs and resonates with a global audience.
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