As soon as I arrived home from work, I threw my keys on the counter and immediately flopped onto the couch. It had been a long and difficult day, and all I wanted was a peace and quiet minute to myself.

A warm and savory scent emanated from the kitchen, indicating that something was being prepared. There was Nora at the stove, stirring a stew in a kind manner. A seat was placed next to her, and Theo was standing there with his little hands busy peeling potatoes.

Nora cast a peek in the opposite direction. Could you please set the table for us, Ben?

Only momentarily did I look up from my phone. “You are responsible for that.”

Initially, she did not provide a response. The weary sigh that I had heard her let out was the one that I heard her let out. Naturally, Theo was unaware of the situation.

“I’ll do it, Mommy!” he chirped as he hopped down from the chair.

With a grin on her face, Nora responded, “Thank you, buddy.”

I gave a slight shake of my head. You should know that you are going to spoil him.

In spite of her stiffness, Nora did not speak. Theo wore a frown. I asked my father, “What’s wrong with helping?”

At the same time that I was falling further into the cushions, I whispered, “Kid, boys don’t do chores.”

Looking at Nora, Theo appeared perplexed. The utensils were handed to him after she caressed him with a nice touch. With a quiet voice, she said, “Go ahead and set it up.”

My attention was drawn to Theo as he meticulously positioned the forks and spoons. He appeared to be pleased, as if he was engaged in an activity that was significant.

My friends invited Nora to their annual team retreat, and I overheard them inviting her to attend the following day at work. Only for one night—it’s not a big deal. At first, she appeared to be apprehensive. After that, think about it.

The following evening, while I was sitting there watching a match, she brought it up. She announced, “Hey, my business trip is scheduled for this week.” “I’m going to leave. I’ll be back by noon the next day,” she said.

I gave her a quick glance. What’s up?

During my absence, you will be responsible for taking care of Theo and the house.

I gave a sigh of relief. There is no issue with that.

When Nora smiled, it was not the smile she usually gives. It was of the kind that offered an indication that I was going to be taken aback. After uttering the words “great,” she proceeded to pack her luggage. My supervisor received a brief text message from me informing him that I would be absent.

A groan came out of my mouth when I looked at the alarm clock the following morning. The time is 7:45 AM.

Oh, wait—7:45?!

A wave of panic swept over me. On a regular basis, Nora would wake me up as she was getting Theo ready for school. On the other hand, she had vanished. And I had slept in too late.

It’s Theo! I yelled as I threw off the blanket and stumbled down the hallway down the entrance. “Get up, we’re going to die!”

Theo hobbled out of the room while scratching his eyes. “Mommy, where are you?”

As I rummaged through the drawers, I mumbled beneath my breath, “She’s at her work event.” When did you last see your clothes?

It is “Mommy who chooses!”

I let out a strong sigh. Indeed, it is. I grabbed a t-shirt and pants that were crumpled. “This is it. Please put these on.

Theo wore a frown. “They do not correspond.”

“Don’t worry about it,” I remarked as I tossed them over. “Go ahead and get dressed.”

As soon as I got to the kitchen, I started preparing brunch. There was no time for Nora to prepare something warm, which she always does, such as eggs, toast, or pancakes. As I turned around, I heard a huge pop coming from behind me. I had just finished popping two slices of bread into the toaster, grabbed a juice box, and turned around.

The toaster was emitting a cloud of the smoke. I ran over and took the charred and rock-hard toast out of the oven.

With a frown on his face, Theo entered the room. The word “yuck”

While I was placing an apple on his plate, I told him, “Just eat an apple.”

“However, I was craving waffles.”

Oh, I moaned. It’s too late, Theo. The only thing you should consume is.

Despite his sigh, Theo went ahead and took the apple.

As quickly as I could, I hurriedly put his shoes on, grabbed his backpack, and rushed him to the car.

My stomach began to rumble as we were driving back. The thought that a burger would be quick led me to pull into the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant. After I had taken a large bite, I noticed that something cold and wet was dripping down my shirt. I began to drive away.

I hung my head down. Ketchup in a bright red color all throughout.

While I was driving, I said something under my breath and wiped it away with napkins. Just right.

In the comfort of my own house, my irritation grew, and I removed the shirt. It was Nora’s custom to do the laundry. Still, she was not present. How challenging could it possibly be?

As I stood there in front of the washing machine, I stared at it as if it were a riddle. The typical cycle? What about a quick wash? I don’t even know what these meant. I turned knobs, but not a drop. I pressed buttons, but nothing happened.

After struggling for a few minutes, I finally gave up and threw the shirt away and walked away. I need only put on another one.

And then I recalled that I had a meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning. It was necessary to iron my clothing. At all times, Nora did it. She was just smooth and press, as I had seen her. It’s easy.

I started the iron by plugging it in, then I spread my best shirt out across the board and did some pressing.

A scent of burning reached me at that very moment. Lifting the iron, I stared in disbelief at what I saw. There is a massive hole that runs through the fabric.

I gritted my teeth and threw it away in the garbage. Irons are indeed the worst.

Another grumble came from my stomach. It is time for lunch. A frozen chicken pack was the first thing I grabbed, and then I placed it into a pan and cranked the heat up.

After another ten minutes, smoke began to flow out of the stove. Coughing, I removed the pan and stared at the charred mess that had been left behind. There was a loud alarm for smoke. A towel was waved around furiously until it came to a stop.

My defeat caused me to turn to the sink, but I froze there.

There was a lot of food in the dishwasher. Just like before, the buttons were difficult to understand.

No result when I pressed one.

I turned a dial, but there was still no response.

At the same time that I let out a big sigh, I dropped a plate into the sink with a loud clank.

I had reached my limit.

Something like this was supposed to be easy.

My father told me that doing chores was not a big problem at all. While my mother was busy running around, he would relax on the couch with a drink in his hand. In his words, “It’s not a man’s job.” The phrase “women always make a fuss”

I was fooled by him.

I was not so sure now that I was standing in the mess that I had created.

At the time when I went to pick up Theo from school, I was completely exhausted. It hurt in my head, I had no food in my stomach, and I had reached the end of my patience. When Theo climbed in while humming, I hardly did anything to react.

Upon our arrival at the house, he paused in the entranceway. His eyes opened as he took in the chaos, which consisted of dishes stacked to the ceiling, garments all over the place, and the lingering odor of food that had been burned.

I caught Theo’s eye there. “Daddy, what exactly took place?”

Then, as I ran my hand through my hair, I let out a sigh. Guy, I’m not sure what to say. I made an effort, but nothing took effect.

As an alternative to complaining, Theo gave a slight nod. “All right. Let’s get the house cleaned up.

I blinked my eyes. “What is it?”

According to what he said, “Mommy and I do it together all the time.” “I’ll just show you.”

He made his way to the washing machine, took up my shirt that was soiled with ketchup, and threw it in. After that, he started it like a pro by carefully pressing the appropriate buttons.

“How did you manage to—”

“I learned from my mother.” He made a shrugs.

Afterward, he proceeded to the dishwasher, where he removed the racks and began loading the dishwasher. I had wasted a half an hour earlier trying to figure it out, and he performed it as if he had done it a hundred times before.

I observed him as he wiped down the surface, threw away the chicken that had been damaged, and hung a clean towel. My son was ahead of me in terms of capability when he was six years old.

An enlargement appeared in my chest.

The question is, “Why do you help so much?” I inquired about it.

Theo flashed a grin. Because my mother is in need of it.

The impact of those four words was greater than that of anything else.

Not only did Nora want him to learn, but she also relied on his assistance. the reason being that I hadn’t been giving it.

For all these years, I believed that my mother was nothing more than a dramatic person. On the other hand, seeing Theo succeed while I was falling apart made everything crystal apparent.

There had been no nagging from Nora. She had been exhausted for quite some time. On the other hand, I had been either too obstinate or too ignorant to notice.

I gulped and looked around the kitchen, which was now in a neat state. “Who is Theo?”

And he looked up. “Are you?”

We are grateful, buddy.

He wore a giant grin. And I was aware that I needed to do better.

When I returned home the following evening, I discovered Nora and Theo at the stove. In the meantime, he was stirring something in a dish as she was chopping.

In a grin, Nora stared up upward. “What’s up? Are you having a good day?

Taking a step forward, I rubbed my neck lightly. “Much better than the day before.”

She gave a sneer. I am willing to bet.

A brief pause transpired. After that, she displayed a knife in front of her. Do you want to assist with dinner?

Just a week ago, I would have dismissed it as nothing and gone straight to the couch. However, I was able to see everything in its entirety now.

I gave a slight nod. I agree. “Yes, I am.”

The tiny rise of her eyebrows was followed by the presentation of a cutting board to me. Grabbing a carrot, I began slicing it, although in a clumsy manner, but I made an effort. Theo laughed heartily. I saw Nora smile.

This was not merely a meal preparation. In the end, we were going to do it (together).