Say No and Keep Everyone Happy

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The dinner plate was still warm when your mother called. You’d just sat down, the first quiet moment of the day, and the question came wrapped in the familiar, hopeful tone: “Can you help your brother move this Saturday?” You didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” The word left your mouth before your brain caught up, before you remembered the deadline, the kid’s recital, the exhaustion that had become a permanent resident in your bones. You said yes, and as you hung up, something curdled in your stomach. Not anger at her.