When Carl walked into the house after work that evening, he heard his wife and fifteen-year-old daughter arguing.

"I never ask you for anything," Regina yelled.

"You ask all of us for everything," Amelia yelled back, "we have to do everything for you and it's not fair. You are the mother and are supposed to be taking care of us. We aren't supposed to be your nurses."

Carl walked into the kitchen at that moment, "you don't do anything to help your mother."

Amelia turned and saw her father, "why should I?"

"She's your mother. That's why," Carl said, "and you need to apologize."

"For what?"

"You hurt her with what you said."

"Carl, it's fine," Regina told her husband, "she's right." Amelia and Carl looked at the woman in shock, "this is not how things are supposed to be. This is not how I wanted things to be, but this is how they are." Regina looked at her husband, "could you leave us for a moment?" Carl reluctantly turned and left the room, "I won't ask you for anything anymore. I want you to know that no matter what, I love you, and I wish things were different too." Regina called for her husband, "I need help." That's what she had asked Amelia for...help. She was feeling unsteady and needed help getting to the couch.

The next day, Carl had some errands to run and the girls were downstairs doing homework while Regina sat on the couch.

"Girls, are you hungry?" Regina asked.

"I can get us lunch," Eden offered.

"No," Regina stood carefully, "I'm fine."

"Mom, maybe you should use your cane?"

Regina walked towards the hall, "I'm alright today."

Eden stood to follow her mother, but Amelia stopped her, "where are you going?"

"I just want to make sure she's okay."

"She said she was fine."

"She probably said that because of your fight."

Amelia could tell her sister was genuinely worried about their mother. "Look, I'm done with my homework. I'll go to the kitchen with mom. That way you can stay here and finish."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Amelia got up and went to the kitchen. She found her mother struggling to open a bag of lunch meat. She had never seen that level of frustration on her mother's face. Amelia walked up to her mother, "here," she said softly before taking the bag to open it.

"Thanks," Regina was surprised her daughter was being so nice to her.

"Sure, do you need anything else opened?"

"I don't think so," Regina answered. Amelia sat on one of the stools at the counter, "you don't have to stay in here."

"It's' fine," Amelia shrugged.

"Eden asked you to come in here?"

"No, I offered because I was done with my work and she's not." Regina was slicing tomatoes when the knife missed and almost cut her.

"Maybe I should do that," Amelia suggested while taking the items from her mother.

"Thanks," tears began to appear in Regina's eyes. She walked towards the refrigerator but lost her balance. She caught herself on the counter before sliding down to the floor.

Amelia rushed to her mother, "are you alright?"

"I think so," Regina answered. Amelia went to help her mother up, "no, you'll need Eden to help you. Trust me when I say it will take two people to get me off the floor."

"Okay," Amelia went to the living room, "Hey, mom fell and I need help getting her off the floor." Eden quickly followed her sister. It took a while, but they were able to help Regina up. Eden took her mother to the living room to rest and Amelia finished lunch.

Eden and Amelia were walking home from school one day.

"Eden, what are we going to do?" Amelia asked.

"About what?"

"We can't let mom come to parent night. She'll embarrass us like she does every time."

"I hate to say that she embarrasses us, but it's true."

"We'll just have to come up with something."

The girls went downstairs for dinner and sat at the table. Regina walked in with her cane. She looked worse for wear. "Mom, are you alright?" Eden asked.

"I'm just tired."

"If you aren't feeling up to parents' night then you don't have to come," Amelia said, "maybe you're coming down with something."

"I'm sure that I'll be fine on Friday."

Regina grabbed onto the back of a chair when she felt as if she could collapse. Eden walked over to her mother and helped her to sit down. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you, sweetheart." Regina was a bit shaky and had a difficult time sitting up.

"Sweetheart, I would have brought you dinner," Carl said.

"I want to be here with all of you."

"I know, but it's one dinner."

"You don't know that," Regina had doubt all over her face. She struggled throughout dinner that night.

"Mom, would you like some help?" Eden asked.

"Thanks, but I can manage," Regina had difficulty eating because her hands were shaky. She had to stop and rest a few times.

"Regina!" Carl moved quickly as his wife began to fall forward. He managed to catch her before she did a face plant in her food. She was just too tired. Carl finished his dinner while holding his wife up with one hand and eating with the other.

After dinner, Eden helped her mother upstairs. "Do you want to get ready for bed?"

"Might as well while I'm up."

Eden helped Regina to bathe, brush her teeth, and change. She helped her mother to slowly lower herself onto the bed and tucked her in. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"You don't have to thank me." Eden smiled but saw her mother start to cry, "mom, what's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry that you have to deal with this. It's not fair to you. I told your father we should just hire someone."

"Mom, it's okay. Dad doesn't tell me to do this stuff. He's only asked me a few times and that's when I was in another room. If I see that you need help then I'm going to help you. I don't want you to get hurt. Stop feeling so bad, okay?"

Regina sniffled, "okay."

"Why don't I stay with you for a little bit?" Before Regina could answer, Eden climbed into bed and snuggled with her mother. Amelia never did this. She never helped her mother and rarely acknowledged her. Eden was different. Since she was a baby, Eden adored her mother and would do anything for her.