Marina watched her son trying on a new suit. Tall, well-built, dark-haired—tomorrow her boy was getting married, and it was hard to believe. Ilya carefully studied his reflection in the mirror. He turned around, nodded in satisfaction, noting that the suit fit perfectly. “Fashionable outfit,” the young man turned to his mother. “And the color is good, it looks expensive.”

“It is expensive,” thought Marina, but aloud she said: “I’m glad you like it. I’ll definitely shed a tear at the wedding as soon as I see you in full dress.”

Ilya finally turned away from the mirror: “Mom, are you going to the wedding or what? We agreed that you wouldn’t be there.”

“We agreed, son? I thought you were joking.”

“What jokes?” The son nervously paced the room. “Did you forget what Vika’s parents are like? The wedding will be full of elites. You’ll feel like a poor relative there. I’ll start worrying about you. Mom, do you want to ruin such an important day for me?”

The son sat down next to Marina on the couch, took her hand, and gently squeezed it: “Mommy, just imagine how out of place you’ll look among those dolled-up ladies. My heart would break from such humiliation. And think about how you’ll feel. We’ll come the day after, okay? Have some tea or champagne. You can congratulate us, give us your gift.”

Marina’s heart clenched with hurt. Her own son was ashamed of her to such an extent that he was prepared to appear at his own wedding like an orphan without kin. “Why would I look out of place?” the mother retorted. “I have an appointment with a good hairdresser, I’ll get my nails done. I’ll wear a decent dress.”

“What decent dress? That blue old thing!” Ilya snapped and paced the room again.

“So that’s it.” He stood in front of his mother. “If you don’t understand the nice way, I’ll tell you straight. I don’t want to see you at the wedding. I may be… but I’m ashamed that my mother is a cleaner. I don’t want you to embarrass me in front of Vika’s relatives. Is that clear?”

Marina was shocked by her son’s confession and could not utter a word. Ilya silently took his backpack, proudly flaunted his suit, and headed for the exit. At the threshold, he stopped: “I’ll say it again, don’t come to the ceremony. No one there will be glad to see you.”

Ilya had left a few hours ago. Twilight had set in, and Marina just sat on the couch in complete stupor. She was so shocked that she couldn’t even cry. Tears came a bit later when the woman turned on the light and pulled an old album with family photos from the dresser. This album contained her entire unembellished life. Memories crashed down on Marina with such force that it was hard to breathe. An old worn photo. There she was, a two-year-old girl with blue eyes, gazing intently into the lens. Her colorful dress clearly second-hand. Beside her, a thin, strange woman with a vacant look and a foolish smile. Even in the poor photo, it was evident that the woman was in high spirits.
Marina was two and a half when her mother lost parental rights and disappeared from her daughter’s life forever. As she grew older, the girl never tried to find her wayward mother. Why bother?

A group photo. Ten-year-old Marina with rebellious golden curls stands in the second row, third from the left. Life in the orphanage was no picnic.

The institution where Marina was raised resembled the troubled shelters from documentary films about the nineties. Cooks were caught stealing food, educators didn’t mince words, and the director turned a blind eye to bullying, uninterested in the methods older children used to maintain discipline.

Three attractive girls in waitress uniforms flirtatiously posed for a photographer on the porch of a building with a crooked sign. After school, Marina didn’t think too much about choosing a profession and quickly got a job as a waitress at a roadside café called “By the Road.” The salary was small, but the tips generously left by customers compensated for this.

Twelve-hour shifts were exhausting, but Marina did not despair. She liked her independent life. Her room in a shared apartment was spacious and bright, and the neighbors, an elderly couple, turned out to be friendly. She had enough money, although not much, and unexpectedly discovered a talent in herself. It turned out that she knew how to dress stylishly on a dime. By buying clothes from second-hands, she remade and altered them into fashionable items. In a summer meadow in the forest, a happy and laughing Marina sat on the grass with a crown of flowers, embraced by a handsome dark-haired guy wearing a similar crown. Many years have passed, but Marina’s heart still skips a beat at the sight of this photo.

She had been working at the café for about a year when she met Maxim. That summer morning, the café was unexpectedly crowded. Marina rushed around the room with a tray, serving impatient customers, and suddenly tripped, spilling tomato juice on a guy by the window. A bright red stain spread across his light shirt. Marina was lost for words, realizing that the shirt was expensive. Before she could recover, Stas, the café administrator, rushed to the table and began fussing, threatening her with dismissal.

“Why worry so much?” the guy smiled, handing Marina the keys to his car. “Don’t worry, I’m going to my parents’ country house. There’s a clean shirt in the car. Could you bring the backpack from the back seat?”

“I’ll bring it, Maxim Nikolaevich,” Stas offered helpfully, snatching the keys. “Otherwise, this chicken might break something in your car too.”

Left alone with the client, Marina finally managed to apologize: “Please forgive me, this is the first time this has happened. I swear, I will compensate you for the damage.”

Maxim replied. “It’s nothing serious.”

Maxim extended his hand. She responded with a handshake and then dared to look at him for the first time.

Stas brought him the backpack and escorted him in order to a back room to change. When he passed by Marina, Stas remarked sarcastically:

“What are you waiting for? Has your shift ended?”

While she was just taking payment from a loving couple, she heard a cheerful voice behind her: “Marina, could you spare me a minute of your attention?”

Maxim, in a fresh blue shirt, was sitting at the same table. “Will you take my order?”

“Of course.”

Serving the attractive visitor, the girl felt awkward. Stas personally escorted the guy to the door, then winked at Marina, “Don’t be upset, I purposely snapped at you, otherwise he might have made you pay for the shirt. It costs more than your salary.”

“How do you know this guy?”

“That’s Max Skvortsov, the mayor’s son. Everyone in town knows him.”

By that evening, Marina was so exhausted from the day’s hustle that she had forgotten about the morning incident. She only desired to get home and collapse into bed.

It was already dark outside. Suddenly, a light foreign car pulled up to the café. On closer inspection, Marina recognized the car. What was the mayor’s son doing here?

Maxim jumped out of the car and headed straight for Marina. He approached and handed her the flowers: “Have you finished work? Sorry, I didn’t know what kind you like, so I chose white roses. But I promise that from now on, I’ll only give you your favorites.”

Marina was completely bewildered.

“I’m actually courting you. Besides, the evening is so lovely, maybe we could go somewhere?”, Max said, laughing.

Everything that was happening seemed like a magical dream. Marina realized that she was ready to go anywhere with him. Yet she quickly came back to reality. She remembered she was dressed in old jeans and a simple t-shirt.

“Thank you, but I’m tired, I can’t today”, Marina said regretfully.

“Then tomorrow?” Max was persistent.

The next day they met, never to part again. It was love at first sight. Maxim was an economics student. He had successfully passed his summer exams, and they started seeing each other every day.

Max introduced Marina to his university friends. Together, they often went swimming and barbecued in the wilderness. It was the brightest, most carefree, and unforgettable time of Marina’s life. She never experienced such happiness again.

Marina and Maxim had already started planning their wedding, but all their dreams about the future collapsed. Maxim’s cousin saw him on the street with some ragamuffin and reported it to daddy-the-mayor. Marina’s life turned into a nightmare.

The Skvortsov family disapproved of their relationship. It was understandable. The only son and a girl from an orphanage. Maxim’s mother called hundreds of times a day, demanding that Marina leave him. Maxim’s cousin came to the cafe and caused a terrible scandal.

Then, neighbors also reported that some people had been asking about Marina for an hour.

“Recently one lady”, confirmed Yakov Ivanovich, a neighbor in the apartment, “offered us good money if we confirmed that you were a drug addict and a prostitute. I threw her out.”

Marina told nothing to her fiancé. She knew that his opportunity for an overseas student exchange was being decided at that moment. Apparently, he was also under pressure, because a worry settled in his eyes. Sometimes he would look tensely at his beloved’s face, but, seeing her gentle smile, he would sigh with relief.

Two weeks before Maxim’s departure, Marina received a phone call.

“This is Nikolai Borisovich, Maxim’s father. You must break up with my son before he leaves. Tell him you have another man. If you ignore my words, you will bitterly regret it.”

The mayor hung up. Marina was ready to give her life for Maxim, how could she possibly give up the man she loved so deeply?

When her beloved flew to London, events began to unfold around Marina that she still remembers as a bad dream. Stas, bribed by the city’s mayor, suddenly accused the waitress of a major shortage, and the girl was arrested.

Marina was in sh0ck by her boss’s vile act. As the case quickly went to court, she had no doubt that the truth would soon come out and these horrible charges would be dismissed.

The trial was like a farce. The lawyer provided by the state barely stayed awake during the proceedings. In contrast, the prosecutor tried his hardest. Every day, Marina hoped that Maxim would appear and save her, but a friend informed her that, according to rumors, the boy was planning to continue his studies in England.

Marina was sentenced to three years. It was only in prison that she learned she was expecting a child.

Marina tried not to think about the time she spent in women’s prison—it was too painful. Overwhelmed by emotions, she quickly turned the page of the family album. The photo showed her dark-haired, gray-eyed little boy. Marina tenderly ran her finger over the image. Her son was so affectionate and clever. Only God knows what it cost her to raise him alone.

After serving a year and a half, Marina was released. Her child had not been taken away. Outside, a myriad of problems awaited her. No one wanted to hire a young woman with a small child, especially one with a criminal record.

Her neighbor Yakov Ivanovich helped get little Ilyushka into daycare, Marina was able to work tirelessly. She worked as a cleaner in a restaurant, cleaned offices in the evenings, worked at a car wash on weekends, and sewed pillowcases and duvet covers at night.

She didn’t look back at the past—why suffer unnecessarily? Once she accidentally met a former friend who told her that the roadside café owner, Stas, had gone bankrupt, Mayor Skvortsov had moved to Moscow with his family after receiving a promotion, and his son had married a beauty from the capital a year ago.

Marina wiped away her tears and went to clean floors at the restaurant. She needed to raise her son.

She always tried to please him with tasty food, expensive toys, fashionable clothes. She was ready to do anything to fulfill all his wishes, as much as possible. If Ilya needed a new gadget, he calmly talked to his mother about it, knowing she would find the necessary amount, or at worst, take on extra work.

Certainly, in that Ilya had grown into such an insensitive egoist, she was to blame too. She never complained to him about being tired, never took sick leave, always gave him the tastiest pieces at dinner. No wonder her son never once considered the price his mother paid for the money. And now he was ashamed of her and didn’t want her, a cleaner, to attend his wedding.

«I understand,» Marina sighed bitterly, then turned to Ilya’s portrait on the wall. «Son, I’ve indulged you for 25 years, but this time I’ll do as I see fit. Forgive me.»

She got out of bed and pulled out a box from the nightstand, where she traditionally kept her savings. Plus, her monthly salary was on the card—enough for an outfit, hairstyle, and a visit to the beautician.

Marina’s appearance at the registry office caused a real stir.

She always looked younger than her years, but after visiting the beauty salon, she seemed to have shed a decade. The guests, especially the men, sneakily glanced at the blonde woman in an exquisite blue dress. During the ceremony, the mother, wiping away tears, admired her serious, slightly bewildered son and his charming bride. It was good that she had come here. After the ceremony, all the guests congratulated the newlyweds. Ilya stealthily made his way through the crowd to his mother and whispered:

«So my request means nothing to you? I hope you’re not going to the restaurant?»

«I won’t,» Marina nodded. «I’ve already seen everything I wanted.»

«Hello!» a flushed Vika rushed up to them. «Marina Anatolyevna, you look stunning! The parents invite you to go to the restaurant with them.»

«Thank you, but it’s time for me to leave.»

«What do you mean, time?» Vika was indignant. «Ilya, what’s happening?»

«Really, Mom, where are you rushing to? It’s your only son’s wedding,» Ilya invited his mother to the restaurant with a forced smile.

When it was time for parents to congratulate the young couple, Marina took the microphone:

«Children, be happy, love each other for a lifetime…»

As she descended from the small stage, the woman nearly bumped into a tall man in an expensive suit.

«It can’t be,» said Maxim, blocking her path. «Marishka, is it really you? What are you doing here?»

«Maxim?» Marina couldn’t believe her eyes.

«The bride’s father is my business partner, he invited me to the wedding. What a handsome son you have.» Maxim, nervously, took Marina’s hand. «Maybe we could step aside, talk by the window? Are you here alone, without a husband? I’ve been divorced for 10 years now, and I don’t have any children.»

They talked for an hour. Maxim told how his father, having flown to him abroad, informed him that Marina had met another guy and moved to Moscow with him. Shocked, Max didn’t believe his father but, fearing to humiliate his beloved with suspicions, decided to first find out the truth from his best friend. The friend went to the roadside café but didn’t find the girl there. The owner and waitresses unanimously confirmed the information received from the father.

«I nearly went mad with grief then, stayed in England for another six months, then returned to Moscow. My dad got promoted, then I got married. Was I happy all these years? Not a minute. Only in my youth with you. But how have you been living all this time?»

«Let’s not talk about sad things,» Marina suggested. «It’s a wedding, after all. I’ll tell you everything later, but now invite me to dance.»

Guests couldn’t take their eyes off the beautiful couple. Ilya watched his mother and didn’t recognize her. He suddenly thought that his mom was a very attractive woman who had given up her personal life for him. For the first time in his life, Ilya felt truly ashamed. Then he noticed that his mother, arm-in-arm with some wealthy man, was heading towards the exit, and caught up with her on the porch.

«Mom, where are you going?»

«I’m leaving. That’s what you wanted,» the mother reminded.

«Mom, I’m sorry, but where are you going with this man?»

«I’m ready to go with him to the ends of the earth,» Marina sincerely confessed. «By the way, meet your father, Maxim.»

Ilya looked bewildered at Marina. She paused and added with a smile:

«Yes, it looks like we have a very long conversation ahead. But not today. Today is a wedding!»

I Helped Plan a Family Cruise for My Dad and Stepmom & They Invited Me Too—I Didn’t Know They’d Turn Me Into the Nanny

I thought joining my dad and stepmom on a family cruise would bring us closer. Instead, I found myself stuck in a tiny cabin with two kids and a long list of responsibilities no one warned me about.

It started with a phone call. I was cleaning my tiny apartment when my phone buzzed. Linda’s name lit up the screen.

A woman talking on her phone at home | Source: Pexels

“Hey, sweetheart,” she said, sounding tired. “I’m calling with a big favor.”

I tucked the phone between my ear and shoulder. “Sure. What’s going on?”

“We’re just… overwhelmed,” she sighed. “Your dad’s exhausted. I haven’t had a break in years. We need to get away.”

“A vacation?” I asked.

A woman talking on her phone | Source: Pexels

“Yes! A cruise. Something easy. Family-friendly. Relaxing. You’re so good at planning trips — would you help us put something together?”

I smiled. “Of course. I’d love to.”

She laughed softly. “Knew I could count on you.”

A smiling woman talking on her phone with her back facing the camera | Source: Pexels

I hung up feeling good. My dad remarried Linda a few years ago. Things had been… okay. Not perfect. She had two young daughters from her first marriage — Lily and Sophie. Sweet girls, but I never quite felt like I fit in.

Still, I wanted to try. This cruise could be something special. Something we could all share.

I opened my laptop that night and got to work.

A woman writing while working on her laptop | Source: Pexels

I spent the whole week researching. I read reviews. Compared cruise lines. Checked kid clubs and menus. Looked up excursions, water parks, quiet spaces. I even called the cruise line twice to ask about child care and cabins.

Everything was planned around them — Linda, my dad, and the girls.

When I emailed Linda the itinerary, she called right away.

“This is perfect,” she said. “You really thought of everything. You’ve always been so responsible.”

A smiling mature woman talking on her phone | Source: Pexels

I felt warm inside. Then she added, “You should come with us! It’ll be a great family memory. And after all the work you’ve done, you deserve it.”

I paused.

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“Of course! We’d love to have you.”

A happy woman talking on her phone | Source: Pexels

I was touched. I hadn’t had a real vacation in years.

So, I booked my own ticket. Paid for everything myself. No expectations. I was just excited to be included.

The day of the cruise arrived. I rolled my suitcase into the terminal and spotted them waving near the check-in line. My dad smiled. Linda wore a floppy sunhat. Lily and Sophie had little backpacks with dolphins on them.

A smiling girl on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

“There she is!” Linda called. “Our planner! Our lifesaver!”

I laughed. “I’m just glad we made it.”

The ship was beautiful. Huge. White and shining in the sun. I could already smell the ocean.

As we stepped on board, I felt like this was going to be something good. After check-in, Linda pulled me aside.

A serious woman looking to her side | Source: Midjourney

“Here,” she said, handing me a keycard. “This is your room key.”

I looked down. It had my name — and Lily and Sophie’s.

“Oh,” I said slowly. “I’m in a cabin with the girls?”

She smiled wide. “We made a last-minute change! They’re SO excited to have a big sister all week!”

A smiling woman talking to her stepdaughter | Source: Midjourney

I glanced around. “I thought maybe I’d have my own cabin? Even a small one?”

Linda’s voice was sweet, but firm. “Honey, it didn’t make sense to get another room. Richard and I need a little privacy. You’re so good with the girls. This way, they’ll be comfortable.”

My dad nodded behind her, distracted by the luggage. “Thanks for being flexible, kiddo.”

I swallowed my disappointment. “Sure. No problem.”

A serious woman on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

I told myself not to make a big deal out of it. Maybe it was just the first night. Maybe tomorrow would be different.

Maybe…

Day one started at the pool.

Lily didn’t want to wear sunscreen. Sophie wanted a different float. Within minutes, both girls were crying. Linda and my dad handed me a towel and disappeared toward the adult deck.

A girl in a pool | Source: Pexels

“You’re the best with them,” Linda said cheerfully. “We’ll just be an hour!”

It turned into three. By the time I got the girls dried off and back to the cabin, I was sunburned and exhausted.

Day two, I was supposed to join a snorkeling trip. I had even packed my bag early.

A smiling woman ready for her trip | Source: Midjourney

At breakfast, Linda leaned over with a cup of coffee in hand. “So, the girls didn’t sleep great. They’re crabby. Could you keep them in the cabin this morning? They need a nap.”

I looked at her. “Wait, what about the excursion?”

She smiled. “Richard and I booked a wine tasting. I figured you’d understand.”

A smiling woman talking to her stepdaughter on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

So, instead of snorkeling in clear blue water, I spent the day trying to calm a fussy nine-year-old and a tearful seven-year-old while everyone else got to unwind.

Day three, same story.

They left for a couples massage and a kid-free lunch. I stayed behind again, playing board games and cleaning up juice spills.

Any time I tried to sit alone or breathe for a second, Linda would appear.

A smiling mature woman on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

“Sweetie, can you take the girls to the arcade?”

“Do you mind skipping dinner tonight? Richard and I just need a little quiet time.”

By that night, something inside me broke. At dinner, I watched them laugh and sip wine while the girls argued over crayons beside me.

I finally said it out loud.

A serious young woman | Source: Pexels

“Linda… I thought I’d get some time to myself, too. I paid for my ticket. I just—”

She didn’t let me finish. “You’re not a child,” she said, smiling tightly. “Why wouldn’t you help out? That’s what family does.”

I blinked. She went right back to her drink.

That night, after the girls fell asleep, I lay in the narrow bunk bed and stared at the ceiling.

A sleepless woman lying in her bed | Source: Midjourney

The hum of the ship filled the room. I could hear Lily turning in her sleep.

“I came here to feel like part of the family,” I whispered, “not the hired help.”

My eyes burned. I couldn’t hold back the tears anymore. The next morning, I got up early. I didn’t say a word.

I quietly packed a small bag and woke the girls up.

A woman with a small backpack | Source: Midjourney

They slipped into their sandals and took their little backpacks. I grabbed their room key from the desk — Linda had given them one just in case — and led them out, still half-asleep, holding each of their hands.

When we reached their parents’ cabin, I unlocked the door and gently guided them inside. The room was dark and quiet. Linda and my dad were still asleep.

A couple alseep in their room | Source: Midjourney

I whispered, “Stay here, okay? This is where you belong.”

Lily nodded, curling up on the empty bed beside her sister. Neither of them asked questions. Maybe they felt the shift too.

I pulled out a folded note I’d written earlier and placed it gently on the nightstand, beside Linda’s sunglasses.

The girls are safe. But I need space too. I’m not your help. — A.

A notepad and a pen on a bedside table | Source: Pexels

Then I slipped out, quietly closing the door behind me.

Back in my cabin, I opened the cruise app and booked a last-minute upgrade to a solo room. It wasn’t cheap, but I didn’t think twice.

For the first time on this trip, I finally chose myself.

A smiling woman standing on a deck | Source: Pexels

By lunchtime, I was on the top deck, sitting in the sun with a book in my lap. My new room was quiet. No crayons. No sticky hands.

Just peace.

That’s when Linda found me.

“You just left?” she snapped. “You’re being selfish.”

An angry woman on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

I looked up at her. Calm. Tired.

“I didn’t leave them,” I said. “I brought them to you. Like a mother should’ve had them from the start.”

She stared at me.

“I came here to be a daughter. A sister. Not your nanny.”

She didn’t say a word. She turned and walked away.

A woman walking away on a cruise ship | Source: Midjourney

The rest of the cruise felt like a breath of fresh air.

I spent my mornings on the top deck, reading in the sun with a warm cup of coffee. No interruptions. No crying. No demands.

One afternoon, I joined a small snorkeling group. I floated through clear blue water, the kind you only see in postcards. I laughed with strangers, took silly photos, and let the salty breeze wash the stress off me.

A woman snorkeling | Source: Pexels

I went to dinner alone. Sometimes I chose the buffet. Other nights, I found a quiet café in the corner of the ship and took my time. I ordered dessert. I didn’t rush. I tried new things and let myself enjoy them.

It felt like I’d found a piece of myself again — the part that wasn’t always trying to please everyone else.

A woman walking on a cruise ship | Source: Pexels

I didn’t avoid my family, but I kept my distance. We passed in hallways and at the elevator. Linda barely looked at me. The girls smiled and waved. My dad gave me a tired nod now and then.

On the final night, my dad knocked gently on my cabin door.

“Hey,” he said. “Just wanted to check in.”

I opened the door, unsure what to expect.

A serious man in a cruise ship room | Source: Midjourney

“I didn’t realize what was happening,” he said. “I should’ve. I’m sorry I didn’t speak up.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Dad. That means a lot.”

He hesitated. “Linda didn’t mean to make you feel… used.”

“She did, though,” I said quietly. “And she never even asked how I felt.”

A serious young woman talking to her father | Source: Midjourney

He sighed. “I’ll talk to her.”

I didn’t hold my breath.

The next morning, we took the shuttle back to the parking lot. The ride was quiet. Linda stared out the window. The girls whispered between themselves. My dad sat beside me and didn’t say much.

Before I got out of the car, he gave my arm a quick squeeze.

Holding hands | Source: Pexels

“I hope you’ll still plan trips,” he said.

I smiled. “I will. But only with people who see me as family. Not free labor.”

Back home, I unpacked slowly, letting the silence settle in. For the first time in days, I didn’t feel small.

I felt free.

A happy woman on her laptop at home | Source: Pexels