My Careless Sister Kept Insisting on Babysitting My Son, and I Was Confused Until I Uncovered the Shocking Reason — Story of the Day

Even though we were sisters, Erika and I had always been two completely different people. It was obvious even back in childhood.

I was calm, quiet, and never needed much attention. All I ever wanted was a piece of paper and a few pencils — and no one had to bother me for the rest of the day.

Erika was the definition of chaos. The moment she learned how to walk, she never sat still again.

Always getting into trouble, climbing somewhere, breaking things. By the time she finished high school, she had broken five bones — for no reason other than just being Erika.

We were too different to live peacefully under one roof, and that never changed with age.

Erika had no understanding of the word “responsibility.” She did whatever she pleased, no matter the consequences. She never thought about the future — just lived day to day.

I was the exact opposite. I had a stable job in animation, a wonderful husband named Sean, and for a year now, I could proudly call myself a mom.

My son Austin was my entire world, and I did everything to keep him safe. That was why I never left him alone with Erika — and to be honest, she had never shown any interest in babysitting anyway.

She avoided Austin like he was contagious every time she came over. Erika had no love for children, and she made no effort to hide it.

Honestly, I was relieved — it meant I never had to explain to our mom why I did not want to leave my baby with my sister. Until that one day. The day I had no other choice.

It was just an ordinary Wednesday. I was working from home so I could keep an eye on Austin.

But then I got a call from the office — they begged me to come in, said it was something urgent.

Sean could not take time off, and our nanny had fallen sick at the worst possible moment.

So I called my mom and prayed to every god I could think of that she would be able to help.

But she refused too because she had gone shopping with her friend. Well, it seemed I had no other choice left.

“What do you think, buddy? Could Aunt Erika take care of you?” I asked him, though I knew he would not answer. He chose that exact moment to start wailing.

I got up and scooped him into my arms to calm him down. As much as I hated the idea, I had no other option — I called Erika.

She arrived about twenty minutes later. I could tell she was trying hard to hide her annoyance about having to babysit Austin.

“I left you a detailed list on the fridge — when and what to feed him, where the diapers are, what to do if he cries, and his favorite toys,” I rattled off as I scrambled to get ready.

“Everything’s gonna be peachy, sis,” Erika chirped with a fake smile.

“Please, just keep him safe. Do not do anything stupid,” I begged her.

“Why are you so worried? I’m his aunt,” Erika replied with a shrug.

“Because you’ve never taken care of a child in your life,” I snapped.

“I’m a woman. Maybe my instincts will kick in,” she joked.

I let out a heavy sigh. I was already running late, so I headed for the front door. Erika trailed behind me, holding Austin in her arms.

“What are we supposed to do all this time? How do I keep him entertained?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing extreme. You can take him to the park nearby, but be careful,” I instructed.

“It’ll be fine, sis,” Erika insisted.

I kissed Austin on the forehead and stepped outside. The moment I closed the door behind me, I heard him burst into hysterical tears. But I forced myself to walk to the car and drive away.

​​At work, I could not stop thinking about Erika and Austin. I texted her every five minutes, asking for pictures.

Eventually, she got fed up and replied that she would not send any more photos. That only made my anxiety worse.

But when I got home, I saw Erika and Austin quietly playing in the nursery. I rushed over and scooped my son into my arms.

“Mommy missed you so much,” I whispered to Austin, holding him close. Then I turned to Erika and asked, “Was everything okay?”

“Yeah,” Erika replied. “We went to the park, played for a while. He barely cried, just when you left.”

“Did you feed him?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.

“Yes.”

“With what I listed?”

“Yes.”

“You heated the food, right?”

“For God’s sake, Vanessa!” Erika groaned. “I fed him, I changed his diaper, we went outside, and he had fun. He’s alive, clean, and even smiling.”

“Alright, alright. Thank you.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Erika began. “Your kid’s not that bad. I could watch him again if you want.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I did pretty well, didn’t I? Just… please don’t text me every five minutes next time, or I’ll lose my mind.”

“I’ll consider it,” I replied, and Erika gave me a wink before heading out.

Later that evening, I told Sean what had happened. He pointed out that if Erika kept watching Austin, we could save on the nanny.

He was right, of course. Still, I was hesitant. One successful day did not mean she was suddenly responsible.

But somehow, Sean convinced me. After that, Erika began babysitting Austin more regularly.

At first, it was once a week. Then she started insisting on coming more often.

I did not understand where this new enthusiasm came from. She had never liked children, and now she was offering to watch Austin — for free.

One day, Erika showed up again to watch him. She came up to me as I was grabbing my coat and asked, “Hey, when’s Austin’s birthday?”

“August twenty-two. Why?” I replied.

“Great,” she muttered under her breath, though I heard her. “Oh, nothing,” she added quickly, in a louder voice. “I was just curious about his zodiac sign. He’s a Lion. Poor kid.”

Then she walked off to find Austin.

I stood in the hallway, already feeling like something was off. Erika reappeared, carrying Austin in one arm and his diaper bag slung over her shoulder.

“Where are you two going?” I asked, folding my arms.

“Oh, just taking a walk in the park,” Erika chirped. “Have a good day at work!”

And with that, she was gone.

I did not know what exactly was wrong, but something definitely was. My mom gut twisted, warning me something was off. So I followed her. That turned out to be the right choice.

Because Erika did not go to the park. She drove across town and pulled up to a large apartment building.

Waiting outside was… Toby. Her ex. The one who dumped her after she cheated on him with one of her former boyfriends.

So why the hell was she visiting him — with my son?

I watched from a distance as Erika stepped out of the car, cradling Austin.

Toby met them with a smile, kissed Erika on the cheek, and then took Austin into his arms like he was his own child.

I waited in my car until they finally came back out — two whole hours later.

Erika and Toby kissed goodbye, and she headed for the car. I stayed put until Toby disappeared inside. Then I bolted.

I rushed up to Erika’s window and banged on it. She jumped. Rolling it down, she shouted, “What are you doing here?! Jesus, Vanessa, you scared me!”

“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled back. “Taking my son to your ex’s apartment?!”

“We were just visiting,” she mumbled.

“Do not lie to me. I remember how things ended between you and Toby. So tell me — what’s the real reason you brought Austin here?”

Erika huffed and crossed her arms. “Fine. He saw me with Austin at the park the first time I babysat and… he kind of assumed Austin was mine. He asked if he was his and… I said yes.”

“Erika!” I exploded.

“What? He assumed it! I just didn’t correct him! I figured maybe it’d help win him back.”

“You cannot use my son to get your ex back!” I shouted.

“He’s having fun! He likes Toby!” she argued.

“That’s not the point. You’re lying to him, and it’s wrong. What happens when he finds out the truth?” I pressed.

“Please don’t tell him. Please, Vanessa,” she pleaded, giving me her best puppy-dog look.

I sighed deeply. “Fine. I won’t tell him,” I said, watching relief wash over her face. “But only if you tell him yourself.”

“Oh, come on, Vanessa.”

“It’s the right thing to do. For Toby, and especially for Austin. He can’t grow up hearing you call some random guy ‘daddy.’”

“Alright, but give me some time,” she grumbled.

“Fine,” I muttered. “I still can’t believe you only decided to be a good aunt to win back your ex.” With that, I turned around and walked to my car.

Erika kept her promise and told Toby the truth — or at least, that was what she claimed.

And for once in my life, I decided to just believe her. Maybe she truly had matured.

She seemed to be doing a good job with Austin, and he genuinely enjoyed spending time with her.

Erika even offered to keep babysitting him to make it up to me. I agreed, thinking that perhaps she was finally taking responsibility. But one day, I regretted that decision more than anything.

Erika was supposed to bring Austin home at five. By five-thirty, there was still no sign of them. I paced around the living room, glancing at the clock every other second, my nerves fraying.

“It’s just thirty minutes,” Sean tried to reassure me. “You need to relax.”

“How am I supposed to relax when my child is with her?” I snapped.

“She’s proven she can handle it. Just breathe,” Sean replied calmly.

If only he knew the real reason she started babysitting in the first place — he would not be so understanding.

I had never told Sean about the whole “Toby thinks it’s his son” story. If I had, Erika would not have been allowed near our house again.

“No, I can’t do this,” I muttered and dialed Erika’s number. Sean shook his head, disapprovingly.

My heart dropped the second I heard the robotic voice: “This number is currently unavailable.” I called again. And again. And again. Same result.

“What’s going on?” Sean asked, noticing the panic on my face.

“Her phone’s off,” I whispered, my voice trembling. Now even Sean looked worried.

We both started sending Erika messages on every app we could think of. No response.

Sean called my mom, but she had no idea where Erika was. I tried calling Erika’s apartment complex, but the front desk said she had not come back since morning.

“I’m calling the police,” Sean declared, already reaching for his phone.

“Wait,” I interrupted. “There’s one person who might know where she is.”

I quickly dialed Toby. He answered, sounding relaxed. “Oh, they’re with me,” he said cheerfully. “Erika and Austin came with me to the countryside for a little getaway. Why? Is something wrong?”

His next words nearly made me drop the phone.

“Why are you so worried about where Erika and her son are?”

“Send me your location. Now,” I growled, then hung up before he could say anything else. I jumped into my car and raced there without another word.

When I arrived, I spotted Erika holding Austin in her arms, looking like a deer caught in headlights. I marched up and snatched my son from her grasp.

“What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted.

“Vanessa, everything’s fine,” Erika stammered.

“Nothing is fine!” I snapped. “You can’t just take someone else’s child and disappear for hours without telling anyone! Sean was about to call the police!”

“What do you mean someone else’s child? He’s my son,” Toby interjected, stepping forward. “We can take him wherever we want.”

“He’s not your son!” I screamed, turning to face him. “She lied to you! She used Austin to manipulate you into coming back!”

“Vanessa!” Erika gasped.

“We had a deal, Erika. And you broke it. For once in my life, I decided to treat you like an adult — and you let me down,” I growled.

“This isn’t fair!” Erika shouted back.

“Oh, you want to talk about fair?” I hissed. “You lied. You dragged an innocent man into your mess. You used my child as a pawn. Clean up your own disaster. I’m done.”

Without another word, I turned around and stormed off toward my car, clutching Austin tightly. Behind me, I could hear both Erika and Sean shouting, but I did not stop. Not this time.

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