I was leading a pretty normal life until one afternoon two years ago, when I came back from school, and Mom told me that Dad had left us for good.

Though I was aware that lately, they were arguing a lot and that they were having problems, I never thought that Dad would leave us.

The only explanation she offered was that they both felt that leaving was a better option than the constant bickering and fighting. She also assured me that Dad loved me a lot. He told me the same when he called me later in the evening.

I, of course, was heartbroken. On the other hand, Mom continued as before for some months, but then slowly started falling apart. She was a customer service agent at the airport and went to work like clockwork, but apart from that, she hardly ever went out. She wore the same clothes for days and lost her appetite for everything.

Dad stayed in touch with us for some time, and then he moved to another city and another, and his phone calls went from less frequent to once or twice a year.

Worried over Mom’s condition, Grandma and Mom’s 36-year-old sister, Vera, who was two years older than Mom, have come to talk to her and me.

After dinner, Vera whispered to me that she and Grandma would come to my room after Mom went to bed. I was waiting for them.

There was a light knock on my door, and Grandma and Vera quietly walked in when I opened the door. Both sat on each end of the bed, with me in the middle near the headboard.

“Our suspicions were correct,” Grandma said, looking straight at me.

“You know, some people join the army because they need discipline. Some join groups. Similarly, your mother needs discipline in her life. First, it was your grandpa and then your father. They all provided her discipline. She becomes a wreck without it. To cut a long story short, you need to step up and provide her the discipline.”

Vera saw that my mouth was wide open and I was looking at them as if they were speaking Greek.

“What mother means is that you need to treat her like a baby, like a pet,” Vera tried to explain, but it made as much sense to me as quantum physics.

“Like a cat,” Grandma piped in.

“Well, no, cats don’t listen to anyone. You need to tell her what to wear, what to eat, who she can meet, who she can’t ... just like you tell a kid,” Vera elaborated.

“We know it won’t be easy, but if you want your mother to be back, that’s the only way,” she continued.

“And we’ll help you,” Grandma said in an assuring tone.

“Whaddaya want me to do?” I inquired as nothing they had said until now made any sense.

“We’ll take it one step at a time. In the morning, when she gets up ... what time does she get up?”

“These days after nine,” I told Vera.

“Okay, when she gets up, you tell her to brush her hair even if she has brushed it. And when you tell her, tell her like a boss, tell her like you are giving a command, don’t smile or laugh. Be extremely serious. Then after she brushes her hair, go with her to her room and ask her to put on those black shorts she’s always wearing and that blue top,” Vera explained.

“Undergarments, too,” Grandma added.

“Yes, they are in the second drawer near the cupboard. Just pick any,” Vera suggested.

“But remember, you need to act like a commander, speak like a commander. You know, she hates drinking cold milk, but in the morning, after she changes, give her cold milk with cornflakes. I’ve already put the milk in the refrigerator. Take out the milk from the refrigerator in front of her. And don’t worry, we are here. Now go to sleep,” Vera said as both of them got up and tiptoed back to their room.

As I lay there replaying their instructions, some past events began making more sense. Though I was just 14 when Dad left us, I remember Dad telling Mom what to wear, what to eat, and how to tie her long blonde hair. At that time, I found it romantic, and I even smiled at how she was always obeying him and doing whatever he wanted.

Now, when Vera and Grandma wanted me to do those things, I was panicking, shuddering at the idea. With all these thoughts running through my mind, I don’t know when I went to sleep.

In the morning, there was a soft knock on my door, and Vera came in.

Just like Mom, Vera was 5’9”, had long blonde hair, blue eyes, sharp features, and a big bosom.

“Your mom’s awake. Remember what we told you,” she whispered as she straightened her long blonde hair.

“Let’s go,” she ordered.

“Okay,” I murmured as I got up and washed my face in the bathroom.

Mom was sitting in the kitchen and staring at the wall. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were blank, and she was wearing faded pajamas and an old top.

“Enough of all this. I want you to brush your hair properly, wash your face, and pick yourself up,” I said as I clenched my fists and raised my voice as much as I could.

However, Mom didn’t even raise her head. I looked at Vera and Grandma, and both signaled me to try again. I again ordered her, and this time, I nearly shouted.

Mom raised her eyes, saw me, and nodded her head. She got up and began walking to her room. All three of us followed her. While she was washing her face, I took out the black shorts and the top from her cupboard and then grabbed a bra and panties from the drawer and put all of them on the bed.

“After brushing your hair, wear them,” I said, pointing at the clothes.

She stopped brushing midway, turned her head to look at me and the clothes, and nodded her head. All three of us left the room. After around 15 minutes, she emerged from the room in those clothes and her hair tied in a bun. As she sat down in the kitchen, I took out the milk and poured it into the bowl in front of her and added cornflakes.

“I don’t like cold milk,” she murmured.

Vera and Grandma shot a look at me.

“I don’t care. Just drink it, Mom,” I replied, instantly regretting using the word Mom.

Vera and Grandma, too, rolled their eyes. Mom kept her eyes down and started eating the cornflakes. After breakfast, she retreated to her room. I went to my room with Vera and Grandma.

“I ruined it, didn’t I?” I asked them.

“No, it wasn’t bad at all. This was your first time. Don’t worry, it was fine,” Vera replied.

“Just don’t say Mom or anything like that,” Grandma warned.

“Now go to her and tell her to clean the attic. Tell her you want everything, old boxes, clothes, books, everything in order. That you’ll inspect it,” Vera remarked.

“But we hardly ever use the attic, and it’s very dirty,” I countered.

“Trust me, she’d like that. I’ve known her my whole life. She needs to feel that you can take care of her. If she believes that, then she’d take care of herself to make you happy,” Vera assured me.

Mom was lying on her side on the bed with her eyes closed. I looked back at Vera and Grandma, who were standing just outside the room, and said, “Please wake up, as I want you to clean the attic.”

I don’t know why, but I whispered it. Maybe I was afraid of waking her up, disturbing her. To somehow make up for my incompetence, I shouted that I didn’t just want her to clean it, but arrange everything properly, adding that I’d inspect it after she’s done.

She opened her eyes, looked at me, and slowly got up. At that second, I wanted to say that I was joking, that I’d clean it or something just to make her happy, but I knew that Vera and Grandma were staring at me.

Mom got up and headed to clean the attic. While she was there, Vera opened Mom’s cupboard and said we all would dine out today. Pointing at the jeans and a top in the cupboard, Vera told me to tell Mom that we’d go out for dinner and that she should wear that.

“We’ll have seafood,” she commented.

“But she doesn’t like seafood,” I reminded her.

“That’s why we’ll have seafood. Just like parents decide what a baby should eat, you’ll decide what she eats. Remember, she’s just like a baby to you. Not Mom or anything else. Just a baby,” Vera remarked.

When Mom was done cleaning the attic, we three went to inspect it. I immediately said it was looking very clean. As soon as I said it, I saw Grandma staring at me.

“There’s still dust here,” Grandma pointed as she ran her finger over an old wooden box.

“Yes, yes, there’s dust here,” I blurted out.

Mom wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm and got down on her knees to clean the box.

“Make sure he’s not unhappy with your work,” Grandma scolded Mom as we three began walking out of the attic.

When she was done, we again went to inspect it, and after her back-breaking work, all I said was, “It looks fine.”

Mom raised her head, looked at me, and went to wash her hands and face.

Later, I was in my room when Grandma came and told me to ask Mom to get ready for dinner. Vera was changing in the guest room, and Mom was in her room. I went to her and, taking out the jeans and top from her cupboard, told her to get ready. I didn’t tell her that we were going to have seafood as I was afraid that she might refuse to come with us.

She simply said, “Okay.”

Just like Mom, Grandma was in jeans and a top. Vera, who enjoyed wearing naughty tops, was in a skirt that ended just over her knees and a top that said, “I don’t watch porn (I read it like a lady).”

I so wanted to ask her whether she read porn, but I couldn’t muster the courage. Some days ago, she came with her husband and her children, 17- and 16-year-old sons, in a white top that had a photo of a 20-something girl. The girl had a cigarette in her mouth and was wearing a white nun’s collar and holding a cross in one hand. The girl’s right bra was half hidden under a tunic, while the cross was covering the nipple of her left bra.

A few weeks before that, she came with her 16-year-old son wearing a top that had this written in capital letters, “I lick, swallow, and suck. And under the first word was written “the salt” in lowercase, under the second word “the tequila,” and under the third word “the lime.”

We got into Vera’s car and headed to a seafood restaurant. Mom didn’t say anything on the way and stayed silent until we sat down in the restaurant.

“I don’t like seafood,” she whispered.

“I think you should try it,” I suggested.

The second I said that, both Vera and Grandma glared at me. This time, I did not know how to rescue the situation, so I stayed quiet. Vera just looked at the menu silently.

When the food arrived, I somehow managed to gather courage and said, “Eat the shrimps, they are good.”

“I don’t like shrimps,” she replied, keeping her head bowed.

I looked at Vera and Grandma and, raising my voice a little, declared, “Eat them. Don’t make a scene here.”

Without lifting her head, she took a few shrimps in her mouth. By the end of the dinner, she ate only a handful of shrimp, but it was progress in my book.

When we were walking back to the car, Vera whispered to me that when we reach home, I should tell Mom to wear the black shorts and the top she was wearing earlier. I did as she told me. But when Mom came out of her room, Vera tapped me on my shoulder and signaled me to come to my room.

“Did you ask her not to wear undergarments?” she asked.

“What? I just told her to wear the shorts and top like you asked me to.”

“My God! You are crazy. Go tell her to take off her undergarments. Say you didn’t ask her to put them on, so why is she wearing them? Hurry up!”

I rolled my eyes and, going to Mom, said, “I didn’t ask you to wear undergarments, so why are you wearing them. Take them off.”

Mom simply nodded her head and went back to her room. When she came out of her room, I had no way of knowing whether she was wearing anything underneath, so I just assumed that she wasn’t.

At night, Vera and Grandma once again came to my room. Grandma was in pajamas and a top, and Vera in a robe.

“How was the day?” Grandma whispered.

“I don’t know. Very weird. I still don’t know what you want me to do,” I confessed.

“I want my daughter back, and you want your mother back. She went out today, that’s a good sign. You’re doing a good job.”

“I don’t think so. I make too many mistakes. I see both of you glaring at me all the time.”

“If we are saying you are doing a good job, it means you are doing a good job. In the morning, you’ll again give her cold milk with cornflakes and select the clothes when she gets up. I’ll go back home tomorrow, but Mother will be here to help you. And I’ll, of course, call you for the progress report,” Vera assured me.

In the morning, I again asked Mom to brush her hair and once again gave her cold milk with cornflakes. When she was having her breakfast, Vera told me to go to Mom’s room and select something for Mom to wear. When I asked her what I should select, she simply told me to pick anything and do it fast, as Mom would come any minute. I hurried to Mom’s room, opened the cupboard, and grabbed a jeans and a green thing I thought was a top.

“I’ve put your clothes on the bed, put them on after finishing breakfast,” I said in a voice that sounded like a command.

Mom raised her blue eyes, looked at me, and nodded her head. But when she returned from the room, she wasn’t wearing a green “top.” Actually, it was a green satin mini slip. That meant her arms, including her armpits, were bare, and her ample cleavage was on full display as it was a low cut. Yesterday, I forgot to tell her to take off her undergarments, and today, I forgot to tell her to put them on.

I knew that Grandma and Vera were staring at me, but I was enjoying the sight. Though I had glimpses of her cleavage here and there, this was the first time I had an unobstructed view. I was mesmerized by how her voluptuous breasts were rising from just under her neck, the blue veins running across her chest, and her nipples were poking out of the satin material.

However, I was aware that Grandma and Vera were there, so I turned my eyes away, and when I did that, I saw both of them looking at me. Mom went and sat down on the couch in the living room. Vera signaled me with her finger, and I followed her to her room.

“What did you pick?” she asked as she looked straight into my blue eyes.

“I thought it was a top,” I confessed.

“Next time, keep your eyes open. Now don’t say anything to her. I’m going home. If you are going somewhere with her, ask her to change. Otherwise, ask her to change at night. Will leave the car for Mother. Stefan’s coming to pick me up,” she remarked, referring to her husband.

As I was shuffling out of the room, Vera said, “And don’t stare at them like your cousins.”

“What?” I asked as I didn’t understand what she meant.

“Really? Do I’ve to explain everything? Don’t stare at her chest like they stare.”

“They stare at her?” I inquired as I had no idea that they did that.

“Not hers. They stare at mine,” she snapped.

I wanted to say I didn’t blame them, but I knew that staying silent was better.

“I don’t know what’s with you boys and breasts. Always staring, always trying to get a peek. All of you are the same.”

I kept quiet and left the room. I saw Grandma was in the kitchen, and Mom was watching TV in the living room.

When Stefan came, the first thing he said when he saw Mom was, “Oh, a new Ulla.”

Mom didn’t get up from the couch, didn’t hug him, or even shake his hands. She just gave a smile and turned back to watching TV. While we were sitting and talking, I noticed blonde hair shining under Mom’s armpits. I was sure that others saw it, too. This was the first time I had ever seen hair under her armpit. To me, this was one more signal that she had stopped taking care of herself.

“You are looking good, much better than before,” Stefan told Mom as his blue eyes drifted to her hairy armpits, her cleavage, and her nipples.

She glanced at him, slightly nodded her head, and continued watching TV.

“The kids miss you. You should have dinner with us someday,” he added.

“I miss them, too. You should send them here more often,” she replied, looking at him.

“I don’t have the energy to go anywhere after work. I get tired very easily,” she added.

He nodded his head. After around 15 minutes, he left with Vera. Nothing much happened in the next two days. In the evening, I selected the undergarments she would wear the next day with her uniform. In the morning, I told her what to have for breakfast and lunch and picked the clothes she would wear at home after she was back from work.

Two days later, on Tuesday, Grandma told me not to go to school the next day as Vera would come in the afternoon to talk with me. In the morning, I told Mom that I wasn’t going to school as I wasn’t feeling well. She asked me if I had a fever or something, and then left for work. In the afternoon, Vera and Grandma gathered in my room for an urgent conference.

“How are things?” Vera inquired.

“Same as before,” I replied.

“The only thing she does is go to the office,” I added.

“Yes, mother told me. I think she has even stopped shaving,” she said.

“Yes, she used to take care of herself so much and now nothing,” Grandma concurred.

“Stefan noticed it. He said he had never seen her armpit hair. It reminded him of ‘80s movies. He asked me whether it was Amazon or Sahara down there,” Vera said.

“What did you say?” Grandma asked.

“I told him I’ve asked her many times if I can bathe her or help her take a bath, but she doesn’t listen. I don’t know whether it’s a jungle or what. Do you know?” she suddenly asked me.

I looked at her in bewilderment and muttered, “How would I know?”

“Aren’t you boys always trying to see?”

“Like Lukas,” Grandma wondered aloud.

“Not just Lukas, but Kaspar also. All are the same. Lukas started hiding in the cupboard to look at me, and then Kaspar followed his elder brother. I caught them so many times and warned them, but they continued to do it. They simply ignore all my warnings, threats. Now, I’ve just given up. I’m like, watch as much as you want. I’m so tired of them.”

“You should tell Stefan,” Grandma advised.

“Yeah, maybe I should. Okay, back to the issue at hand. We are getting back on track, but things need a little push. I’ll text you all the steps. Memorize them. Don’t read them in front of her. You have to do it exactly the same way. I’ll send you the text, read it very carefully. She will be home soon, so be ready.”

Grandma and Vera got up and left me alone. Then I got the text on my cellphone. I read it again and again. By the time Mom came back from work, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to do whatever Grandma and Vera wanted. But if that was the only option, then I had no other choice.

I got up and went to Mom’s room. She was putting her handbag on the table. Grandma and Vera were in the living room.

“From now on, we aren’t ordering food all the time. We’ll cook dinner at home every day. From next month, you’ll show me your monthly credit card statement. I don’t want you blowing all your money on stupid things.

“Where you work, there’s a gym, so use it. You’ll spend at least 30 minutes in the gym. Go there before work or after work. I’ll check with Natasha,” I ordered, referring to her colleague.

“Tonight, you’ll cook dinner for all of us, and cook something good. I don’t want pasta again today. Go to the bathroom and take a proper bath, clean yourself properly, and shave. Doesn’t your boss say anything? Shave yourself,” I added.

I took out jeans, a top, a bra, and panties from her cupboard and placed them on the bed.

“Put them on after bath,” I told her before leaving the room.

“You did good, really good,” Grandma beamed a smile at me.

“Yes, that was good. Now don’t forget the rest. And don’t address her as Mom,” Vera reminded me.

A little later, we heard Mom’s bathroom door open, so Vera immediately got up and went to Mom’s room. Five minutes later, she came back and, looking at Grandma, said, “She’s shaved everywhere.”

“There also?” Grandma wondered.

“There also.”

Mom came out of her room and sat down in the living room in jeans and a top. Grandma and Vera began talking about Grandma’s brother, but Mom didn’t participate in the conversation and kept scrolling her cellphone.

She got up and asked me, “What would you like to eat?”

“Cook sticky beef and noodles for us,” I ordered without even looking at her.

She whispered, “Okay,” and went to the kitchen. As soon as I said that, I again felt sad and angry and wanted to scream that I was joking, that we’ll order dinner, that I was very sorry, but Grandma and Vera were watching me, so I didn’t.

“I’ll help you,” Grandma said as she got up and followed Mom.

“Why don’t you tell Stefan?” Grandma asked from the kitchen.

“About what?”

“About your kids watching you.”

“Because first he’ll beat them, and then he’ll blame me. You know how he is. They will get over it. At first, I didn’t notice. They would try to get into the bathroom when I was taking a shower. I thought they were just trying to irritate me. Then they started hiding in the cupboard to see me change after I came back from the office. They also began hugging me awkwardly or kissing me everywhere.”

“What do you mean everywhere?” Grandma wondered.

“Lukas started it. He began kissing my chest whenever he could, day or night. I mean, he’s already taller than me, but he just bends his head and kisses them. And now Kaspar is copying him. During the day, I’m fighting off four hands, and at night, I’m fighting off Stefan’s hands. Then there’s hugging. When Stefan’s not at home, they come in their shorts with nothing under them and hug me.”

“I think they do it deliberately,” Grandma mused.

“Of course, they do it deliberately. They know I can feel it. If I’m resting on the bed, they simply come over and press their crotch against my behind or back.”

“You should talk with them,” Grandma suggested.

“I have. I’ve told them many times that this isn’t correct and that I’d tell their father, but they just keep repeating that they love me. I know they love me, but I also know what they would actually love to do. Oof, my life is crazy!”

“Doesn’t Lukas have a girlfriend?” Grandma inquired.

“Yes, he does. But when has that stopped men? You should see when Stephan’s on a business trip. On one side, Lukas is all over me. On the other side, Kaspar. Some nights, they maul me before going to sleep, wake up in the middle of the night and maul me, and then maul me again in the morning. It’s exhausting. Now, the latest is that they don’t bathe if I don’t bathe them. They went nearly a month without a bath or even a shower, a month. Both of them were stinking. I had to cave in. Now I bathe them first, and then they bathe me. The only good thing is that Stefan comes late in the evening from the office.”

This was all news to me. I had seen them kiss her cheeks, even her lips, and hug her, but I thought they were just weird. I had no idea that they were doing all this.

“Yes, I remember that. You told me that they weren’t showering or taking a bath,” Grandma concurred.

“I know what’s coming because Lukas has given hints. The next thing he’s going to ask me is to trim his hair down there, and then he’s going to ask me if he can shave mine. Though he still doesn’t have many there, I know it’s coming.”

“How do you know?” Grandma quizzed, putting the crockery on the dining table.

“He has made me shave in front of them. Both brought chairs into the bathroom and watched me as I shaved. Kaspar was so scared that his face was all red. Meanwhile, instead of being angry at them, I was reassuring them again and again that it was all safe, that they shouldn’t feel afraid. Both hugged me tightly after I was done because both were relieved that I hadn’t hurt myself.”

“I hope you know what you are doing?” Grandma commented.

“Lukas will be off to college in a year, and, with him gone, managing Kaspar would be easier. He’ll behave himself.”

“What if they blackmail you like they blackmailed you in bathing them?” Grandma queried.

“That won’t happen,” she declared.

I’m not sure any of us, including her, were convinced.

Then the talks shifted to shopping and other things.

While they were chatting, Mom came and said, “Dinner’s ready.”

We all got up, and the dinner was delicious. Mom made noodles better than anybody I knew. However, I didn’t praise her as Grandma and Vera had asked me not to.

After dinner, I told her to get ice cream from the refrigerator and serve us. We all sat down in the living room and ate it.

“I’m going home. I’ll see you all later,” Vera announced as she got up.

“Is Stefan home?” Grandma asked.

“He’ll leave in about two hours. He’ll be gone for two days.”

“Why don’t you and the kids stay here?” Grandma asked.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. With you here, they’ll behave themselves. Maybe will bring them tomorrow.”

“Best of luck for tonight,” Grandma remarked.

“Will be a sandwich the whole night. Bye.”

After Vera left, I told Mom to wash the dishes and then go to sleep. I went to my room.

Around an hour later, there was a knock on my door, and Grandma entered. She asked me to check Mom. I went to her and opened the door. Mom was on the bed, and when she saw me, she immediately sat up. I nodded at her. Opening her drawer, I selected a bra and panties she would wear tomorrow with the uniform and, after putting them on a chair, left the room.

The next morning, I went to school, and an hour later, Mom went to work. In the evening, when Mom came back from work, she was smiling, something I hadn’t seen in a long time, and hugged me tightly, again something she hadn’t done in a long time.

“Let me freshen up. I’ve got something for you two,” she announced.

Grandma and I followed her to her room. After washing her face, she opened a bag and handed a top to Grandma and one to me.

“I went to Vera’s favorite shop and got them for you.”

On Grandma’s top, it was written, “I taste better than an old wine.”

On my top, this was written, “It’s not just my feet that are big.”

“This is great. Thank you, Mom.”

“Yes, they’re lovely and true ... at least mine is true,” Grandma chuckled.

“Didn’t you get something for yourself?” I asked.

“Of course, I did. I got for Vera, too,” she answered, taking out a top.

“This is for me.”

It had this text, “Not just a pretty face (fantastic tits too).”

“This is Vera’s.”

The top had a cat drawn on it and the text around it read, “My pussy loves a good stretch.”

“Ohh, these are naughty, very naughty,” Grandma exclaimed.

“I know! Vera would love this,” Mom said.

“Yeah, she would love that, no doubt about that. I don’t know how much more stretching she needs ... but yours is on the spot. Absolutely correct,” Grandma commented.

“Thank you, mother. I’m so glad that I got them.”

“They are great, Mom. I love it,” I remarked, hugging her.

“So wear them,” Mom said to us.

I instantly took my T-shirt off and wore the top.

“It fits perfectly,” Mom said as she put her hands on my shoulders and checked the fit.

“What about you?” Mom turned to Grandma.

Picking up the top, Grandma went to the guest room and came back in it. The top was the right size.

“Won’t you wear?” Grandma asked Mom.

“Can I put it on?” Mom asked.

I opened her cupboard, took out jeans, and told her to wear the top with the jeans.

“Did she ask you before she bought these things?”

“Yes, she texted me and asked me if she could go shopping. She went to the gym, too,” I replied.

“Good,” Grandma remarked.

Mom went to the bathroom and came back in that top and jeans. It was a tight top and it was revealing the roundness of her voluptuous boobs beautifully. Sashaying her ass, she walked a few steps and looked herself in the mirror.

A little later, Vera arrived with her two boys. As expected, Vera loved the top, and she immediately went to the guest room to put it on. The boys stared at the tops, but didn’t comment. We chatted about school, Stefan’s job, and other things, and even Mom joined in the conversation. While everybody was talking, Grandma and Vera told me that Mom was looking much better. I agreed with them.

Meanwhile, the boys didn’t touch Vera, nor did anything inappropriate even once, as Grandma was there. Both behaved normally.

We were in the living room after dinner, which Mom and Vera had jointly cooked, when Grandma said, “I’ve heard that you two trouble your mother a lot.”