My name is Akane (32). I live with my husband Takumi (33) and our third-grade son in my husband’s family home. His parents passed away before we got married, and until a few years ago his younger sister, Maki (26), lived with us too. Now Maki lives on her own, about a ten-minute walk away. But since both of us work from home, she comes over almost every weekday to eat lunch. I think of Maki like a little sister, so that part doesn’t bother me—but lately, I’ve started to notice that she helps herself to things from our fridge and pantry and takes them home without asking.
I’ve told Maki over and over, “If you’re going to take something, just let me know.” Still, she makes excuses—saying I looked busy, or that she grabbed it without thinking—and takes things anyway. When we have plenty in stock, I don’t always notice. But when the main ingredient I was planning to use that day suddenly disappears, of course I notice.
When Maki said she’d “pay me back” and then contacted my husband, I couldn’t help wondering if she was expecting him to say, “Don’t worry about it.”