So. Let’s say that there’s a friend of yours. You know that they need to be picked up from the airport some time in the relatively near future. You say, “Sure,” you could do that, just let me know when.
You don’t hear from them for a while. So, on a whim, you call them one morning, just to check if they need that ride.
Turns out they’re coming in that day at around 3 in the afternoon.
So you say, “Sorry,” and explain that of course, you needed a little more warning. I mean, you work for a living, and getting that time off without any prior warning is going to be tricky. And you don’t go pick them up and they’re left to find another ride. You hang up, you go back to work and don’t give it another thought. I mean, this is what people do, they say, “No” all the time and nobody thinks badly of either side. Situation’s over and done with. There’s no drama.
Except it’s not your friend.
It’s a parent.
And of course, you say, “Sure,” and talk to your boss, get the time off and get ready to pick them up from the airport at 3.
Because it’s your parents.