She woke up with a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. She knew it was that time of the month again. She groaned and reached for the painkillers on her bedside table. She swallowed two pills and hoped they would kick in soon.

She got up and dragged herself to the bathroom. She changed her sanitary pad and washed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw the dark circles under her eyes. She felt tired and drained. She wished she could stay in bed all day, but she had too many things to do.

She went to the kitchen and started making breakfast for her family. She boiled some eggs, toasted some bread, and brewed some coffee. She set the table and called out to her husband and son. They came downstairs and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning, honey. How are you feeling?" her husband asked.

"I'm fine, just a little crampy," she lied.

He kissed her on the cheek and said, "You're amazing, you know that? You work so hard every day, even when you're not feeling well. I appreciate you so much."

She smiled and hugged him. He always knew how to make her feel better.

"Thanks, babe. You're pretty amazing yourself."

They sat down and ate breakfast together. Her son told them about his school project and his soccer practice. He was a bright and energetic boy, and she loved him more than anything.

"Mom, can you help me with my homework later?" he asked.

"Of course, sweetie. Anything for you," she said.

She cleared the table and washed the dishes. She packed lunch for her husband and son and kissed them goodbye as they left for work and school. She then started doing the laundry, vacuuming the floor, dusting the furniture, and cleaning the bathroom. She felt a wave of nausea and dizziness, but she ignored it. She had to finish her chores before she could rest.

She finished around noon and decided to take a nap. She lay down on the couch and closed her eyes. She felt a warm blanket covering her body and opened her eyes again. She saw her daughter standing over her with a smile.

"Hey, mom. I came home early from college today. I wanted to surprise you," she said.

She hugged her daughter and said, "I'm so happy to see you, honey. You're such a sweet surprise."

"I brought you some chocolate and flowers," her daughter said, handing her a box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses.

"Thank you, darling. You're so thoughtful."

"I also made you some soup. It's in the kitchen. You should eat something, mom. You look pale."

She got up and followed her daughter to the kitchen. She smelled the delicious aroma of chicken soup and felt her mouth water.

"Wow, this looks amazing," she said.

"It's your favorite recipe," her daughter said.

They sat down and ate the soup together. They chatted about college, friends, movies, and books. Her daughter made her laugh with her witty jokes and funny stories.

"Mom, you know I love you, right?" her daughter asked.

"I know, honey. I love you too," she said.

"And you know you don't have to do everything by yourself, right? You can ask for help sometimes."

"I know, honey."

"Then why don't you? Mom, you work so hard every day, even when you're not feeling well. You take care of everyone else, but who takes care of you?"

She looked at her daughter's sincere eyes and felt a lump in her throat.

"I'm fine, honey. Really."

"No, mom. You're not fine. You're human. You have emotions and feelings. You have needs and wants. You have limits and boundaries."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Honey..."

"Mom, listen to me. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be healthy. You deserve to be respected. You deserve to be loved."

She sobbed and hugged her daughter.

"Thank you, honey. Thank you for saying that."

"It's true, mom. And I'm not the only one who thinks that."

Her daughter took out her phone and showed her a video message from her husband and son.

They both said how much they loved her and appreciated her for everything she did for them. They said how proud they were of her for being such a strong and amazing woman. They said how sorry they were for not being more supportive and helpful during those days when she was suffering from cramps and body aches. They said how they wanted to make those days more relaxing for her in every way possible.

They ended the message with a chorus of "We love you, mom!"

She watched the video with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

She felt a surge of warmth and gratitude in her heart.

She realized she was not alone.

She realized she was loved.

She realized she was happy.

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