Being an adult child with an ageing parent is one of the more emotionally complex positions in midlife. The research is clear that most people take on care not out of obligation, but because the relationship matters. It is also clear that the load tends to fall unevenly, often on daughters, often from a distance, and often without much acknowledgement of the toll it takes. This article draws on four peer-reviewed studies to explore the emotional reality of that position: what the evidence says about guilt, gender, relationship quality, and wellbeing, and when it might be time to talk to someone.