Family favors shouldn’t come with invoices—but my mother-in-law missed that memo. After charging us $600 to care for our dog during my labor, I decided to teach her a lesson in reciprocity.
The back pain started days before my induction. Rich, ever loyal, stayed glued to my side. Jake’s optimism shone as he called his mom. “She’ll help,” he said. And she did—for a fee.
Labor was grueling, but our son’s arrival erased the pain. Returning home, we found Abigail’s note demanding payment. Jake’s jaw dropped. “This is insane,” he muttered.
I disagreed. Insanity would’ve been paying without a fight.
When Abigail arrived to meet her grandson, her smile vanished as she asked for the money. I slid her a folder detailing our unpaid favors: hours spent moving her apartment, cash poured into her car repairs, babysitting gigs she’d volunteered us for. “Want to settle up?” I asked.
Her face flushed crimson. “This isn’t how family works!” she snapped.
“Exactly,” I replied. “Family doesn’t keep score.”
She left in a huff. Jake wrapped an arm around me, our baby sleeping peacefully. Rich wagged his tail, blissfully unaware of the drama. That folder stays handy—just in case she ever forgets that love isn’t a transaction.
