A few days before I went into labor, I asked my husband Jake to make sure someone could care for our dog, Rich.

He said his mom, Abigail, would handle it.

Labor was rough, but holding our baby boy made it all worth it.

When we got home, exhausted but happy, I found a note on the kitchen table. It wasn’t the sweet “Welcome Home” message I’d hoped for. Instead, it read: “You owe me $600 for feeding and walking Rich. My time costs money. You have my bank details.”

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At first, I thought it was a joke. Nope. She was serious.

A week later, she came over to see the baby, and her first words were:

“When can I expect my money, Doris? I’ve waited long enough.”

I smiled sweetly. “Of course, Abigail. I’ll pay you—ON ONE CONDITION.”

“Condition? What condition?”
I walked over to the computer desk and pulled out a folder I’d prepared earlier. I’d spent the past few days going through every instance when Jake and I had done something for her.

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Every favor, every single dollar we ever spent on her (excluding gifts) was all there in black and white.

I said, flipping it open, “since you’re charging us for your services, I figured it’s only fair we do the same.”

I slid the folder toward her. Abigail leaned over, her face tight with suspicion. “What is this?” she asked.

“You can think of it as an itemized invoice,” I said. “You know, like professionals do.”

She grabbed the paper and scanned what I’d written.

“Let’s see,” I began, tapping the paper. “Helping you move houses last year? That’s $800. That’s cheaper than regular movers, so you can consider it a family discount. Then, there’s the time we paid for your car repair when your transmission failed. That was $1,200. And the free babysitting I did for your neighbor’s kids at your request? That’s around $600.”

“This is ridiculous!” Abigail finally sputtered. “You can’t charge me for things family does for each other!”

“Exactly,” I said, my tone sharp. “Family helps each other out without expecting payment. At least, that’s what I thought.”

Abigail’s words came out jumbled. “But… but this is different! I had to rearrange my schedule to take care of Rich!”
“And I had to rearrange my entire life to have your grandchild,” I shot back, shrugging. “So if you want to talk about fair compensation, I think we’re more than even.”

Abigail stood there for a moment, staring at me like she couldn’t believe what was happening. Then, without another word, she spun around and stormed out of the house, slamming the door.

Jake, who had been watching silently from the kitchen, walked over, a small grin tugging at his lips. “No one should mess with my wife,” he said, wrapping me in his arms and kissing my cheek.

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“You got that right,” I replied teasingly.

Rich trotted over, his tail wagging, and rested his head on my knee. I scratched his ears, looking down at the little bundle in my arms.

At that moment, I felt at peace. Abigail might not have learned her lesson, but at least she wouldn’t be bothering us about that $600 again. And if she ever did, well… I still had the folder.

Let her try me.