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<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
A few days before I went into labor, I asked my husband Jake to make sure someone could care for our dog, Rich.<\/p>\n
He said his mom, Abigail, would handle it.<\/p>\n
Labor was rough, but holding our baby boy made it all worth it.<\/p>\n
When we got home, exhausted but happy, I found a note on the kitchen table. It wasn\u2019t the sweet \u201cWelcome Home\u201d message I\u2019d hoped for. Instead, it read: \u201cYou owe me $600 for feeding and walking Rich. My time costs money. You have my bank details.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustrative purpose only
\nAt first, I thought it was a joke. Nope. She was serious.<\/p>\n
A week later, she came over to see the baby, and her first words were:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen can I expect my money, Doris? I\u2019ve waited long enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled sweetly. \u201cOf course, Abigail. I\u2019ll pay you\u2014ON ONE CONDITION.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCondition? What condition?\u201d
\nI walked over to the computer desk and pulled out a folder I\u2019d prepared earlier. I\u2019d spent the past few days going through every instance when Jake and I had done something for her.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustrative purpose only
\nEvery favor, every single dollar we ever spent on her (excluding gifts) was all there in black and white.<\/p>\n
I said, flipping it open, \u201csince you\u2019re charging us for your services, I figured it\u2019s only fair we do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n
I slid the folder toward her. Abigail leaned over, her face tight with suspicion. \u201cWhat is this?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can think of it as an itemized invoice,\u201d I said. \u201cYou know, like professionals do.\u201d<\/p>\n
She grabbed the paper and scanned what I\u2019d written.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d I began, tapping the paper. \u201cHelping you move houses last year? That\u2019s $800. That\u2019s cheaper than regular movers, so you can consider it a family discount. Then, there\u2019s 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\u2019s kids at your request? That\u2019s around $600.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is ridiculous!\u201d Abigail finally sputtered. \u201cYou can\u2019t charge me for things family does for each other!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly,\u201d I said, my tone sharp. \u201cFamily helps each other out without expecting payment. At least, that\u2019s what I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abigail\u2019s words came out jumbled. \u201cBut\u2026 but this is different! I had to rearrange my schedule to take care of Rich!\u201d
\n\u201cAnd I had to rearrange my entire life to have your grandchild,\u201d I shot back, shrugging. \u201cSo if you want to talk about fair compensation, I think we\u2019re more than even.\u201d<\/p>\n
Abigail stood there for a moment, staring at me like she couldn\u2019t believe what was happening. Then, without another word, she spun around and stormed out of the house, slamming the door.<\/p>\n
Jake, who had been watching silently from the kitchen, walked over, a small grin tugging at his lips. \u201cNo one should mess with my wife,\u201d he said, wrapping me in his arms and kissing my cheek.<\/p>\n
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\nFor illustrative purpose only
\n\u201cYou got that right,\u201d I replied teasingly.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
At that moment, I felt at peace. Abigail might not have learned her lesson, but at least she wouldn\u2019t be bothering us about that $600 again. And if she ever did, well\u2026 I still had the folder.<\/p>\n
Let her try me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n