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Christmas was meant to be a time of love and remembrance, especially since it was our first without Mom. But my sister-in-law, Lindsey, shattered that when she heartlessly threw away my mother\u2019s ashes\u2014only for karma to strike back in the most unexpected way.<\/p>\n
A week before Christmas, my brother Ryan and Lindsey showed up at my door. Their heating system had broken down, and they needed a place to stay. My husband, Nathan, and I welcomed them in, unaware of the chaos Lindsey would bring.<\/p>\n
At first, it was small things\u2014hogging our master bathroom, leaving a mess, and even sneaking my sweaters into her suitcase. Annoying, but manageable. But on Christmas Eve morning, I noticed something far worse\u2014the black marble urn holding Mom\u2019s ashes was missing from the mantel.<\/p>\n
\u201cHas anyone seen Mom?\u201d I asked, my voice unsteady.<\/p>\n
Lindsey barely looked up. \u201cOh, that? I threw it out in the backyard. That thing freaked me out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Time froze. My heart pounded. \u201cYou did WHAT?\u201d<\/p>\n
Lindsey rolled her eyes. \u201cRelax, it\u2019s just ashes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fury overtook me. I stormed outside, hoping to recover Mom\u2019s remains, but it was too late. She was gone. That night, I lay awake, seething. I wanted Lindsey out, but Ryan begged me to wait until after Christmas.<\/p>\n
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Then, at midnight, a bloodcurdling scream echoed through the house. Nathan and I bolted upstairs, greeted by a rancid stench. The en-suite bathroom in their room had flooded\u2014sewage oozing onto the carpet, soaking Lindsey\u2019s clothes (and some of mine she had taken).<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s everywhere! Do something!\u201d she shrieked.<\/p>\n
Nathan and I exchanged glances. Every other bathroom in the house was fine\u2014only theirs was a disaster. \u201cLooks like the toilet backed up,\u201d Nathan said, barely suppressing a grin.<\/p>\n
I smirked. \u201cMaybe this is karma. Mom did have a wicked sense of humor.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lindsey shot me a murderous glare, but there was nothing she could do. The plumber wouldn\u2019t arrive until the day after Christmas, leaving her to stew in misery.<\/p>\n
At dinner the next day, she was uncharacteristically quiet. When she tried complaining, my family shut her down instantly. \u201cYou threw away their mother\u2019s ashes?\u201d my aunt gasped. \u201cWhat were you thinking?!\u201d<\/p>\n
By the night\u2019s end, Lindsey was humiliated. As Nathan and I cleaned up, he grinned. \u201cYou think Mom was with us today?\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled. \u201cI really hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom may not have been with us in the way we\u2019d planned, but in that moment, I felt her presence stronger than ever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christmas was meant to be a time of love and remembrance, especially since it was our first without Mom. But my sister-in-law, Lindsey, shattered that when she… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n