When my mother-in-law, Melissa, came over to help with my colicky baby, I hoped for a much-needed break. Instead, the experience left me questioning everything.
Exhausted, I let her take over while I lay down. “You need rest,” my husband Peter had insisted over the phone. I agreed, but deep down, I wasn’t sure about Melissa. She often made me feel inadequate.
I woke abruptly to Emily’s cries. My phone was missing, and the baby monitor was off. Rushing to the nursery, I found Emily alone and distressed. Panic turned to anger as I searched for Melissa—only to find her outside, laughing on the phone with Peter. She had unplugged the monitor and taken my phone to avoid waking me.
“You left her alone for 37 minutes?” I confronted her. She dismissed my concerns, insisting I was overreacting. Furious, I asked her to leave and not return unless Peter was home.
Later, Peter returned, and I told him everything. He downplayed it, saying his mom only wanted to help. “You didn’t have to kick her out,” he said.
“She ignored Emily and took my phone!” I shot back. But he defended her, leaving me feeling unheard and frustrated.
That night, doubt crept in. Had I overreacted? But every time I pictured Emily crying alone, I knew I’d made the right choice.
Was I wrong?
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