My In-Laws Skipped Thanksgiving but Sent a Gift — What Was Inside Made My Husband Rush to Their House
My In-Laws Refused to Come for Thanksgiving but Sent Us a ‘Gift’ – When My Husband Opened It, He Screamed, ‘We Have to Drive to Their Home Now!’
The relationship that my husband and I shared with his parents was so strong that we came to see them as our closest, most trusted friends. However, after we found out that we were expecting a child, my in-laws began to withdraw from us before we could tell them the wonderful news. Much to our surprise, we later realised that they had been concealing something shocking from us.
The relationship that my husband, Ethan, and I have always shared with his parents, Linda and Rick, has been nothing short of extraordinary. Nevertheless, when they began behaving in a strange and distant manner, we ended up travelling to their house without prior notice in order to confront them!
As you can see, my mother-in-law (MIL) is 45 years old, and my father-in-law (FIL) is 47 years old. These are the kind of in-laws that everyone fantasises about having. Even while they are young enough to be fun and adventurous, they are still indisputably “parent-y” when it comes to important matters. Ethan was born to Linda when she was only seventeen years old, and Rick was not much older than Linda.
Rather than being your conventional in-laws, they are more like friends than they are like traditional in-laws. They are an uplifting pair who have the ideal blend of energy and wisdom. However, as of late, they have started behaving in a… different manner.
The situation began a few months ago when Ethan’s father started avoiding his calls by using strange excuses. For example, he would state that he was busy “working on the attic” although they lived in a house with only one story, or that he was mending the porch when they did not have one.
From my father-in-law’s end, the calls were always tense and unexpectedly cut off at any moment. I was surprised to find that Linda, who often inundated me with memes and recipes for baking, suddenly broke her silence. When I did make an effort to get in touch with her, she responded with curt, emoji-filled and incomprehensible messages.
At one point, when I enquired about whether or not they had seen a specific movie, she responded by sending me an emoji of spaghetti! In spite of the fact that Ethan dismissed it as her being “quirky,” I couldn’t shake the notion that something was out of the ordinary.
On the other hand, the first evident warning sign was related to their guest room, which Rick was quite protective of. Last month, we paid them a visit, and for the very first time, the door to the room was indeed shut! In response to Ethan’s humorous threat to pick the lock, Linda’s retort, “Don’t you dare!” struck both of us speechless.
It would be an understatement to say that the rest of the visit was awkward as it unfolded! The warmth and humour that they typically exuded had been replaced with a tension that we were unable to comprehend.
The second warning sign was related to the Thanksgiving holiday, which we had believed would bring us back together during this time of year. Over the course of several weeks, we had been making preparations to host the holiday, and we were anxious to provide them with some life-altering information: we were expecting our first child! A little, gorgeous onesie that read “Grandma & Grandpa’s Little Turkey” was even purchased by us in order to make the announcement even more memorable.
However, Linda contacted one week before the holiday and informed her that they would not be able to make it. She uttered “We have something going on,” but her words were hazy.
Ethan urged her for more information, but all she could muster was a disgruntled expression. “You wouldn’t understand.”
My husband was vehemently angry. As he marched around the kitchen that evening, he uttered the words, “Something is going on with them.” Something is being concealed by them. Are they unable to just communicate with us?
He went so far as to threaten to go over and confront them, but I was able to persuade him to put the matter to rest. I reasoned that everyone has the right to their own privacy. However, their absence bothered me more than I had anticipated.
The morning of Thanksgiving arrived, and instead of a lively house full with family, it was just Ethan and me. This was due to the fact that I did not have a strong relationship with either my parents or my biological relatives. Even if we made the most of the situation, it was impossible to overlook the fact that his parents had disappeared without a potential explanation.
In spite of the fact that they were absent throughout the holiday, the doorbell rang at approximately three o’clock. We were made aware of a parcel of moderate size that was addressed to Ethan by a delivery person.
After we had signed for the “gift,” we saw a note that was placed to the top of the package. The statement said, “We are so sorry that we were unable to be there.” Together, could you please open this? Sincerely, Mom and Dad”
I thought it would be a heartfelt gesture, like a photo album or one of Linda’s famous quilts, so I set up my phone to video our reaction as my husband took the box inside. I was hoping that it would become a memorable experience.
In the process of tearing into the package, Ethan extracted a simple cardboard box. Something was hidden within, tucked away among the layers of tissue paper, but I was unable to see anything. For a little period, he was unable to fully comprehend what he was looking at. At that moment, his face became completely devoid of colour, and he let forth a piercing scream!
“It is imperative that we leave. Right now!
“What is it? What is the matter? With my heart pounding, I enquired.
Even Ethan did not respond. It was then that he grabbed his keys, put on his trainers and motioned for me to follow him. In the car, get in it. Now is the time for us to make the trip to my folks’ residence!
“Ethan, you are giving me the creeps. To what did the box contain?
“Even if I were to tell you, you wouldn’t believe me. “It is imperative that my parents convey this information to us,” he said as he fastened his seatbelt. Because of the force with which he held the driving wheel in his hands, his knuckles literally turned white.
The five-hour journey to his parents’ home was a source of excruciating pain. I was left to my own devices in terms of my imagination because Ethan remained silent. Was there a sick person? Discomfort? Did they use this as a means of requesting assistance? Could it be that they had a consequence that they failed to mention? And it’s possible that they were in danger!
As soon as we pulled into their driveway, my anxieties were completely through the roof! I had a bit of faith that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be waiting inside! I was going to knock on the door when Ethan suddenly threw it open for me! As a result of being taken aback by our unexpected presence, Linda and Rick immediately stood up.
Without wasting any time, Ethan went straight to the point by displaying the box and removing a pregnancy test from it. “What. Is. This?”
The face of my father-in-law became pale, while Linda’s cheeks became a deep shade of crimson. She glanced at me, then turned her attention back to Ethan, and then she eventually stutteringly said, “I—I was going to call.”
“Call?!” Incredulous and filled with pain, Ethan’s voice sounded. “You thought sending this was a better idea than just telling us?!”
Hands were wrung nervously by my mother-in-law. “I didn’t know how to say it.”
“Say what?” Suddenly, I spoke up, my voice shaking slightly.
In the midst of her eyes welling up with tears, Linda took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”
There is no sound. The silence was complete and deafening.
I glanced at her, certain that I had misunderstood what she had said. “You’re…what?”
The tone of Rick’s voice was thick with emotion as he cleared his throat.
It is accurate. We did not believe that it was even conceivable. Because, you know, I had a vasectomy many years ago.
With trepidation, he laughed. “Guess it wasn’t as foolproof as we thought.”
“We were so overwhelmed by this news and trying to figure out how to break it to you that we panicked and chose to avoid you instead,” Rick further elaborated.
Because we hadn’t revealed the pregnancy in advance, we decided not to attend Thanksgiving. We didn’t want to show up with a pregnant tummy all of a sudden! “We believed that the test would be the best way to convey the information to you,” Linda added.
The messages that are cryptic. It is the avoidance. Suddenly, everything made perfect sense! Having a child was not only unanticipated for them at that age, but it was also unthinkable!
“You couldn’t have just told us?” Ethan enquired, his tone becoming more subdued. “We would’ve understood.”
The expression on Linda’s face became creased.
“We had no idea how you would respond to that. This is just ridiculous, don’t you think? We are about to become parents for the second time! Where do we even begin to explain that?
The expression on my husband’s face became more comfortable, and he let out a weak laugh.
“Yes, it’s crazy to think that I’m going to fulfil the role of a big brother to someone. However, it is not anything that you was required to conceal.
After what seemed like an eternity, my husband and I finally glanced at each other and began giggling. I then dug into my suitcase and pulled out the onesie that we had intended to give to them. Linda was the recipient of the item since, fortunately, I had not removed it from my purse since we had purchased it.
“Grandma and Grandpa, you are both congratulations. You are going to be grandparents and parents at the same time, which is an incredible realisation!
For a little period, my mother-in-law gazed at the onesie before suddenly breaking down in tears. “You’re pregnant?”
I gave a slight nod, tears beginning to well up in my eyes. “Looks like this family’s about to get a lot bigger!”
While Linda encircled me in her embrace, Rick wrapped his arms around Ethan like a bear hug. At that precise moment, it appeared as though the burden of the previous several months had been lifted, and in its place, something lighter appeared: joy, relief, and possibly even a little humour at the ridiculousness of it all.
Laughter and joy filled the rest of the night, and it was a blur from beginning to end. Linda showed us the guest room, which had been transformed into a nursery complete with a cot and a collection of baby items. Keeping it locked was the reason behind this.
A bottle of sparkling cider was brought out by Rick, and we raised a glass to the most outrageous Thanksgiving that any of us had ever experienced! Ethan and I made a commitment to them that we would collaborate with them to assist them in navigating this next chapter, and they vowed to never again conceal secrets from us. Linda reached out to take my hand as we were seated around the table, with crumbs from the pie strewn across each of our plates.
“I am sorry that we have been so far apart. Despite the fact that I was so worried about what you would say, I should have trusted you,” she continued.
Her hand was squeezed by me. As a family, we are. “That is the reason that we are here.”
With a broad grin on his face, Ethan sat back in his chair and smiled broadly. “So, Mom, what do you think about a joint baby shower?”
In the midst of wiping away the last of her tears, Linda giggled. “Only if you let me bring the spaghetti emoji cake!”
Everyone in the room burst out laughing, the kind of laughter that makes your cheeks hurt and your heart feel very full. It had not gone according to plan, but in its own chaotic way, Thanksgiving had brought us closer together than we had ever been before.
