We Thought My FIL Was Too Sick for Christmas – What We Discovered Changed Everything

My FIL Claimed He Was Too Sick to Join Us for Christmas – He Didn’t Expect Us to Follow Him When He Went Out

Something did not seem to make sense when Amanda’s father stated that he was unable to attend their first Christmas hosting because he was too sick. What started out as a joyous holiday rapidly turned into a surprising discovery and a journey that completely altered their conception of what it means to actually come together as a group.

The air was filled with the aroma of cinnamon and turkey that had been roasted. When it came to the decorations, Amanda had gone above and above. She had strung lights around the windows and arranged a tree that appeared to be something that would be featured in a magazine. It was my responsibility to take care of the exterior, which included decorating the porch with wreaths and lighting the driveway with candy-cane lights.

Amanda remarked, “This is perfect,” as she took a step back to take in the beauty of the table. A centerpiece of poinsettias was placed in the center of the table, and it was set with crystal glasses, red and gold plates.

“It had better be,” I answered with a grin on my face. The first time I’ve ever hosted Christmas. There is a need to raise the bar.

Her eyes were rolled back. “It is not difficult to win over my folks. Simply put, Mom is overjoyed that she won’t have to prepare meals this year.

A little after noon, Amanda’s mother, Barbara, showed up. Despite the fact that her cheeks were flushed from the cold, she came in while balancing a casserole dish and a tin of cookies.

She sung, “Merry Christmas!” as she removed her boots and sung the song.

“Merry Christmas, Mom!” Amanda remarked as she hurried to assist her. “Where’s Dad?”

A sigh came out of Barbara’s mouth as she placed the casserole on the sink. “He’s not coming.”

Amanda went completely numb. “What is it? No, why not?

I heard that he is ill. Flu or something similar.” Barbara removed her coat with a shrug , rolled it up and hung it over a chair.

“He was fine when I talked to him two days ago,” Amanda remarked, her brow furrowing in concentration.

Barbara said, “I know,” with a playful tone but a serious expression in her eyes. “It appeared out of this nowhere. His instructions were for me to go without him and to make certain that the two of you did not lose out on Christmas.

There was something about it that didn’t set me up for success. The father of Amanda, Carl, was a stalwart individual. When he was younger, he had a fractured foot and a sprained wrist, yet he still managed to shovel the driveway and organize a BBQ. Missing out on Christmas? Not at all like him, that was.

“He sounded okay when you left?” With her arms crossed, Amanda exerted pressure.
But Barbara was hesitant. “He stated that he required some rest. I didn’t try to force him.” Attempting to grin, she cast a quick glance over to the table. “However, let’s hope that this does not mar the day. “Everything appears to be magnificent!”

Amanda did not respond to him. I caught a glimpse of her worry as she looked at me.

I was dragged into the kitchen by Amanda after Barbara had finished settling in.

She hushed, “This doesn’t make sense,” and her voice was short and strained. “Dad wouldn’t miss Christmas unless something was seriously wrong.”

Despite the fact that I didn’t believe it, I said, “Perhaps he had a serious illness.”

The skull of Amanda was shaken. Oh, no way. If he had the flu, he would still be here. Please make sure that he is okay.

I was hesitant. Would you agree that that is a good idea? It didn’t appear that your mother was overly concerned.

Suddenly, Amanda’s eyes lit up. The situation is not quite correct. Let’s simply stop by and see how he is doing, shall we? He needs a little something to cheer him up, so bring it to him.

I did a sigh. “Everything is OK. On the way, let’s stop and pick up some fruit or anything else.

While we were dressed up for the short journey to Carl’s house, we informed Barbara that we needed to pick up a few items at the last minute.

Amanda clutched her hands in her lap as she gazed out the window to the outside world.

A unexpected question came out of her mouth: “Do you think he’s hiding something?”
“Hiding what?”

“I don’t know,” she said me, her voice growing in intensity. “Perhaps it’s something more fundamental. Who knows, maybe it’s his heart? He is not the type of person who will admit when he is in pain.

I responded, “Let’s not jump to conclusions,” despite the fact that her anxiety was beginning to seep into my own skin.

However, the front door opened just as we were parking.

Amanda spoke the words, “There he is,” in a tone that was cut with both relief and confusion.

When Carl emerged from the building, he was wearing a bulky coat and carrying a box that was wrapped in Christmas paper. He did not appear to be ill. In no way, shape, or form.

“What the…?” Amanda was the first.

We observed as Carl hurriedly made his way to his vehicle, opened the trunk, and placed the package inside with great care.

During Carl’s departure from town, we remained a few cars behind on the road. While she was saying something beneath her breath, Amanda sat rigidly in her seat.

“He didn’t say anything about going anywhere,” she explained to me. How could he possibly lie? Also, why would you choose to forego Christmas for…whatever this is?

I gave her a quick glance. “Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

She let out a snort. “That’s your solution for everything.”

Carl made a sharp turn off the freeway into a meandering lane in the countryside. In addition to the snow that covered the fields on either side, the distance between the houses increased.

“Where is he going?” Amanda inquired, her tone becoming more acerbic.

“Guess we’ll find out,” I remarked as I firmly grasped the steering wheel.

Last but not least, Carl arrived to the driveway of a modest house that had seen better days. Because of the weight of the snow, the paint was flaking off, and the front porch was sagging inward.

We pulled over to the side of the road and watched as Carl exited the vehicle while holding the box once more. As soon as the door opened, a tall woman dressed in scrubs emerged from the room. In addition to holding the door open for Carl, she had her dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, and she smiled slightly at him.

“He lied to us,” she said, her voice quivering with the wrath that she felt. It is not a sickness. There he is—he is with her.”

Barbara was singing along to a Christmas tune in the kitchen when Amanda and I returned to the house. She was humming along with the recording. As the turkey was getting close to being cooked, the aroma of the stuffing and cranberry sauce filled the whole room.

“Did you get everything you needed?” Although she did not look up, Barbara inquired.

There was no attempt at making niceties by Amanda. “Mom, we followed Dad,” she remarked with a very harsh tone in her voice.

The moment Barbara froze, she turned her back to us. “You did what?”

“We were able to see him. The tone of Amanda’s voice rose as she stated, “He is not sick.” “He drove out to some house in the middle of nowhere, and there was a woman there!”

As Barbara slowly turned, her face remained serene, but her eyes remained guarded. Take a deep breath, Amanda. You have a limited understanding of the situation.

“Then you should explain it to me,” Amanda yelled loudly. “Because right now, it looks like Dad lied to us and ditched Christmas for…for someone else!”

In a sigh, Barbara wiped her hands on a towel as she sighed. “Let’s sit down.”

A gaze was exchanged between Amanda and I, and I could see her annoyance reflected in my own anxiety. On the other hand, we followed Barbara to the living room, where she sat down in a chair with her hands securely folded in her lap.

Barbara started off by saying, “Your father didn’t tell you because he didn’t know how,” and her tone was quite soothing. “The house you saw belongs to your aunt Linda.”
She blinked her eyes. “What’s up, Aunt Linda? “I do not have an Aunt Linda,” I said.

“You do,” Barbara pointed out. “She’s your dad’s sister.”

“What?” It was Amanda’s voice that broke. “Why didn’t I know that?”

Strong sighs came from Barbara. “A number of years ago, they had a disagreement. For a very long time before you were born. Due to the fact that it was about something that neither of them could let go of, they ceased their conversation. You’re father didn’t believe that he would ever get another message from her.

The rage that Amanda was feeling was gradually giving way to perplexity. So why is it now? The question is, “Why would he go see her today?”

In the past three months, Linda made contact with me. Her condition is Parkinson’s disease. Move forward. She was in need of assistance because she was having a hard time on her own. Your father has been making frequent trips to the location in order to check on her, bring her meals, and assist with maintenance around the property. This is Marie, her nurse, and the woman you saw is her.

As Amanda’s hand became more firm on mine, I felt it. It was with a trembling voice that she said, “He could have told us.”

“He didn’t want to burden anyone,” Barbara stated in a soft voice. He is still attempting to come to terms with it on his own. He was at a loss for words when it came to explaining to you why they had been separated for such a long time. Today was a particularly challenging day for him. Mentally, Linda is having a difficult time. During the holiday season, he wanted to make sure that she was not by herself.

Unexpectedly, Amanda stood up. “Sure enough, that’s not how the family operates. Neither he nor his Aunt Linda will be able to celebrate Christmas by themselves. Let’s get everything packed up and deliver it to them together.

Barbara’s expression changed, and a proud smile grew across her lips as she smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

We were able to pack up the turkey, the sides, and a pan of cookies in a matter of minutes rather than hours. Amanda took half of the presents that were hidden beneath the tree.

Amanda gave me a quick glance as we were loading the car. “My stomach is in knots,” she acknowledged. “I made hasty judgments,” she said. I ought to have put my faith in him.

I softly said, “You didn’t know,” and I meant it. “And now you’re making it right.”

This time, the journey to Linda’s residence felt different from a previous one. A mixture of nervous excitement had taken the place of the stress that had been present.

“What if she doesn’t want to see us?” Asking was Amanda.

Barbara remarked from the back seat, “She’ll want to see you,” while she was driving. “Family means more to her than you realize.”

Upon our arrival in the driveway, Carl stepped out of the vehicle, displaying a stunned expression.

Despite the fact that his voice was thick with emotion, he said, “What are you doing here?”

Amanda stepped forward with a box of Christmas decorations and announced, “We are bringing Christmas to you.”

A cane was held by Linda as she made her entrance through the entryway. A tiny tremor could be felt in her hands, but her grin was enough to brighten the faint porch light.

With a tone that was gentle but unwavering, she inquired, “Who is this?”

With a catch in her voice, she introduced herself as Amanda. “Your niece.”

The tears began to well up in Linda’s eyes. “I never thought I’d get to meet you.”

Inside, the small dwelling underwent a transformation. There were garlands strung around the mantle, the table was set with Christmas supper, and presents were arranged beneath the small tree that was located in the corner of the room.

As Linda opened the present, which was a cozy blanket purchased by Amanda, she couldn’t help but laugh. “This is the warmest Christmas I’ve had in years,” she added as she wiped her eyes out.

Taking Amanda in his arms, Carl gave her a bear embrace. He stated, “I ought to have informed you.” “I didn’t want to ruin your first Christmas hosting.”

The skull of Amanda was shaken. It’s not a burden to have a family, Dad. Simply let us know the next time. “We are here to assist you.”

Over the course of the evening, the house became filled with the sounds of laughter and storytelling. Amanda was attentively listening to Linda as she recounted her early recollections of Carl, and she was able to take in the history that she had been unaware she possessed.

Amanda rested her head on my shoulder as we traveled from the office to our house. “This wasn’t the Christmas I expected,” she stated in response. “But it’s one I’ll never forget.”

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