My mom picked up on the third ring.
“Hi, sweetie! How are you?”
“Mom, Dan’s parents want you to attend his mom’s birthday dinner—”
“Yes! She texted me an hour ago. I’m looking forward to it.”
A knot of dread formed in my belly. “Mom, I need to tell you something important about Dan’s parents…”
I explained their pattern, their tactics, and how they’d surely try to stick her with the bill. I was getting worked up just talking about it, my voice rising with each example.
But my mom just laughed. “Oh, honey, don’t worry so much.”
“Mom, I’m serious. They do this every time. They’re going to order the most expensive things on the menu and then disappear when the check comes.”
For illustrative purpose only
“I’ll be just fine,” she said with a calm that baffled me. “Your mother-in-law seems very excited about her birthday. I wouldn’t miss it.”
“But—”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll handle it.”
As I hung up, I turned to Dan.
“I don’t think she took me seriously… she’s walking into a trap.”
“Maybe they won’t do it this time,” he offered weakly. “It’s a birthday celebration, after all.”
I looked at him. We both knew better.
The night of the dinner, Dan and I were at our bed-and-breakfast three hours away.
All evening, I kept checking my phone, half-expecting a panicked call from my mom. But nothing came.
It wasn’t until the next morning that I got a text from her: Had a lovely evening. Call me when you get home.
The suspense was k-il-ling me.
After we got back on Sunday, I called her.
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