When I returned home from the hospital, holding my newborn son and filled with joy despite the exhaustion, I wasn’t expecting anything but quiet comfort. But waiting on the kitchen table was a surprise—an invoice. My mother-in-law had charged us $600 for watching our golden retriever while I was in labor. While my husband offered to handle the situation, I had another idea.
Just days before I gave birth, I remember sitting on the couch, cradling my belly and petting our loyal dog, Rich. He stayed close to me, sensing something big was about to happen. Between contractions and back pain, I called out to my husband, Jake.
“We need to figure out who’s watching Rich while we’re at the hospital,” I said.
Jake, ever laid-back, said, “Don’t worry, Mom loves Rich. She’ll do it.” He made the call, and his mother, Abigail, agreed immediately.
“She said she’s happy to help,” Jake told me later that night.
The next morning, as we left for the hospital, Abigail arrived to pick up Rich. “Wish I could be at the hospital,” she said wistfully. We thanked her, explained we wanted this moment to be just the two of us, and headed off to welcome our son into the world.
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