It was a week ago when my father-in-law taught my husband, John, a lesson he would never forget.
John, our two-year-old son, Ethan, and I were finally going on a long-awaited trip to John’s parents. John had been stressed out from work and had been talking about needing a break for days.
“Claire, I can’t wait to finally relax,” John said as we packed. “I just need some peace and quiet, you know?”
I smiled and nodded, though I was busy packing Ethan’s toys. “I know, John. But it’ll be fun for Ethan to see his grandparents and get spoiled a little.”
I didn’t know that John had other plans.
At the airport, I was trying to manage our luggage, keep track of Ethan, and open a container of applesauce for him. I was juggling everything when, suddenly, John disappeared.
“Where did he go?” I muttered to myself, thinking he must have gone to the bathroom.
Then, I spotted him again at the gate, looking way too calm for someone who was supposed to be helping.
“Where have you been?” I asked, balancing Ethan on my hip.
“Just taking care of something,” he said, grinning. “I needed to grab a pair of headphones.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Did you get me a pair?”
“No,” he replied, shrugging. “I didn’t think you’d need one since you’ll be busy with Ethan.”
I was stunned. Who was this man?
And then things got worse. As we boarded the plane, John handed me our boarding passes, and I noticed his looked different from ours.
“John, why do you have a business class ticket?” I asked, feeling my stomach drop.
“Oh, I can’t deal with you and the kid right now,” he said casually. “I need some peace and quiet for once. We’re going to be dealing with a lot of family tonight.”
I was crushed. The thought of John reclining in luxury while I dealt with Ethan, who was already tugging at my hair, made me furious.
One of the passengers next to me suggested, “Try patting him on the back. Maybe that’ll calm him down.”
I smiled weakly and muttered, “Thank you,” though I could feel my patience running out. Ethan then reached out with sticky hands and tried to grab the woman’s hair, and I couldn’t help but cringe.
The flight felt endless. By the time we landed, I was fuming.
At his parents’ house, John’s mom, Amy, greeted us warmly. “It’s so wonderful to see you! How was the flight?”
I forced a smile. “It was fine. Ethan was a little restless, but we managed.”
John’s dad, Jacob, however, wasn’t as focused on small talk. He gave John a curious look and asked, “How was your flight, John?”
John grinned and said, “Oh, it was fantastic! Business class is really something. I see why everyone chooses it.”
I saw Jacob’s face harden, but he didn’t say anything.
The next day, we were planning to go out for a family dinner.
“Just tradition for us to go to the restaurant when family is over,” Amy said. “Dress warm, Claire, it’s been chilly at night.”
As we were getting ready, Jacob called John into his study.
“John, your mother and I will take care of Claire and Ethan tonight,” Jacob said firmly. “You, however, will stay here and prepare the house for the rest of the guests. Your brother will be here in the morning. The beds need to be made.”
John looked confused. “But it’s our family dinner. I’ve been looking forward to it.”
“You’ll stay here and understand what it feels like to be left behind,” Jacob said calmly.
John tried to argue, but Jacob wouldn’t budge. We left for dinner, leaving John behind to prepare for his brother’s arrival.
When we returned, the house was spotless, and John was silent, his anger simmering beneath the surface.
“That’s not all,” Jacob said to me later as I was putting Ethan to bed.
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling nervous.
“You’ll see tomorrow,” he said with a sly smile, before heading to his room.
The next morning, as we sat down to breakfast, Jacob handed John a long list of chores.
“Cleaning the garage? Really, Dad? And fixing the fence? Mowing the lawn?” John complained. “Why are you making me do this? You usually hire someone for this stuff.”
Jacob’s eyes were steady and serious. “You need to learn the value of family and hard work. You don’t get to escape your responsibilities just because you want to. You’ll spend the week making up for what you did to Claire and Ethan.”
John was in shock. He had never expected this. His selfish actions, the escape to business class, had consequences.
John spent the next week working on the property, fixing things he had never thought about before. And every evening, his dad checked his work to make sure it was done right.
“I am so exhausted,” John said one night as he collapsed on the bed. “And I really wanted to go strawberry picking with you, Ethan, and my mom today, but I had to paint the fence.”
I almost felt sorry for him, but I wasn’t ready to let him off the hook that easily. The time he spent working gave him plenty of time to think about what he’d done.
The day before we were set to leave, John came to me, his face full of regret.
“I’m so sorry for everything,” he said quietly. “I get it now. I understand how hard it is, and I know I took you for granted.”
“It’s not just about understanding, John,” I said, folding clothes. “It’s about being there, every step of the way.”
He promised to do better, and I believed him.
But my father-in-law had one last surprise in store.
“Your business class ticket for the return flight has been canceled and swapped for an economy seat,” Jacob said with a grin. “But Claire and Ethan will be flying business class. You’ll manage on your own this time, John.”
John’s face dropped as he realized the consequences of his actions. He tried to protest, but Jacob wouldn’t hear it.
At the airport, John turned to me and said, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you like this. I just needed a moment of peace. Work’s been a lot.”
“It’s okay,” I replied, holding Ethan in my arms. “But things need to change when we get home. Okay, John?”
He nodded slowly, then kissed my forehead before we had to part ways to board the flight.
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