Layla\u2019s husband, Tom, has an annual tradition involving a family vacation that she isn\u2019t invited to. After years of being excluded, Layla finally asks why she isn\u2019t allowed to join, only for Tom to lie and blame his mother. But when Layla does her own digging, she and her mother-in-law discover a family secret that breaks the family apart.<\/p>\n
Every year, he\u2019d pack his bags and leave our two kids and me behind.
\n\u201cMy mom doesn\u2019t want in-laws on the trip, Layla,\u201d he said. \u201cYou know this. It\u2019s the same story every year. But still, you continue to ask about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
My husband rolled his eyes and sat on the couch, his hands wrapped tightly around his phone.
\n\u201cWhy don\u2019t you just cancel this one, and we can take the kids on holiday instead?\u201d I asked, tossing a salad to go with our dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I do that?\u201d he retorted. \u201cThe kids are too young and it will be chaotic. When they\u2019re older, we can start talking about holidays with them.\u201d
\nI swallowed that excuse for twelve long years, trying not to let it get to me. There were only so many battles that I wanted to fight, and this wasn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n
But then, a few days before Tom was scheduled to leave for his trip, I was sitting on the couch scrolling through socials.<\/p>\n
And that was when something snapped in me.
\nThere, right on social media for everyone to see, was a carousel of photos from last year\u2019s vacation. There was Tom, smiling widely next to his brother and sister-in-law. There were other photos of their sister and her husband, too.<\/p>\n
But I was told that Tom\u2019s mother didn\u2019t want any in-laws on the trip?<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s clear that she just didn\u2019t want you there,\u201d I said to myself.<\/p>\n
I needed to know more information before I blew up at my mother-in-law. As much as Denise seemed to have an issue with me, I knew that if I asked her straight up, she would give me an answer.<\/p>\n
So, I decided to call Sadie, Tom\u2019s brother\u2019s wife. She was fairly new to the family, with them having only been married for about a year now.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, Layla,\u201d she said, answering the phone immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cHi!\u201d I replied, trying to pick up my energy so that she wouldn\u2019t immediately think that something was wrong or that I was trying to attack her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just scrolling through socials,\u201d I said slowly. \u201cAnd I saw your photos from last year\u2019s vacation. Everything looked amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n
Sadie giggled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d she said. \u201cI was living my island life. I\u2019m still so sad that you couldn\u2019t end up coming because you didn\u2019t have anyone to take care of the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s what they thought. That I hadn\u2019t been able to make their trip because of my children.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, Layla,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve got to go, I\u2019m getting another call. I\u2019ll call you this evening!\u201d<\/p>\n
She hung up immediately.<\/p>\n
I knew that my next move would be going to my mother-in-law. If anyone was at the root of this lie, it would be Denise.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy don\u2019t you allow Tom to take us on vacation? Don\u2019t you consider us your family?\u201d I asked as my mother-in-law opened the door and let me in.<\/p>\n
\u201cDarling, what are you talking about?\u201d my mother-in-law asked, genuinely perplexed. \u201cMy husband and sons go on vacation every year, but they\u2019ve never taken me with. Roger said that none of the females go on these trips. It\u2019s just the boys.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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