Penelope’s husband persuaded her to agree when her in-laws requested that her twins spend time with their grandparents, despite her reluctance. However, Penelope found something horrifying when she called to see how her girls were doing. It all began quite casually. Seth and I made the decision to spend the weekend with his parents, Ava and Blair, our twin daughters.Although Paul and Linda, Seth’s parents, didn’t live too far from us, they were encircled by endless fields and rolling hills. Seth stated, “The girls should adore it.” They will adore everything, including the flower bushes. This will be beneficial because they haven’t actually spent much time with my parents. Yes, I answered. “I suppose so.
And it will be beneficial for us to spend some time outside.Seth said, “It’s actually the summer holidays. How about we give the twins a bag and give them a few days to stay? It was brought up by my mother a few weeks ago. That gave me the creeps. I was constantly concerned that Seth’s parents would reveal the truth to the twins because they hadn’t really had any interaction with them.Blair and Ava were adopted by Seth and me when they were young, and we have always loved them as our own. That’s because that’s what they were. We simply hadn’t informed them about their adoption yet, though.I said to Seth, “We’ll wait until they’re older.” “Let’s wait until they’re at least 16 years old.” “I concur, dear,” he replied. “We can’t mess with all they now know. Furthermore, seven is too young to really comprehend anything. However, Paul and Linda had always seemed a little odd about it all. Although they claimed to adore my kids just like any other grandchild, I felt they were treated differently. In addition, if the twins stayed, it would be their first time welcoming their grandchildren here for summer visits.Finally, I said, “Okay.” “They are welcome to stay if they so choose; we can pack their belongings.” I told my husband that, but the truth was that I was still apprehensive about leaving my kids with Linda. Over the years, she would spend lavishly on the other grandchildren while purchasing cheap, careless gifts for the twins.Furthermore, she had refrained from holding them even as infants and frequently appeared to forget their existence unless asked to. “I apologize, Penelope,” Linda murmured. “I’ll hold the kids later; I’m going to sort some food in the kitchen right now.” Even so, Seth was looking forward to the visit, stating that we might have some alone time once the kids arrived and that it was a significant family custom.”Pen, it’s too late to reserve a room for us, but we could take a staycation instead.” For us, it will be fantastic. We seldom ever get to spend quality time alone ourselves. Thus, I consented with a mixture of optimism and trepidation. Linda met us with her signature welcoming smile when we arrived.She said, “It’s so good to see you all!” but avoided making much eye contact with the females, as I noted. I whispered under my breath, “Oh boy.” This was only the start.”All right!” “You girls are going to sleep in the shed out back,” Linda remarked. It will include a small adventure! And don’t worry—we’ve got beds and everything beautifully arranged. I hesitated again right away. A garage? An ancient shed didn’t seem appropriate for kids.Pen, I’m sure it’s all right,” Seth remarked. “My mother will not place our children in inappropriate situations. Probably to make it more pleasant for the grandchildren. However, why didn’t we investigate it before departing? That is a question I will inevitably ask myself. Seth urged the girls to hurry up, “love,” while they were playing with Lila the puppy. They’re good now that they’ve settled in. And dinner is going to be chicken pot pie, thanks to Mom. They will be alright. Dad also mentioned that Jesse and the other children are on their way.We then departed and went out to supper as a group. As soon as we sat down at the table, Seth commented, “Date nights are important, Pen.” Seth had to return to work after a few hours of our time together. His employer was in another country, thus his hours were absurd.I gave the girls a ring later that night to see how they were doing. Normally vibrant, their voices sounded muted. Ava muttered, “Mom, we’re scared.” “We think we saw some rats, and there are strange noises here.” Blair said, “And the hay is really sharp, and it’s been poking our skin when we try to sleep.” Hay? How about that, hay? “Where are the other children?” I enquired. “They’re within,” Blair declared. “Gran said they could sleep in the beds upstairs. Why are we unable to? It’s chilly outside.I was enraged. How could they treat my girls in this way while the other children were able to play inside comfortably? I had no choice but to go see the girls on my own since Seth was at work. Anger gripping my hands, I took my keys and drove to my in-laws’ house.Linda had a smug expression on her face, as though she’d been anticipating me, as she opened the door. “Why do my kids sleep in a shed filled with hay? I believed you altered it to make it kid-friendly. I yelled. “Moreover, why are the other children inside the house?” Linda remained unfazed.”It’s merely a component of our custom,” she remarked casually. We instill in the children the virtues of diligence and modesty. The procedure has just begun with the shed. “Humility and hard work?” I repeated. They’re not farmhands; they’re seven years old. And why just my children? Why don’t the other children go outside too?Linda’s eyes become icy. “Penelope, these kids have to find their identity. They aren’t as significant as the others, after all. They are taken in. They are not truly related. Her remarks felt like a kick to the stomach.”This is not acceptable,” I said, trembling all over my body. “They should receive the same treatment as the other grandchildren because they are still children.” Linda merely shrugged. You are free to return them home if you so want. However, don’t count on them to participate in any future family customs.I said, “That’s the last thing I want.” “Linda, I don’t want my kids to interact with you at all.” I hurriedly walked past her, furious, and directly to the shed. The image of Blair and Ava curled up on the makeshift beds, their eyes glazed over with anxiety, broke my heart. After gathering them up, I strode back towards the house.I glared at Linda and said, “We’re leaving.” “And unless you can treat all of your grandchildren with equal love and respect, don’t expect to see any of us again.” A wave of relief and rage passed over me as I drove away, my daughters safely nestled in the backseat. I got the girls in bed at home, gave them a kiss, and then I let them sleep. I was aware that our morning talk was more in-depth.I informed Seth what had happened when he got home. “You’re kidding,” he angrily remarked. “You’re telling me that this was done by my mother?” I gave a nod. With firmness, he declared, “This is not how our daughters will be treated.” Together, we’ll take care of this. Permit the girls to go to sleep.My mother came over to watch the girls in the morning. “Until you return, we’ll just play with the dollhouse,” she remarked. Then we went back to face his parents. And my gosh, did my hubby not hold back when he spoke.”Mom, I can’t forgive what you done. Because my girls are adopted, you treated them as if they were less than human. You won’t be seeing any of us until you can demonstrate that you love and respect each of your grandchildren equally. It was a heated exchange. Linda attempted to justify her conduct, but Seth refused to back down. She eventually lost it. She apologized profusely, tears streaming down her cheeks.But I don’t really care. Our choice had an impact on the entire family. Seth’s brother Jesse also declined to give his children to their parents. And how did karma intervene, do you know? It was Linda’s 70th birthday a month later, and there was going to be a lot of celebration. It was our collective destiny to be present, prepared to honor the mother.However, no one arrived. Paul informed Seth over the phone that Linda had cried all day and regretted everything. Seth said, “Too bad, Dad.” “My children are my primary concern. My family comes first.