Andy and Sarah had given up their guest bedroom five years prior, using it as a storage area for her parents\u2019 possessions. However, the pair requested the older couple to take their belongings away after learning they were expecting, which led to needless conflict and a surprising gift.\n\n\n\n

My in-laws only wanted to reduce the size of their home five years ago. They therefore started their search for the ideal small home for the two of them.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe own too many items and too much space,\u201d my father-in-law Greg, remarked.\n\n\n\n

Naturally, they requested if they may temporarily keep some of their belongings at our home.\n\n\n\n

Greg said to my wife Sarah, \u201cIt\u2019s just the things that we want to keep, darling.\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, Dad,\u201d my spouse said. \u201cThis guest room is all yours for the time being.\u201d\n\n\n\n

But well, what do you know? They never did return their belongings. Rather, they just continued to bring more.\n\n\n\n

Sarah and I used to make jokes for a time about how the guest room had become our own personal storage facility. The room was crammed with boxes and antique furniture, and the bed had been relocated to stand in the corner.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere should the vacuum be kept?\u201d One day, as we were purchasing a new vacuum cleaner, Sarah asked me.\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrow it in the storage unit,\u201d was my response, which made my wife burst into chuckles.\n\n\n\n

\u201cAndy, I\u2019m pregnant!\u201d Running into our bedroom with a pregnancy test in hand, Sarah said.\n\n\n\n

Even though we had discussed having children for a while, we still had a lot of things we wanted to accomplish and see more of the world. This was a tiny blessing that came as a surprise.\n\n\n\n

It dawned on Sarah and me as we sat and talked about everything from nursery colors to baby names.\n\n\n\n

Sitting up straight in bed, my wife said, \u201cThe storage unit has to go.\u201d \u201cThat room is necessary for the baby.\u201d Andy, we have to inform them. I refuse to allow us to attempt a life makeover simply because my parents are hoarders.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re having breakfast with them on Sunday. That way, we may tell them about the kid and their belongings,\u201d I remarked.\n\n\n\n

She remarked, \u201cI just need us to make sure that we\u2019re the priority here.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Sarah sat down with her laptop the next morning and meticulously prepared the nursery.\n\n\n\n

She drink her tea and replied apologetically, \u201cI know it\u2019s too early, Andy.\u201d \u201cBut I have to do something with my excitement because I\u2019m excited.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Next was Sunday brunch. Since Sarah\u2019s parents were happy enough to leave their belongings at our house, I wasn\u2019t entirely sure how they would react to the news.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re expecting a child!\u201d When we sat down at the coffee shop, Sarah made an announcement.\n\n\n\n

My in-laws sprang up and started congratulating us by giving us hugs and kisses. I finally felt it was appropriate to bring up the topic after their initial enthusiasm subsided a little.\n\n\n\n

I addressed them as they had always wished to be addressed: \u201cMom, Dad.\u201d \u201cWe intend to convert the guest room into a baby nursery, so please move your belongings out as soon as possible.\u201d\n\n\n\n

My mother-in-law Janet waved her hand dismissively and said, \u201cOh, sure.\u201d \u201cWe\u2019ll address it shortly.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Afterwards, she started perusing the menu, disregarding their earlier discussion concerning their possessions.\n\n\n\n

Weeks went by, and \u201csoon\u201d remained a vague idea in their imaginations.\n\n\n\n

The only tangible thing Sarah and I could do, besides waiting for our kid, was to organize the nursery, which made us both more anxious.\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo for it,\u201d my spouse urged. \u201cJust get them to resolve the issues.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I went to my in-laws\u2019 place the next day to inform them I had had enough and to pick up some soup for Sarah.\n\n\n\n

I firmly informed them, \u201cWe need it cleared out by the end of this month.\u201d \u201cBefore the baby comes, we have a lot on our plates. And I don\u2019t want this to cause Sarah any worry. Not an exception.\n\n\n\n

At last Janet arrived and began sorting through her old belongings. She shrieked as she started to dig through the mounds.\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh my God! She exclaimed, \u201cLook at this!\u201d as she removed a fur coat from one of the crates that had been ruined by moths.\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally? Andy! Sarah! You are untrustworthy with everything! My favorite vintage item was damaged by you and your filthy dwelling!\n\n\n\n

I was in shock at what was occurring. Not only did she not express gratitude to us for storing her possessions in my home, but I was now being held accountable for the harm.\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre you serious?\u201d I lost my temper. \u201cYou\u2019ve been blaming me for this for five years after you left it here?\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, I am,\u201d she cried out. \u201cThis coat is priceless!\u201d\n\n\n\n

I told Janet, \u201cI think you\u2019re overreacting.\u201d \u201cAnyway, you ought to have given it better maintenance instead of letting it languish in a box for all these years if it was such a valuable coat.\u201d\n\n\n\n

As the debate grew more heated, she angrily walked out of the house. Sarah waited patiently, her eyes wide, obviously stuck between her mother and myself.\n\n\n\n

How come? How in the world could you have purchased anything for that sum? Sarah enquired.\n\n\n\n

\u201cLove, it\u2019s not me,\u201d I answered. It\u2019s your mom, please. This is a bill for a brand-new fur coat.\n\n\n\n

\u201cAndy, it\u2019s the middle of summer,\u201d she said. \u201cShe is absurd.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I reasoned, \u201cIt\u2019s fine if she wants to play it this way.\u201d \u201cThis game is playable by two.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Sitting at my laptop, I checked up the cost of a guest room-sized storage unit in our city of residence.\n\n\n\n

The monthly cost was $150. Thus, nine thousand dollars was the total cost of storage for five years.\n\n\n\n

I then made an invoice under Janet\u2019s name. There was going to be a lesson for her.\n\n\n\n

This is the invoice for our home\u2019s five years of storage. I appreciate your quick payment. The funds will go toward the nursery for your youngster.\n\n\n\n

Then one evening the doorbell rang when Sarah and I were having supper. It was Greg, my father-in-law.\n\n\n\n

He looked straight away away from the camera and stated, \u201cI\u2019m here for the rest of the things.\u201d\n\n\n\n

By the end of the evening, he and Sarah had packed up the last of the boxes and furnishings, and the guest room was finally empty.\n\n\n\n

With a sigh, Sarah stated, \u201cIt\u2019s about time.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m relieved that the mess is gone.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Over the course of the following several weeks, my wife and I painted and furnished the nursery, turning the once-cluttered area into a comfortable refuge for our soon-to-be child. It was as though a burden had been removed from our shoulders.\n\n\n\n

However, just when I believed the drama was finished, there was one more surprise.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWere you aware that Janet is attempting to market that fur coat\u2014damaged by moths\u2014as a unique antique on the internet?\u201d One evening, while glancing through her phone, Sarah commented.\n\n\n\n

When my wife got upset, she would only address her mother by her first name.\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe is demanding $1,200, saying it is an antique with \u2018natural wear and tear.’\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe is amazing. She purchases a new one, then accuses us of causing the damage, and now this? stated Sarah.\n\n\n\n

Or perhaps she\u2019s simply hallucinating, I countered. \u201cWe are done with that, either way.\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sincerely apologize for everything,\u201d he started. Janet has been around a lot lately, and I am aware of her desire to have you foot the bill for her coat. I wish to put things right. Can we get together?\n\n\n\n

When we got together at the regular coffee place, Greg gave me an envelope. There was a $9,000 check inside.\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease take into account this payment for the storage,\u201d he stated, appearing truly sorry. \u201cAlthough I know Janet wouldn\u2019t consent, this is the least I can do.\u201d\n\n\n\n

How would you have responded in the situation?\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"