We arrived on time, only to find THE PARTY WAS ALREADY OVER. Their friends were still there, laughing and chatting, all preparing to leave together for another outing. Tyler announced, “We’re all going out. YOU GUYS CAN STAY AND WATCH THE KIDS. Oh, and the guests’ kids too.”
I smiled, though we were unpleasantly surprised and offended. But we didn’t show it. “Of course! Have fun.”
Once they left, I turned to my husband. “Should we just silently accept this?” I asked. Then, a BRIGHT IDEA came to me.
I served the kids a healthy dinner, my husband helped them brush their teeth, and we tucked them into bed with a bedtime story. Then, I picked up my phone and called Brittany.
I gasped into the phone, my voice shaking, “Brittany! IT’S A DISASTER! YOU NEED TO COME HOME NOW!” Then, I hung up.
She called back immediately. I ignored it.
Half an hour later, Tyler, Brittany, and their friends burst in—faces pale with panic—only to find the house spotless, the kids sound asleep, and everything completely calm.
Brittany gawked. “But… but you said—”
“Oh, that?” I waved a hand dismissively. “Just wanted to make sure you’d hurry back. You seemed so eager to leave your children with us last minute, I figured YOU’D NEED A REMINDER OF WHAT REAL RESPONSIBILITY FEELS LIKE.”
Tyler opened his mouth, but my husband clapped him on the shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
With that, we gathered our things and walked out, leaving them speechless in their perfectly peaceful home.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IN OUR PLACE?