Larissa’s love for Julia has grown since she won the mother-in-law lottery. After a challenging pregnancy, she is dependent on Julia’s assistance. However, her husband finds something months after the child is born, which makes them question how precisely Julia was able to assist.
When I married Toby, I had the good fortune to be one of those women who married a magical mother-in-law. Julia was the most ideal mother-in-law I could have asked for; she was kind and considerate, and she didn’t consider me to be just another member of her family. Instead, she treated me like her own child.
Toby once said, “I told you,” when I told him how glad I was that Julia had accepted me.
“She has loved you from the beginning, Larissa.”
Despite her elderly age, Julia was full of life. She would constantly come and leave from our home, excited to try our food.
She said, “I just want to feed you guys,” as though I was going to make her dinner instead, when I urged her to have a seat.
“I have nothing else to do besides meet the ladies for drinks,” she said.
Usually it ended with Toby coming home and the two of us cooking together and giggling all over the kitchen.
My parents were on the opposite side of the country when I moved here with Toby for college. I was still able to communicate with my family via phone calls and video chats, but in the end, Julia was a mother—just one who was always there.
After three years of marriage, Toby and I were trying for a child.
“If you’re ready, I’m ready too,” Toby declared. “I think now is the right moment.”
And I agreed with Toby. I was ready and eager to become a mother.
So we tried it out. And for months we were unable to get pregnant. And the longer we tried, the more reality bit us. Maybe we were never supposed to be biological parents.
“What do you want to do?” I asked Toby a question. “Continue to try?”
Toby nodded. Although I knew he genuinely wanted to be a father, I also knew he wouldn’t ask for anything from me.
I turned to my mother-in-law for advice because I was so confused. Julia took me to a fertility massage and health coach consultation, and she also bought Toby and I a brand-new mattress.
“Maybe your body is just not rested enough,” said my mother-in-law. Maybe all you have to do is give your body every chance to be successful in this.
“Do you think it was a little pointless?” I asked Toby as we tried out our new mattress that night.
“Normally, I would have said yes,” Toby said. Still, there may be something to Mom’s comment. Our mattress was awful before. Maybe that will make a difference.
It did, in fact. since it wasn’t even a month after that I learned we were expecting. I was first so nervous about everything that I wasn’t sure if I should tell our family and my spouse.
It felt like I was calling something to happen by acknowledging the truth. But it was self-serving, and there was no cause for my irrational fear. Toby needed to know that parenting was undoubtedly on our horizon.
“Thank goodness,” Toby said as he lifted me up. “Finally!”
As soon as we were comfortable, we told our relatives that the growth of our unborn child was typical for the second trimester.
And before we knew it, our daughter Maddie had been born.
My mother-in-law took over to guide the three of us through the uncharted territory of fatherhood. She started cooking and cleaning in addition to taking up Maddie’s early morning feeding schedule.
Having Julia around made me happy, especially since my parents were unable to visit and see our new baby just yet.
Until Toby discovered something in our home that changed the way I would always regard Julia.
Toby and I weren’t bothered by Maddie sharing our bed; it was just more convenient for me to feed her at night. But one night Maddie blew it, and our bed suffered greatly as a result.
When I woke Toby up to Maddie’s shenanigans, he yawned and said, “You sort the baby out.” “Let me make the bed,”
Rather to just changing my daughter’s diaper, I picked her up and took her to the bathroom since she had a blow-out. Maddie sketched a coot and put her gummy hands to my face.
“My dear,” I said to her. “You just have to make things difficult for Dad and me, huh?”
But I didn’t know that Toby had taken apart our bed and found this strange thing stuck to our mattress.
After I was done with Maddie, she had fallen back asleep almost immediately. I helped Toby change the sheets while I brought her to our bedroom and got ready to put her in the crib.
“Oh, honey,” he said, noticing me standing in the doorway. “We’ve used this up.”
“Explain your meaning.” I asked, setting Maddie down. “Did it manage to enter the mattress?”
Toby looked nervous. He had picked up the mattress and it was lying on its side.
To which he said, “No, that’s not it.”
I was bewildered watching him search for the appropriate words. “What subject are you talking about? Let us handle the mattress; after all, it’s just that.
Fear rising in his voice, he said, “No, Larissa.” “This mattress isn’t like the others.”
By now, I was worn out and a little annoyed with my husband. Even though Toby never hesitated to talk, here he was in the early morning, not confident enough to even make the bed.
“What?”
“Look what I found,” he exclaimed.
I got a little silk purse from Toby. There were multiple herbs present. I had not seen the bag before.
“What is this?” Where and how did you find it? I asked.
It was fastened to the mattress. I think the only reason we didn’t know about it earlier was that it was concealed under the mattress protector.
Okay, so why is it necessary? I asked, feeling both confused and furious.
“Fitness herbs are the only option!” Toby yelled.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
I’m not sure if my mother is a believer of old wives’ tales, but I do know that she is. Listen. Could it be that this is the story?
“She would never do that,” was my response. “Not at all!”
“So, where else did it come from?” Toby asked straight forwardly.
He made us stay in the guest bedroom when Julia came to visit. Of course, though, I could not sleep. I tried my best to calm my thoughts, but I couldn’t.
I looked at Maddie, who was asleep between Toby and myself. She was perfect. We had problems becoming pregnant, but Maddie was our baby from the beginning. She had my hair and Toby’s eyes. She was really ours in every aspect.
However, it was clear that she was born soon after Julia had donated the bed to us.
Would those herbs have helped with Maddie’s delivery? But was that even possible?
I don’t remember going to sleep, but the familiar gas smell woke me up. While outside, Toby soaked our bedding. He threw the match on the back door as I was leaving.
The mattress ignited in an instant, and the flames seemed to dance with the same rage as my inner agony. I was trying to figure out what Julia wanted. Since we’d always been so close, I didn’t understand her decision to keep this information from me.
I had no idea the significance of the herbs, but if she had informed me, I never would have felt the fear and worry that had consumed me ever since Toby’s discovery.
“What are you doing?” I let out a cry as the sound of the fire grew louder.
We just couldn’t hold it, honey. We just couldn’t,” he said.
Toby was always scared of anything esoteric or even somewhat connected to the supernatural. He would have much rather slept in our car than another night in the house with the mattress.
While the mattress burned, I observed Maddie dozing off on the baby monitor. For a considerable amount of time, Toby and I kept quiet, not knowing what had been going on in our home.
Julia came over later to provide our morning breakfast, just like she always does. My husband took the lead and spoke in a steady but betrayed tone.
Mom, why did you not tell us about the mattress? He asked on the herbs.
I offered Julia a cup of tea because, despite everything we had learned, she remained one of my favorite people. I cherished her just as much as I loved my mother.
My mother-in-law’s normally cheery visage furrowed as a dark sense of remorse replaced it.
“All I wanted was help. I reasoned that since I knew you were having trouble becoming pregnant, if it worked, you wouldn’t care how. It was never my intention to hurt you. especially not my grandchild.
And what else did you do? What is inside the sack? Not counting the plants? Toby’s questions soared across our living room.
“Not a single thing!” Julia cried out when she saw Toby’s terror at last. There are just a few dried herbs. “I can give you a list of them,” was her response. “I’ll take you two back to the store where I bought them. It’s a rather cute little pharmacy close to my dentist. It is a natural health-focused store.
“You could have just told us,” it dawned on me. How are we supposed to trust whatever you do from now on? How will we know if our child is a real miracle or just something your herbs have done?
With tears in her eyes, she asked, “Is that significant?” “We own Maddie, and she is here.”
I find it difficult to disagree with that. Maddie was obviously one of us. My only emotion was hurt that Julia had done this without telling me. Moreover, I was obliged to be angry with her since my husband was enraged.
She murmured, “My mother-in-law apologized.” “That is accurate,”
At her comments, Toby relaxed next to me.
He said, “Mom, we really need to start over.” “If you plan to take any similar action in the future, you have to let us know in advance. We need to be conscious of what goes on in our own homes.
Julia nodded and smiled at us. It appeared that the realization of the truth had unsettled her.
I was confused because I understood how difficult it was for us to become pregnant, and I would always feel appreciative of her. But how in the world might lying down on a few herbs promote conception?
Toby spent the rest of the day looking at mattresses online while Julia made a pastry for lunch. I just enjoyed every second I had with my child.
What is your emotional state? Do you believe in the validity of folklore and herbal remedies?
