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My In-Laws Refused to Come for Thanksgiving but Sent Us a âGiftâ â When My Husband Opened It, He Screamed, âWe Have to Drive to Their Home Now!â

My husband and I had an incredible bond with his parents, to the point of seeing them as close friends. But after we discovered we were pregnant, my in-laws started pulling away before we could share the good news, only for us to find out they had been hiding something shocking!
My husband, Ethan, and I have always had an amazing relationship with his parents, Linda and Rick. But when they started acting distant and weird, we ended up driving unannounced to their home to confront them!

An upset couple driving | Source: Midjourney
See, my 45-year-old mother-in-law (MIL) and 47-year-old father-in-law (FIL) are the kind of in-laws everyone dreams about. Theyâre young enough to be fun and adventurous but still undeniably âparent-yâ when it counts. Linda had Ethan when she was just seventeen, and Rick wasnât much older.
Theyâre an inspirational couple who have the perfect balance of energy and wisdom and are more like friends than your typical in-laws. Lately, though, theyâve been acting⌠different.

An older couple | Source: Midjourney
It started a few months ago when Ethanâs father began dodging his calls with bizarre excuses, like saying he was busy âworking on the atticâ when they lived in a single-story house or fixing the porch when they didnât have one.
The calls were always strained and abruptly cut off from my FILâs end. Linda, who typically bombarded me with memes and baking recipes, suddenly went silent. When I did reach out, her responses were curt, emoji-laden replies that made no sense.

An older woman texting | Source: Midjourney
Once, when I asked if theyâd watched a particular movie, she replied by sending me a spaghetti emoji! Ethan brushed it off as her being âquirkyâ though I couldnât shake the feeling that something was wrong.
But the first obvious red flag had to do with their guest room, which Rick was quite protective about. We visited them last month and for the first time, the roomâs door was locked! When Ethan jokingly threatened to pick the lock, Lindaâs sharp âDonât you dare!â left us both stunned.

An upset older woman shouting | Source: Midjourney
Awkward is an understatement for how the rest of that visit went! The warmth and humor they usually radiated had been replaced by a tension we didnât understand.
The second red flag had to do with the Thanksgiving holiday, which we hoped would bring us back together. Weâd been planning to host the holiday for weeks and were eager to share some life-changing news with them: we were expecting our first child! We even bought a tiny, adorable onesie that said âGrandma & Grandpaâs Little Turkeyâ to make the announcement extra special!

A babyâs onesie | Source: Midjourney
But a week before the holiday, Linda called and said they wouldnât make it. âWe have something going on,â she said vaguely.
Ethan pressed for details, but all she gave him was a frustrated, âYou wouldnât understand.â
My husband was furious. âSomethingâs going on with them,â he said, pacing the kitchen that evening. âTheyâre hiding something. Why canât they just talk to us?â
He even threatened to drive over and confront them, but I convinced him to let it go. I figured everyone deserved their privacy. But their absence hurt more than I expected.

An upset man | Source: Midjourney
Thanksgiving morning came, and instead of a bustling house filled with family, it was just Ethan and me because I wasnât close with my parents or my side of the family. We made the best of it, but the elephant in the room, his parentsâ unexplained absence, was impossible to ignore.
The holiday felt lonely without them there, but around 3 p.m., the doorbell rang. A delivery man presented us with a medium-sized package addressed to Ethan.

A man holding a box | Source: Midjourney
After signing for the âgift,â we noticed a note taped to the top that read: âWeâre so sorry we couldnât be there. Please open this together. Love, Mom & Dad.â
My husband carried the box inside, and I set up my phone to record our reaction, thinking it might be a heartfelt gesture, like a photo album or one of Lindaâs famous quilts.
Ethan tore into the package, pulling out a plain cardboard box. Inside, nestled among layers of tissue paper, was something I couldnât see. It took him a moment to register what he was looking at. Then his face drained of color, and he let out a guttural scream!

A man screaming | Source: Midjourney
âWe have to go. Now!â
âWhat? Whatâs wrong?â I asked, my heart racing.
Ethan didnât answer. He grabbed his keys, slipped on his sneakers, and motioned for me to follow. âGet in the car. We have to drive to my parentsâ house now!â
âEthan, youâre scaring me. What was in the box?â
âYou wouldnât believe me if I told you. We need to hear this from my parents,â he muttered as he buckled his seatbelt. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white!

An upset man driving | Source: Midjourney
The five-hour drive to his parentsâ house was agonizing. Ethan wouldnât say a word, leaving my imagination to run wild! Was someone sick? Hurt? Was this their way of calling for help? Or did they have a fallout they didnât mention? Or maybe they were in danger?!
By the time we pulled into their driveway, my nerves were shot! I was partially convinced that the FBI would be waiting inside! I was about to knock when Ethan threw the door open! Linda and Rick, startled by our sudden arrival, jumped to their feet!

A shocked older couple | Source: Midjourney
Ethan got straight to the point, holding up the box and taking out a pregnancy test. âWhat. Is. This?â
My FILâs face turned ashen, and Lindaâs cheeks flushed deep red. She looked at me, then back at Ethan, and finally stammered out, âIâI was going to call.â
âCall?!â Ethanâs voice was incredulous with hurt. âYou thought sending this was a better idea than just telling us?!â
My MIL wrung her hands nervously. âI didnât know how to say it.â
âSay what?â I interjected, my voice trembling.
Linda took a deep breath, her eyes welling with tears. âIâm pregnant.â
Silence. Complete, deafening silence.

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
I blinked at her, sure Iâd misheard. âYouâreâŚwhat?â
Rick cleared his throat, his voice thick with emotion.
âItâs true. We didnât think it was possible. I mean, I had a vasectomy years ago.â
He laughed nervously. âGuess it wasnât as foolproof as we thought.â
âWe were so overwhelmed by this news and trying to figure out how to break it to you that we panicked and chose to avoid you instead,â Rick explained.

An older man | Source: Midjourney
âWe skipped Thanksgiving because we hadnât mentioned the pregnancy beforehand and didnât want to suddenly arrive with a pregnant belly! We thought the test was the way to tell you the news,â Linda continued.
The cryptic messages. The avoidance. Suddenly, it all made sense! At their age, a baby wasnât just unexpected, it was unimaginable!
âYou couldnât have just told us?â Ethan asked, his voice softer now. âWe wouldâve understood.â
Lindaâs face crumpled.

A sad older woman | Source: Midjourney
âWe didnât know how youâd react. I mean, this is insane, right? Weâre about to be new parents again! How could we explain that?â
My husbandâs expression softened, and he let out a shaky laugh.
âYeah, itâs insane that Iâm going to be a big brother to someone. But itâs not something you needed to hide.â
Finally, my husband and I looked at each other and started laughing before I reached into my bag, pulling out the onesie weâd planned to give them. Luckily, I hadnât taken it out of my bag since we bought it, so I handed it to Linda.
âCongratulations, Grandma and Grandpa. You guys are going to be grandparents and parents at the same time!â

A woman handing over a onesie to someone | Source: Midjourney
My MIL stared at the onesie for a moment before bursting into tears. âYouâre pregnant?â
I nodded, tears springing to my own eyes. âLooks like this familyâs about to get a lot bigger!â
Rick enveloped Ethan in a bear hug, while Linda pulled me into hers! The weight of the past few months seemed to lift at that moment, replaced by something lighter: joy, relief, and maybe even a little humor at the absurdity of it all.

Two men hugging | Source: Midjourney
The rest of the night was a blur of laughter and celebration. Linda showed us the guest room, which they converted into a nursery filled with baby clothes and a crib. Thatâs why they kept it locked.
Rick pulled out a bottle of sparkling cider, and we toasted to the wildest Thanksgiving any of us had ever had! Ethan and I promised weâd work with them to help navigate this next chapter, and they swore to stop keeping secrets from us. As we sat around the table, pie crumbs scattered across our plates, Linda reached for my hand.

A couple having Thanksgiving dinner | Source: Midjourney
âIâm sorry weâve been so distant. I was so scared of what youâd think, but I shouldâve trusted you,â she said.
I squeezed her hand. âWeâre family. Thatâs what weâre here for.â
Ethan leaned back in his chair, a wide grin on his face. âSo, Mom, what do you think about a joint baby shower?â
Linda laughed, wiping away the last of her tears. âOnly if you let me bring the spaghetti emoji cake!â
We all erupted into laughter, the kind that leaves your cheeks sore and your heart full. Thanksgiving hadnât gone as planned, but in its own chaotic way, it had brought us closer than ever.

Two couples enjoying a meal | Source: Midjourney
If you enjoyed that story, then youâll love this one about a couple who were thrilled when they discovered they were pregnant, only for the womanâs MIL to steal their thunder by announcing the news to the family. Tired of being bullied, the daughter-in-law sought revenge to teach her a lesson.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided âas is,â and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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