Pregnancy didn’t soften Amy’s mother-in-law, Diane—it made her worse. Diane acted like she was the one having the baby, announcing the pregnancy before Amy could, calling the baby “ours,” and constantly undermining Amy’s taste. At the baby shower, Diane took things too far: she stood up, tapped her glass, and publicly declared that the baby would be named Clifford after her “first love,” the man she still considered the most wonderful she’d ever known. When Amy calmly refused, Diane threw a tantrum, “accidentally” knocked the expensive cake to the floor, and later showed up with embroidered “Baby Clifford” blankets, determined to push her will through.
Instead of fighting her head-on, Amy switched tactics. She called Diane and pretended to give in, sweetly suggesting that Diane choose the baby’s name and even write a heartfelt letter for a keepsake box explaining why Clifford was so meaningful. Flattered and thrilled to be “honored,” Diane happily agreed and poured her heart—and her delusions—into the letter, describing Clifford as her soulmate and implying her grandson would be a way to finally have a “piece” of this man she never got to be with.
At a small family brunch, Amy handed Diane her own letter and asked her to read it aloud “for the memory.” Diane, basking in the spotlight, did just that—right in front of Matt, his relatives, and Amy’s mom on FaceTime. When everyone heard she wanted the baby named after a man she thought was better than her husband, the room went silent. That’s when Amy casually revealed she’d already posted the video to Facebook and tagged Diane. The comments—and even a public “please leave me out of this” from the real Clifford—made Diane look unhinged without Amy ever needing to raise her voice.
Matt finally confronted his mother, telling her she’d made their child a monument to her regrets, not someone to love for who he is. Diane accused them of setting her up, then sent a box of shredded “Baby Clifford” blankets and a bitter note about how they’d regret humiliating her. Amy threw the note away but kept the original letter in the baby’s keepsake box—not as a tribute, but as a warning. When their son was born, they named him Lucas James—a name that belonged to no ex, no fantasy, and no power games. Just him.
