I let my mother-in-law stay at our house during a snowstorm while my husband and I were at the hospital with our sick kids. Six days later, we came home to a disaster. Food was ground into the furniture, and there was a note thanking us for the “venue.” I taught my MIL a lesson she’ll never forget.I’m Heidi. I’m 33, married to Byron, and we have two boys. Tyler is eight and Ben is six.I used to believe family meant safety. That belief cracked during the worst week of my life.It started with food poisoning.Both boys got sick at the same time. We thought it was just a stomach bug at first, but within hours they were both so dehydrated we had to rush them to the emergency room.

The doctors admitted them to the ICU.Tubes. Monitors. Doctors who never smiled. We slept in plastic chairs, took turns holding tiny hands, and prayed through the nights.Then the snowstorm hit.Three days into our hospital stay, my mother-in-law, Willow, called.”Heidi, I can’t stay in my apartment,” she said, her voice panicked. “The power’s unstable. The roads are closing. I’m scared.”I was exhausted. Worried sick about my kids. And I wasn’t thinking clearly.”Yes, from last Christmas.””Then go to our house. Stay there. Just… please take care of the place.”She promised. Swore she’d “barely be there.”I should’ve known better.I’ve always known Willow was nosy.