When I came home with my newborn, I found a note on the kitchen table. Expecting a sweet message from my mother-in-law, I opened it—only to find a $600 invoice for dog-sitting while I was in labor. My husband, Jake, offered to handle it, but I had a better plan.

Days before giving birth, I was curled on the couch, my golden retriever, Rich, resting his head on my lap as my back ached. “Jake, what about Rich when we’re at the hospital?” I asked. He kissed my forehead. “Don’t stress. Mom loves him. She’ll handle it.”

Abigail eagerly agreed to watch Rich, waving us off warmly when labor began. After hours of agony, our son was born, and nothing else mattered. Three days later, we returned home—only to find that ridiculous invoice.

A week later, Abigail visited, demanding payment. I handed her a folder listing every favor we’d done for her—moving, car repairs, babysitting—totaling over $2,000. Her face paled. “You can’t charge family!” she sputtered.

I smiled. “Exactly.”

She left empty-handed. And she wouldn’t be seeing that $600 anytime soon.