After winning the mother-in-law lottery, Larissa started to adore Julia. After facing challenges in conceiving, she finds solace in Julia’s unwavering support. But a few months after the baby is born, Julia’s husband finds something that makes them wonder how she helped.

When I married Toby, I was fortunate to have a mother-in-law who was truly enchanting. Julia was the perfect mother-in-law, embodying kindness and love. She saw me as a person, not just as part of her family. Instead, she chose to embrace me as her own.

«I told you,» Toby remarked one day, expressing his satisfaction that Julia had accepted me.

«Larissa, she loved you from the very beginning.»

Julia exuded a vibrant energy, defying any limitations imposed by her age. She constantly walked in and out of our home, ready to throw herself into our kitchen.

«I’m more than happy to prepare a meal for you,» she said, declining my offer to sit down and insisting on taking care of us instead.

«I don’t have any other plans apart from meeting the ladies for drinks,» she chuckled.
Our cooking sessions always concluded with Toby’s arrival, greeted by the delightful sounds of music and laughter resonating in the kitchen.

My parents were on the other side of the country while I moved for college and eventually decided to make this place my home with Toby. Although phone and video calls helped me stay connected with my family, Julia became a mother figure to me, at least in terms of physical proximity.

After three years of being married, Toby and I were eager to start a family.

«I’m all set whenever you are,» Toby told me. «I think it’s time now.»

I agreed with Toby. I was prepared and eager to become a mother.

So, we decided to give it a shot. And for months, we were unable to conceive. As we continued our efforts, the harsh reality became increasingly apparent. Perhaps having biological children was not in the cards for us.

«What are your intentions?» I asked with Toby. «Keep pushing forward?»
Toby gave a confirming nod. I understood that he wouldn’t pressure me into anything against my will, but it was clear that he had a strong desire to become a father.

Feeling conflicted, I sought guidance from my mother-in-law. Julia introduced me to a wellness coach, treated me to fertility massages, and surprised Toby and me with a new mattress.

«Perhaps your body simply needs more rest,» my mother-in-law suggested. «Perhaps you simply need to provide your body with the best opportunity for success.»

«Do you think that it was a bit unnecessary?» I asked Toby as we settled into bed that evening, putting our new mattress to the test.

«I would have said yes,» Toby admitted. «Perhaps there is some validity to Mom’s statement.» We had a terrible mattress before. Perhaps it will have an impact.»

And it happened. Surprisingly, less than a month later, we found out that we were expecting. Initially, I was unsure about sharing the news with my husband and our family due to my overwhelming nerves.

It seemed that by acknowledging the truth, I might be unintentionally inviting something to happen. However, the lack of logic behind my irrational fear was quite self-centered. Toby needed to know that we were almost ready to have kids.

«Thank goodness,» Toby exclaimed as he lifted me up. «Finally!»

After reaching the second trimester, we felt confident enough to share the news with our family, reassured by our baby’s healthy development.

And suddenly, our lives were forever changed with the arrival of our daughter, Maddie.

My mother-in-law stepped in and provided support as we adjusted to the challenges of becoming parents. She diligently cooked, cleaned, and graciously took over Maddie’s early morning feeding times.

Julia’s presence brought a sense of love and comfort, especially since my parents haven’t been able to visit and meet our baby yet.

It wasn’t until Toby stumbled upon something in our home that my perception of Julia was forever altered.

Toby and I didn’t have a problem with Maddie sleeping in our bed. It was simply more convenient for me to feed her during the night. However, Maddie had a blow-out one night, which had disastrous results for our bed.

Toby yawned when I woke him up to Maddie’s trouble. «You take care of the baby,» he said. «I’ll take care of the bed.»

After picking up my daughter, I decided it was time for a bathroom break. Her little accident required more than just a diaper change, so a bath was in order. Maddie sweetly cooed and gently placed her tiny, sticky hands on my face.

«Sweet girl,» I said to her. «You just have to make life difficult for Dad and me, huh?»

Meanwhile, little did I know that as Toby was stripping our bed, he had stumbled upon something rather peculiar attached to our mattress.

After I finished taking care of Maddie, she was on the verge of falling asleep once more. Afterwards, I brought her to our bedroom, prepared to place her in the crib as I assisted Toby with changing the bedding.

«Oh, darling,» he exclaimed upon catching sight of me in the doorway. «We cannot use this anymore.»

«What are you trying to say?» I gently placed Maddie on the ground. «Did she get it into the mattress?»

Toby appeared to be quite anxious. He had positioned the mattress upright.

«No, that’s not it,» he replied.

I found myself puzzled as I observed him grappling with his words. «What are you referring to?» «It’s just a mattress, we’ll clean it–»
«No, Larissa,» he said, his voice filled with increasing panic. «It’s more than just a mattress.»

At this stage, I found myself exhausted from lack of sleep and feeling a bit frustrated with my husband. Toby found himself in a rather unusual predicament. Despite his usual eloquence, he was at a loss for words. In the wee hours of the morning, he hesitated to replace the sheets.

«Guess what I stumbled upon,» he exclaimed.

Toby gave me a small silk bag. There was a wide selection of herbs inside. I had never laid eyes on the bag prior to this.

«What is this?» Where did you find it?» I asked him. 

«It was attached to the mattress. It must have been hidden under the mattress protector, so it seems like we simply overlooked it.»

«Sure, but what’s the purpose?» I asked, feeling a mix of confusion and anger.

«It must be fertility herbs!» Toby said.

What was he talking about? I had no idea.

«Listen, I’m not sure if this is true or not, but I do know that my mom believes in old wives’ tales. What if this is one of those stories?»

I expressed my disbelief, stating that she would never engage in such behavior. «Absolutely not!»

«So, where else did it come from?» «Toby wondered. 

He insisted that we sleep in the guest bedroom, the same room where Julia would stay when she visited. But I couldn’t sleep. Despite my best efforts, I found it impossible to quiet my thoughts.

Maddie was peacefully sleeping, nestled between Toby and me. She was absolutely flawless. Indeed, conceiving was a challenge, but Maddie was undeniably our own flesh and blood. She inherited my hair and Toby’s eyes. She truly belonged to us in every way.  It was clear that she was born shortly after Julia had given us the bed.

Do you think those herbs might have had an impact on Maddie’s birth? But how is that even possible?
As I regained consciousness, a familiar scent of gas filled the air, leaving me puzzled about how I had drifted off to sleep. Outdoors, Toby was soaking our mattress. As I stepped outside the back door, he casually tossed the match onto it.

As soon as the mattress caught fire, the flames erupted with a passionate intensity, mirroring the chaos within me. I was attempting to grasp Julia’s underlying intentions. She had always been incredibly connected to us – to me – so I couldn’t fathom why she would withhold this information from me.

Even though I didn’t know what the herbs meant, I wouldn’t have felt the fear and mistrust that had set in since Toby found out about them if she had told me.

«What’s going on?» I couldn’t help but exclaim as the sound of the fire grew louder.
«We couldn’t keep it, honey. We simply couldn’t,» he said.

Toby had a strong aversion to anything mysterious or supernatural. It made him extremely uncomfortable. He preferred sleeping in our car over spending another night in the house with the mattress.

As the mattress burned, I attentively monitored the baby monitor, observing Maddie’s peaceful sleep. The atmosphere between Toby and me was filled with a sense of unease, as we grappled with the unknown events unfolding in our home.

Later, Julia came over to make breakfast as usual. My husband spoke first. His voice was calm, but there was a hint of deception in it.

«Mom, why didn’t you inform us about the mattress? About the herbs?» he asked.

I served Julia a cup of tea – despite all that we had discovered, she remained one of my most cherished individuals. I adored her with the same depth of affection that I held for my mother.

My mother-in-law’s face changed, her usual liveliness replaced by a solemn regret.

«I simply wanted to offer my assistance.» I was aware of your struggles with conceiving, and I believed that if it proved successful, the method wouldn’t matter to you. I never meant to hurt either of you. Especially not my granddaughter.»

«Tell me more about your activities.» What’s inside the bag? Anything else besides the herbs?» Toby’s questions were fired rapidly and relentlessly throughout our living room.

«Absolutely nothing!» Julia couldn’t help but notice Toby’s obvious fear. «It’s simply dried herbs.» «I can provide you with a list of them,» she said. «I can show you the store where I purchased them.» It’s a charming little apothecary located next to my dentist’s office. It’s a place dedicated to promoting natural wellness.»

«You could have just informed us,» I found myself saying. «How can we have confidence in your actions moving forward? How can we determine if our baby is truly a miracle or simply a result of your herbal remedies?

«Does it really matter?» she asked, her eyes welling up with tears. «Maddie is here and she’s ours.»

I couldn’t really dispute that. Obviously, Maddie belonged to us. I felt hurt that Julia had done this without informing me. I also felt obligated to be angry with her – because my husband was livid.

«I’m sorry, I’m really sorry,» she whispered.

When she spoke, Toby’s demeanor seemed to relax beside me.

«We should begin anew, Mom,» he said. «Next time, it’s important to inform us beforehand if you intend to do something similar.» It’s important for us to stay informed about what’s happening in our own homes.

Julia acknowledged us with a nod and a smile. It looked like she was scared that we found out the truth.

I felt a mix of emotions — a deep sense of gratitude towards her for understanding the challenges we faced in conceiving. On the other hand, how could sleeping on a bunch of herbs help us get pregnant?

Throughout the day, Toby diligently searched the internet for mattresses, while Julia graciously prepared a delicious tart for our lunch. I thoroughly enjoyed the quality time I spent with my daughter.

What are your thoughts on this? Are you a believer in the power of natural remedies and the wisdom of old wives tales?