Eye To Eye
She had always struggled to get along with her mother-in-law. The tension was constant, with every interaction leaving her feeling inadequate, as though she didn't belong in the family.
Despite the harsh treatment, she brushed it off, focusing on her husband and daughter. As long as they were happy, she could tolerate the criticisms and cold behavior from her mother-in-law. She never let it get to her. But when she uncovered how her mother-in-law was treating her daughter, everything shifted. The line had been crossed, and she knew she couldn't stay silent any longer.
Bathing
Her mother-in-law had been bathing her two-month-old daughter for a whole week now. At first, the mom was thankful. She was still new to motherhood and appreciated all the help she could get.
But things started to get out of hand when her mother-in-law would show up at random times of the day and bathe the baby. It didn't matter whether the mom had already done it. Eager to get to the bottom of the issue, the mom placed a hidden nanny cam in the bathroom. What she'd uncover would leave her speeding to her mother-in-law's house.
It Wasn’t Supposed To Go This Far
But Maya Jackson never thought things would go this far when she allowed her mother-in-law into her family's life this way. Lately, things had been getting out of control for her, and she really needed a hand.
Maya was a dedicated and passionate Biology teacher from Tampa, Florida, with a heart of gold. She'd managed to achieve a lot in her life by the age of twenty-nine, from a great career she loved to a wonderful husband named Michael McElhearn.
Her Husband
Michael was a brilliant doctor who snared her heart since their first meeting. Their love story was one for the ages, filled with laughter, adventure, and an unbreakable bond that would last through this lifetime and any others to come.
However, amidst this paradise swirled a dark cloud in the name of Maya's strained relationship with her mother-in-law, Eleanor McElhearn.
Meeting Her
From the moment Maya met Eleanor, she felt a palpable disapproval emanating from her. Eleanor believed her son could have done better than Maya, and she wasn't shy about making it known.
Maya's humble background and career as a teacher didn't quite meet Eleanor's expectations. She had hoped Michael would marry a doctor or someone from a similar social standing.
No Boundaries
But love knows no boundaries, and Michael saw the remarkable person Maya was. They married in a beautiful ceremony, promising to stand by each other through thick and thin.
Their union was sealed with the birth of a baby girl, Emma, who became the apple of their eyes. Emma was a beautiful child in every sense of the word. Maya hoped she'd be the catalyst to make Eleanor's hate dissolve finally.
Lifestyle Changes
With Emma's birth came several lifestyle changes that Maya and Michael had to employ in their lives. Both of them had always wanted kids. They'd spent months conversing about how good they would be as mom and dad.
But now that their wish had been answered, they saw how difficult the task of caring for and bringing up a child was. Add this to the fact that both parents were career people, and the problems started stacking upon themselves.
Eager To Help
Luckily for Maya, everyone in their family was eager to help with baby Emma. But none was as driven to the cause as Maya's mother-in-law, Eleanor.
As Maya had hoped while bringing Emma into the world, it seemed the child's mere existence had become the catalyst to make Eleanor's hate and constant disapproval of Maya subside. But Maya had no idea what her mother-in-law would do to her child.
Planned Visits
It all began with planned visits from Eleanor. She'd show up every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon to see her granddaughter. She usually brought gifts for mother and child and would spend a few minutes genuinely talking to Maya.
On the other hand, Maya was thankful for these visits. She saw them as an opportunity to mend her and her mother-in-law's strained relationship. She couldn't have guessed how all this would end.
Yearning For A Connection
Maya yearned for a connection with her mother-in-law, believing that love and understanding could bridge the gap between her and the woman. Yet, as time passed, she noticed an odd pattern during Eleanor's visits. Every time she came over, without fail, she would insist on bathing Emma.
At first, Maya welcomed the help, grateful for a moment of respite. Eleanor seemed genuinely caring toward the baby, and Maya thought it was her way of trying to bond. She should have known that this was something else entirely.
She Needs Another Bath
As the visits continued, Maya couldn't help but feel uneasy. It didn't matter if she had already bathed Emma or not – Eleanor always insisted on giving her a bath.
The situation grew increasingly bizarre, raising suspicions in Maya's mind. Why was her mother-in-law always bathing Emma? Maya decided it was time to uncover the truth.
Looking Into It
Maya started assessing Eleanor's every move whenever she visited. She noticed a few things that raised her eyebrows. First, Eleanor never used any bottle of shampoo on Emma.
Second, she didn’t use the assortment of ointments and lotions Maya bought for the baby. Instead, she carried her own ointments and lotions. These items were the tamest of what she usually carried in her bag. But things changed when Maya saw the water from Emma’s bath.
Unexplainable Herbs And Spices
Maya found bits of what looked like herbs and spices in her daughter’s bath water. A skincare enthusiast familiar with numerous bathing herbs, Maya couldn’t recognize the ones in her baby’s water. Now alarmed, she studied everything her mother-in-law did.
She realized that among the items she carried in her bag was an assortment of herbs in small labelless containers. Maya didn't know what any of these herbs were. Some were freshly green, with earthy scents that made her chest constrict, while others were dry and made her sneeze.
There’s More
Others were wet, soupy, and smelled like dirty shoes in large amounts, while others were surprisingly pleasant to inhale. What were these herbs, and why was Eleanor using them while bathing Emma?
Maya knew she couldn't bring up the herbs to her mother-in-law. She felt their relationship was the best it had ever been and was blinded by that instead of seeking the truth. Regardless, she wouldn't let any of this slide.
Find An Expert
Maya decided to visit the local herbalist in the town's farmer's market. If there were anything to know about these herbs, the herbalist would tell her.
She took a few samples and returned the containers to Eleanor's handbag. She ensured everything was alright at home before driving to the farmer's market. She needed to understand what was happening here.
At The Farmers Market
The farmer's market was packed with buyers and tourists when Maya arrived. She went straight to the herbalist and laid out the herbs. She explained what was happening, asking the specialist if any of the herbs before her were dangerous to an infant.
The herbalist took her time with the herbs. She inhaled some of them while others she rubbed in between the pads of her fingers. Others she daubed against her tongue, while others she outright ate. What was she doing?
An Hour
The herbalist took about an hour on the assortment of herbs. But she informed Maya that although each of the herbs was extremely rare, none of them were dangerous to her child. In fact, her mother-in-law was onto something because all of the herbs were good for the baby's skin and hair growth.
Maya thought everything was fine. The information she'd gotten here had put her heart at ease. But the herbalist leaned in before sharing something that would have her rushing home.
The Truth
"While all of these herbs are good by themselves," she began, "combining and ingesting them, even in tiny amounts, can cause some irreparable damage to one's body. I am not saying your mother-in-law is doing something to your child, but I'd keep an eye out."
She started talking about how the human body could handle a certain level of these herbs at once. 'Tolerance,' she called it. She also added that for babies, this tolerance was almost nonexistent. Maya couldn't get home fast enough.
Back Home
Maya didn't know whether Eleanor was feeding Emma those herbs while pretending to bathe her. She prayed that wasn't the case. But her motherly instincts were on overdrive as she burst through the front door of her house.
"Where is she?" she roared while marching into the house. Michael, who was lulling Emma in his arms, looked at her quizzically. "Where is who?" he asked.
Can She Tell Him?
"Mom," Maya grated. "I just found out she's been…" She was about to spill everything she'd learned about the herbs when she first played the words in her mind.
Maya feared that Eleanor was doing something bad to her baby. But she stopped herself from uttering the words out loud. Such words, especially without any tangible proof, would doom the relationship she and Eleanor had. Maya took a deep breath. There was a better way to handle this situation.
She Tells Him
Maya told Michael that she'd discovered the herbs his mom was using while bathing Emma. But she played it off as being excited because she'd learned about their medicinal value.
She didn't mention what she'd learned even though it was eating her up inside. She'd never hidden things from Michael before. But she feared jumping the gun with him. She'd reveal everything once she had tangible proof.
Installing The Camera
While Michael and Emma were sound asleep that night, Maya installed a hidden nanny cam in the bathroom Eleanor usually bathed Emma in. She hated doing this because, over the last few weeks Eleanor had been coming here, and their relationship had felt genuine.
But this wasn't the time for second thoughts. Emma's life might have been at risk here. Maya needed to stay strong and see this through.
Eleanor Is Here
With the nanny cam installed behind some old shampoo bottles on the top shelf, Maya waited for things to unfold. Like clockwork, Eleanor showed up the following morning, eager to spend some quality time with her granddaughter.
As was her habit, she took a few items from her bag and carried the baby into the bathroom. She had no idea that a worried Maya was already onto her.
Her Bathing Routine
Maya watched the footage on her phone when Eleanor returned to her house. She watched as Eleanor prepared the bath correctly and placed Emma into the bubbly water. She even talked to Emma lovingly as she did so, but that did nothing to lessen Maya's worry.
But slowly and gradually, things started to get weird. There, in chilling clarity, Maya saw Eleanor carefully and meticulously adding a few pinches of her select herbs into Emma’s bathing water while humming a haunting tune. But this was only the beginning.
It Gets Weird
Eleanor's movements as she bathed Emma graduated into something peculiar. Her demeanor was anything but loving. Although she didn't show any signs of planning or wanting to feed Emma the bathing herbs, it was as if she was trying to assert some sort of control over the baby.
Maya couldn't fathom why her mother-in-law would behave this way and needed answers. With her heart pounding, Maya rushed to Eleanor's house to confront her about the disturbing footage.
Confronting Her
She found her mother-in-law in the garden, tending to her roses. Eleanor looked up, feigning innocence. Maya wasted no time, showing her the footage from the nanny cam.
Eleanor's face turned ashen as she watched herself bathing Emma. She knew she had been caught, and the tension hung in the air. "Why would you do this, Eleanor?" Maya finally asked, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and confusion.
Her Reason
Eleanor took a deep breath, her eyes filled with remorse. She explained how, in her own twisted way, she believed that by taking over the baby's care, she could prove her worth as a grandmother while also atoning for all the friction she'd caused in Maya's life.
She thought that by constantly bathing Emma, she could somehow become indispensable in their lives. "I only wanted to help."
She Watches The Footage Again
Tears welled in her eyes as she admitted her insecurities and the pain she had caused Maya. It was a moment of vulnerability that neither of them had expected. Watching the video again, she gasped at how ominous she looked, saying she didn't mean any harm.
However, she admitted that all this looked bad. “I could never dream of harming Emma,” she said. Maya, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions, embraced Eleanor. She understood that sometimes, people acted out of fear and insecurity.
She Wants To Change
Eleanor had let these emotions guide her actions, but now she was willing to change. Over time, she and Maya worked on rebuilding their relationship.
They attended counseling together to address their underlying issues, and slowly, trust began to grow. Eleanor realized that Maya wasn't a threat but a loving mother who wanted the best for her child.
Mending The Relationship
As Emma grew, she became the bridge that brought Maya and Eleanor closer together. The three generations of women spent countless hours playing, laughing, and creating cherished memories. The love they shared for Emma transcended their past differences, and they learned to appreciate each other for who they were.
Years passed, and the once-turbulent relationship between Maya and Eleanor blossomed into a genuine friendship. They came to realize that family bonds could be mended through love, forgiveness, and understanding.