Chapter 1: The Mouth That Stopped Me Cold
I Came Home to Find Most of My Daughter's Baby Teeth Gone — Then My MIL Casually Told Me What She'd Done While I Was Away
I swear, I almost called the police on my mother-in-law before she even finished her sentence.
I had been away for four days for work, and my MIL offered to watch my 7-year-old daughter, Emma.
I hesitated because she has always had VERY strong opinions about parenting, but my husband kept saying, "She raised three kids.
Emma will be fine."
The second I stepped through the door, Emma came running toward me.
"Mommy!
Look!"
She opened her mouth.
I froze.
Several of her baby teeth were GONE.
Not one loose tooth.
Not two.
Several.
"What happened to your mouth?!"
Emma immediately stopped smiling.
"Grandma helped me."
I slowly turned toward my MIL, who was seated at the kitchen table drinking coffee like this was completely normal.
"You did WHAT?"
She didn't even look embarrassed.
"Oh, please.
They were baby teeth."
"You removed them?!"
"They were going to fall out eventually."
I stared at her.
"Were they loose?"
My daughter whispered, "Some of them."
Some.
Of.
Them.
I felt sick.
"Why would you touch her teeth without calling me?"
My MIL rolled her eyes.
"Because every time I try to tell you something about that child, you act like I'm criticizing you."
"YOU PULLED MY DAUGHTER'S TEETH."
"Stop being dramatic."
That sentence nearly sent me over the edge.
Then she actually smiled at Emma and said, "Sweetheart, go play upstairs.
Grandma and Mommy need to talk."
I immediately said, "No.
She stays."
My MIL's expression changed.
"Fine."
Then she folded her arms and said, "Do you want to know why I did it, or do you just want to scream?"
"I would LOVE to know why."
She sighed like I was exhausting her.
"Because you weren't doing anything about them."
"About BABY TEETH?"
"Exactly.
She's seven.
They looked ridiculous."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You removed my daughter's teeth because you didn't like how they LOOKED?"
My MIL leaned toward me.
"You should be thanking me.
Kids notice these things.
I didn't want her getting teased."
Emma suddenly said, very softly:
"Grandma said nobody would want to take pictures with me."
The entire room went silent.
I looked at my MIL.
"Tell me she's lying."
My MIL didn't answer.
"Tell me you did NOT say that to her."
"Oh, for heaven's sake.
I told her she'd look much prettier once the crooked baby teeth were gone.
There's nothing wrong with wanting your granddaughter to look presentable."
That was when I told her to get out.
She stood up, furious.
"You're throwing me out after everything I did for you?"
"I'm throwing you out because you made my seven-year-old think there was something WRONG with her face."
She grabbed her purse.
Then, just before reaching the door, she turned around and said something that made my heart stop cold.
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What did the MIL say at that door — and what will Emma's mom do next?
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