When my daughter-in-law, Karen, invited me to her big Fourth of July celebration, she made one thing very clear: “Don’t bring anything.” She even called me three times to repeat it, insisting she had everything covered. It felt strange because I was raised never to show up empty-handed, but I decided to respect her wishes. The only thing I brought was a small bag of toys for my grandkids, including little microphones with American flags on them. I thought they’d have fun playing with them during the fireworks.
When I arrived, I immediately noticed something was off — every other guest had brought food or drinks. There were pies, casseroles, and even a three-layer flag cake. I tried to shake off my discomfort, but then Karen clinked her glass and said loudly, “Oh, you made it! And empty-handed too — must be nice to just relax while everyone else pitches in!” My face turned red as people looked at me. I glanced at my son, Jake, but he looked away, clearly torn.
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