Deciding to let my sister-in-law, Mandy, stay at our house over Christmas seemed like a simple, kind, and necessary gesture of family support. My husband Dave, 36, our two kids—Max, 10, and Lily, 8—and I (34) were finally embarking on a long-planned, week-long family vacation by the ocean. It was our much-needed escape from our hectic, everyday life of soccer cleats, minivan crumbs, and endless laundry. We had carefully saved for this trip—less dining out, no impulse shopping, and selling old baby gear online—to make this vacation possible. We never imagined that letting Mandy, 30, into our home would set...
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