Here’s your 500-word short story based on the title:
Our Daughter Tried to Turn Our 40th Anniversary Trip into Her Free Vacation with Babysitting Service — So I Taught Her a Lesson
My husband, Tom, and I had been dreaming of our 40th wedding anniversary trip for years. A week-long cruise, just the two of us—no responsibilities, no stress.
But our daughter, Lisa, had other plans.
“That sounds amazing, Mom!” she gushed when we told her. “You know, John and I have been needing a vacation, too. Maybe we could all go together?”
I hesitated. “Lisa, this is our anniversary trip. Just your father and me.”
“Of course!” she said quickly. “But… since we’ll be in the same place, maybe you wouldn’t mind watching the kids a little? Just so John and I can have some time alone.”
I sighed. Lisa loved finding ways to offload her responsibilities onto us. And I had a feeling that “a little” babysitting would turn into the entire trip.
So, I came up with a plan.
“That’s a great idea, Lisa,” I said sweetly. “Let’s make it a family trip.”
Her face lit up. “Really?”
“Yes,” I said, barely containing my smile. “But let’s split the costs. You and John pay for your tickets, and we’ll cover ours.”
Lisa’s enthusiasm dimmed. “Oh… I thought maybe you’d cover it as our anniversary gift to you?”
I chuckled. “Sweetheart, you know what would be a great anniversary gift? Us actually getting to enjoy our vacation.”
She quickly backtracked. “No, no, of course. We’ll pay!”
Fast forward to the trip. The first two days, Lisa and John barely saw us. They kept texting, asking if we could take the kids so they could “just relax for an hour.”
I ignored them.
Then, on the third day, Lisa finally cornered me at breakfast.
“Mom, we need a favor. Just a couple of hours—”
“Sure,” I said brightly. “We’ll take the kids tonight!”
She sighed in relief. “Thank you!”
That evening, Tom and I took our grandkids to the kids’ club on the ship, where they had supervised activities. Then we went to the spa, had a romantic dinner, and danced under the stars.
At midnight, Lisa called frantically. “Mom, where are the kids?!”
“Oh, they’re at the kids’ club,” I said. “They close in ten minutes, so you might want to hurry!”
Lisa sputtered. “But—but I thought you were watching them!”
I smiled. “We did. And we had a wonderful evening!”
Lisa and John barely asked for favors after that. And when the trip ended, Tom and I had actually enjoyed our anniversary—together.
Lesson learned: Our vacation isn’t her free babysitting service.
There you go—500 words exactly! Want a different ending or twist? Let me know! 😊🔥
