
When Nathanโs wife is about to give birth to their son, his mother gives him an ominous note, instructing him to open it after the babyโs arrival. Once the baby is born, an old family tradition comes to light with Nathanโs mother demanding that the baby be named after her grandfather or elseโฆ
The house was quiet and still. But it was that kind of quiet that came with a dull sense that something was going to happen soon. My mom sat at the kitchen table, her eyes focused on a blank sheet of paper in front of her. She tapped her pen against the table as if lost in her thoughts.
A woman sitting at a table | Source: Midjourney
โMom, what are you doing?โ I asked, leaning against the doorway. It was late, and I was tired. My wife, Jenna, was upstairs resting, trying to catch whatever sleep she could before our son arrived. He was two days late, and we both knew he would appear soon.
โJust thinking,โ my mother replied without looking up at me.
โThinking about what?โ I pressed.
A pregnant woman lying in bed | Source: Midjourney
She finally glanced up at me, her eyes wide.
โAbout the baby, Nathan,โ she said. โAbout life. Aboutโฆ a lot of things, really.โ
I nodded, unsure of what to say. My mom had always been a bit of a mystery. She was a quiet woman with heavy emotions that she rarely shared. If anything, she only shared her feelings with my father, but it had been years since he passed on.
She gasped, as if struck with a sudden thought, and looked back down at the paper. She scribbled something quickly, folded it, and sealed it in an envelope.
A woman sitting at a table and writing | Source: Midjourney
โHere,โ she said, handing it to me. โOpen it right after your son is born.โ
โWhat is this? A gift or a prophecy?โ I laughed.
My mother just smiled.
โJust open it when the time is right,โ she said. โYouโll see.โ
Before I could press for more details, I heard Jenna shuffling around upstairs.
โNathan?โ she called. โI think itโs time!โ
A white envelope on a table | Source: Midjourney
The words hit me like a jolt of electricity. My son was coming! I ran up the stairs and grabbed the hospital bag. My mother was right behind me, calm and steady, the envelope still clutched in my hand.
Six hours later, the sound of our babyโs cry filled the delivery room. Jenna was exhausted but glowing with pride, holding our son to her chest. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at them both. Finally, he was here.
โHeโs perfect,โ I declared, taking in my sonโs tiny hands and feet.
A newborn baby boy | Source: Midjourney
Jenna smiled.
โWhat are his stats?โ she asked the nurse. โHeโs been in there for a few extra days.โ
The nurse checked her notes and beamed.
โA happy and healthy little boy at nine pounds, ten ounces, and nineteen inches long! Congratulations, Mom and Dad!โ she said.
A smiling nurse | Source: Midjourney
In that moment, I remembered the envelope from my mother. In the rush to the hospital, I shoved it into my back pocket.
The note was simple, with just a few words scribbled in my momโs neat handwriting:
Your son will be 9 pounds, 10 ounces, and 19 inches long.
โWhat? How?โ I muttered to myself.
A man reading a note | Source: Midjourney
โWhatโs wrong, Nathan?โ Jenna asked.
โNothing at all,โ I said, trying to reassure her. โItโs just that I should probably call my mom.โ
I stepped out of the room, my mind spinning. What were the odds? What did my mother know about my son that I didnโt?
A frowning man | Source: Midjourney
โMom,โ I said into the phone. โYou were right. You were exactly right. How did you know how big the baby would be?โ
I could hear her take a deep breath on the other end.
โI told you, Nathan, Iโm very in tune with the family things. My grandfather, your great-grandfather, was born with those exact measurements, and since him, every firstborn son has had those measurements too.โ
โWhy didnโt you ever mention that to me?โ I asked.
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
There was a brief silence, as though my mother was choosing her words carefully.
โI didnโt want to influence you in any way, Nathan,โ she said. โBut now that the tradition is true for your son too, I was thinkingโฆโ
โThinking what?โ I asked. I was getting annoyed with how she spoke, constantly pausing and not just spitting out what she wanted to say.
A close up of an annoyed man | Source: Midjourney
โMaybe we should name your son Oscar, in memory of my grandfather. It would mean the world to me, and it would honor him.โ
I froze on the spot. Jenna and I had already picked out a name.
โMom, Jen, and I have already decided what to name our son,โ I said. โYou know that.โ
โI know,โ she said quietly. โBut this feels important. Please, just think about it.โ
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
Back in the room, I could see Jenna was already suspicious.
โWhat was that about? Why did you take so long? You havenโt even held Matthew yet.โ
I sighed.
โMy mom wants us to name him Oscar. After her grandfather. Apparently, itโs some tradition of all firstborn sons; they all weigh exactly the same.โ
Jennaโs face darkened.
A woman holding her baby | Source: Midjourney
โWe already have a name, Nathan,โ she said. โWe agreed on Matthew because of my father.โ
โI know, I know!โ I exclaimed. โBut maybe we could consider it as a middle name or something like that?โ
Before my wife could even sit with the suggestion, her mother, Nora, walked in, her face bright with excitement. I wasnโt surprised. She lived about five minutes away from the hospital, so I knew she would come over as soon as the baby was born. I was sure Jenna had texted her while I was talking to my mother.
A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney
โOh, heโs beautiful!โ she cried, rushing over to take the baby from Jenna.
As she cradled him in her arms, Jenna explained the situation.
โNathanโs mother wants us to name him Oscar. But weโve already decided on a name.โ
Noraโs expression shifted from joy to something a bit more serious.
โOscar,โ she repeated as if testing the name on her tongue. โIsnโt that your brotherโs name?โ
An older woman with a serious expression | Source: Midjourney
I nodded.
โAnd my great-grandfather,โ I said.
She gave me a hard look. I knew she was wondering about her late husbandโs name. We had decided long before Jennaโs father had passed that our son would be named after him.
Just then, my mother walked in.
A close up of an older woman | Source: Midjourney
โLet me see baby Oscar,โ she chimed as she walked over to Nora.
โWhat?โ Jenna asked. โHis name is Matthew.โ
โYour son will be named Oscar, or he wonโt get a single penny from my will,โ my mother said, her tone completely different from when we spoke on the phone.
โExcuse me?โ I asked, stunned.
A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
โOur entire familyโs fortune was built by my grandfather. The maple syrup business? All because of him. If you donโt honor him by passing down his name, then you donโt deserve his legacy.โ
Jenna and I stared at her. Nora held tightly onto the baby.
This was supposed to be a happy moment in our lives, but now it felt like a battleground. I could see my wifeโs frustration boiling over.
โMom,โ I said. โLetโs just talk about thisโฆโ
A maple syrup warehouse | Source: Midjourney
โNo,โ my mother said stubbornly.
Then my wife turned to me, her eyes blazing.
โNathan, we agreed on a name. Iโm not changing it just because of some family tradition that only surfaced now.โ
I took a deep breath. I understood where Jenna was coming from, but I also understood where my mother was coming from, despite how misguided it was.
โPleaseโฆโ my mother said her eyes misting up. โIt would mean the world to me. And itโs not just about the money. Itโs about the legacy.โ
A close up of a frowning woman | Source: Midjourney
โHow about a compromise?โ I suggested. โWe use the name we picked as his first name, and Oscar will be his middle name.โ
Jenna hesitated. I knew that she hated being backed into a corner like this.
โPlease,โ I said softly. โJust think about how much this would mean to the both of youโฆโ
Jenna looked down at our baby who was now asleep in her arms again, after Nora had given him back to her daughter.
A woman holding her newborn baby | Source: Midjourney
โFine, but only as a middle name.โ
My mother and I sighed in relief. For now, at least, the battle was over.
โI hope he has my grandfatherโs eyes,โ my mother said.
โYou can see when he wakes up,โ Jenna said, reaching out for her.
As I looked at my family, I was relieved that everything seemed okay for now. But I couldnโt help but feel a strange sense of unease. I still had the note in my pocket, the one where my mom had somehow predicted Matthewโs exact weight and height.
But I guess itโs just a reminder that some family traditions run deeper than we might ever understand.
A man holding his newborn baby | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
If you enjoyed this story, hereโs another one for you |
My MIL Came to My Wedding in a White Dress and Announced Her Engagement โ I Outplayed Her at Her Own Wedding
When Tina and Jim get engaged, his mother tries to have an active role in the wedding planning, frustrating the couple. On the day of the wedding, Beth upstages the couple with a personal announcement, leaving Tina to plan her own revenge in time.
When Jim and I got engaged, his mother, Beth, wasted no time in meddling. From day one, she bombarded us with her opinions.
A close-up of a couple | Source: Midjourney
โI have so many ideas for your wedding, Tina,โ Beth said. โIโve been planning Jimโs wedding for years now!โ
โBut this isnโt just my wedding, Mom,โ Jim said to his mother.
She waved him off and continued to enthusiastically go on about floral arrangements.
Women in a flower shop | Source: Midjourney
I knew then that Iโd have to shut it down if I hoped to have a say in my own wedding.
โYour mom will tone down, right?โ I asked Jim when we went for a walk one day. โThis isnโt going to lead to a fight? I donโt have to actually tell her to back off?โ
Jim chuckled and squeezed my hand.
A couple holding hands and walking | Source: Midjourney
โMy mother is a lot, love,โ he said. โBut sheโs not stupid. She will take the hint.โ
But of course, Beth didnโt take the hint.
She asked to meet me at a coffee shop so that she could go on about the venues, flowers, and even the cake.
An interior of a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
โVanilla is the timeless option,โ she said, sipping her coffee. โDonโt do chocolate, or even worse, peanut butter. And donโt do naked cakes. Theyโre not cute.โ
Read the full storyย here.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided โas is,โ and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.