MY MOTHER-IN-LAW ACCIDENTALLY RECORDED SOMETHING SHE WAS NEVER SUPPOSED TO SEE

It was just a regular Sunday cookout in the backyard—kids chasing balloons, burgers sizzling on the grill, and my mother-in-law, Nadine, parked in her usual green camping chair like the queen of the cul-de-sac. She never went anywhere without that old camcorder. Claimed her “digital memories” were better than any cloud storage.

I didn’t think much of it until that night.

After everyone left, Nadine handed me the camcorder. “It’s full,” she said, then muttered something under her breath about the new neighbor’s dog being smarter than its owner. Typical Nadine sass.

I figured I’d transfer the footage to my laptop like I always do. Mostly shaky shots of potato salad and grandkids—until I got to the last clip.

It started with her filming my husband helping our son with his kite. But then the camera drifted. And stayed still. For a long time. On something.

I squinted.

It was the side of the house. Specifically, the open window of our laundry room. You could see the reflection of someone in the glass. A man. But it wasn’t my husband.

He was leaning down, rummaging through our laundry basket.