My mother-in-law is in the hospital.

She has been there since last Friday.

She lives with one of his brothers, approximately thirty minutes from us. He knew she was in the hospital. He has visited her twice. In a week. In the hospital ten minutes from their house.

We found out on Wednesday night, when she called us, ONLY BECAUSE Keith’s cousin was going to find out, so she figured we’d better hear it from her instead of seeing it on Facebook.

So we called Keith’s other brother, who lives in Alabama, late Wednesday night.

By Thursday morning, the three of us (Keith, his brother from AL, and I) were parked in her hospital room, consulting with the doctors AND THE SURGEON, trying to figure out what.on.earth. is going on.

She had surgery this morning. She should heal. Meanwhile, the local brother and cousin have unfriended and blocked Keith on Facebook, because, maturity. (although there has been ZERO actual communication between them). I’m not sure the family wounds will heal. AL brother has only been up four times in our eleven year marriage, because he and local brother had some massive falling out shortly after high school. Local brother and cousin (and cousin’s whole family) hold grudges like it’s an Olympic event and they’re aiming for the gold medal.

I cannot even begin to imagine the repercussions this is going to have on my husband and our relationship with that side of the family going forth. It has been an exhausting not-even-yet-72-hours, and I dread the confrontation tomorrow when she is (theoretically) released and the brothers all come face-to-face, and Keith and I fight to have her come home with us for a few days to get rest and recuperation (because where she lives? there is no rest, no peace, and at least one, if not two, teenage girls with a stomach virus).

Real life is SO much fun.