Family gatherings were the worst for Lara, especially since her sister, Emily, began to make fun of her love life, or lack thereof. Determined to sit through her father’s birthday dinner, Lara decides to hire a boyfriend for the night. Little did she know that a romantic comedy would play out.
I love my family, but family gatherings used to be a nightmare for me. Every single time we got together, my sister Emily would find some way or the other to poke fun at my single life.
Last Thanksgiving, she took it too far and even set a place at the table for my “imaginary boyfriend,” complete with a hand-drawn face on a napkin. Everyone around the table laughed while I forced a smile.
“It’s funny, Lara!” she would say whenever I brought up the incident.
It was anything but funny.
Now, my father’s birthday is coming up, and of course, it was to be celebrated with a family dinner.
“There’s no way I can sit through another one of those events with my family,” I told my friend, Kate, when we met for coffee.
“I’m telling you now, Emily probably has something up her sleeve already,” I grumbled.
“Then just hire someone out for the night!” Kate chuckled, adding sugar to her coffee.
“Hire a man?” I exclaimed.
“Yes! My sister did it through an agency. She didn’t want to go to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding by herself, so she found the agency. Look, it’s all above board and the guys do exactly what you need them to do.”
“It’s not… sleazy?” I asked, trying to think of a better word.
“No, Lara,” she giggled. “And you know my sister. She’s so prim and proper! She wouldn’t have gone ahead with it if she didn’t think that everything was legitimate.”
Which is how I ended up hiring a date to the family gathering. I found Jake through the same agency that Kate’s sister used. He was charming, easy to talk to, and seemed to understand exactly what I needed.
We met a few times before the dinner to get our story straight, because the last thing I wanted was Emily to get wind of something fishy.
“So, the story is that we met at a mutual friend’s party, hit it off over their dog, and have been dating for three months,” Jake said, grinning. “Sounds about right.”
“Look, any story involving myself and a dog are winners,” I replied, opening our Chinese takeout for dinner.
“And I’m an architect with a passion for cooking, right?” he confirmed.
Protecting Our Children: A Parent’s Priority
Our first concern as parents is for our kids’ safety and wellbeing. We automatically take every precaution to keep them safe from harm from the minute they are born. It is just inconceivable to consider our children getting sick or injured. Without even thinking twice, we go above and beyond to keep them safe.
But the truth is that things can go awry sometimes even with our greatest intentions. Every parent knows that accidents can occur and that it is frightening to consider a scenario that is beyond of their control. Jackie Fedro knows all too well about this. Her daughter’s terrifying tragedy happened in 2016, but it serves as a potent lesson for all parents to be watchful and observant at all times.
A BuzzFeed article claims that Jackie made the decision for her 13-year-old daughter Gabbie to receive her own smartphone in 2016. It was an LG d500 that was a Christmas present. Jackie clarified that Gabbie’s hectic practice schedule necessitated having a phone, which was one of the reasons she was given one. They had no idea that the course of their lives would become quite frightening.
One day, Gabbie’s mother heard her cry as she was using her phone in her room. Jackie realized her kid was in terrible pain as she hurried to her side in a panic. Gabbie was screaming hysterically and clutching her neck. For Jackie, it was a heartbreaking sight as a mother. She was helpless and unsure of how to make her daughter’s suffering better. Gabbie needed a few minutes to formulate an explanation for what had transpired.
Gabbie admitted to her mother that she had been on her phone during the charging process. She was shocked by an electric shock. When the current touched her metal necklace, it burned her neck after passing through her phone and up the charging cord. Due to the extreme heat, Gabbie had to endure excruciating second-degree burns, leaving a scar across her neck.
Shocked by this unexpected event, Jackie was driven to tell her daughter’s tale and educate other parents about the unspoken risks associated with cell phones. It’s not something that’s often known or even discussed. Jackie stressed, “Parents need to be warned about the harm that phones can cause, especially with so many kids using them these days.”
Isn’t it horrible to consider that something as basic as using a phone might result in such a horrific experience? Stories like these serve as a helpful reminder to parents of the value of continuing education and vigilance. Let’s make sure we take every precaution to keep our kids safe.
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