My mother-in-law told me to get up at 4 a.m. to cook Thanksgiving dinner for her 30 guests. My husband added, “This time, remember to make everything really perfect!” I smiled and replied, “Of course.” At 3 a.m., I took my suitcase to the airport. – usnews 0/2

Around 5:00 p.m., Vivien called.

“Just checking in on the preparations, dear. How are things coming along?”

I looked around at the disaster zone that was my kitchen, at my hands that were raw and bleeding from constant washing and food prep, at the mountain of dishes that had already accumulated.

“Fine,” I said. “Everything’s fine.”

“Wonderful. Oh, and I forgot to mention the Sanders boy has a severe nut allergy. You’ll need to make sure none of the dishes contain any nuts or have been cross-contaminated. It’s a life-threatening situation if there’s any exposure.”

A nut allergy for a six-year-old that she was mentioning now, the day before the dinner, after I’d already prepared three dishes that contained almonds or pecans.

“Which dishes exactly should I—”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’re so good at managing these details. See you tomorrow, dear.”