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

I took another sip of my mai tai and opened my camera app. The sunset behind me was turning the sky into shades of orange and pink that looked too beautiful to be real. I took a selfie, making sure to capture both my genuinely happy expression and the paradise backdrop.

Then I sent it to Hudson with a message I’d been composing in my head for the past eight hours.

“Thanksgiving dinner in paradise. Tell Vivien the turkey is her problem now.”

The response came within seconds. My phone rang immediately. I let it go to voicemail. Then I turned the phone off completely and ordered another mai tai.

By 8:00 p.m., the great Thanksgiving disaster had reached legendary status in the family. Half the relatives had left to find restaurants that might still be serving food. The other half had gathered in the kitchen, attempting to salvage something resembling a meal from the chaos Hudson and Vivien had created.