{"id":6297,"date":"2026-01-04T16:23:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T16:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=6297"},"modified":"2026-01-04T16:23:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T16:23:23","slug":"my-sister-wanted-to-host-her-sons-7th-birthday-at-my-house-because-its-bigger-if-i-only-knew-the-real-reason-why-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=6297","title":{"rendered":"My Sister Wanted to Host Her Son’s 7th Birthday at My House Because It’s ‘Bigger’ \u2013 If I Only Knew the Real Reason Why"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When my sister begged to use my house for her son’s birthday, I said yes. She needed space, and I’d be out of town. I even left snacks and a big gift. Her sweet texts made me feel like the best aunt ever\u2026 until I came home early and found a pink balloon arch and a banner I’ll never forget.<\/span><\/div>\n
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I was folding laundry when my sister called me with an urgent request.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding a stack of folded T-shirts | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Please, Livvy, can I use your place to host Ethan’s seventh birthday party on Saturday? Just this once? I told him he could have a few friends over, but he went and invited his whole class! I can’t fit all those kids in our shoebox apartment, but your place is bigger. It could work.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She wasn’t wrong about the space situation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A thoughtful woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I’d been to Sue’s place enough times to know that fitting 20 sugar-rushed kids in there would be like trying to stuff a watermelon into a juice box.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, I had everything she needed: a big backyard, a grill, a pool, and enough room for a small army of children to run around without breaking anything important.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The timing, though? Terrible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A concerned-looking woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“You said Saturday\u2026 this Saturday?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Yeah.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I’m out of town this weekend,” I said, turning away from the laundry. “Remember? I told you I’d be attending that conference in Philadelphia?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“That’s\u00a0this<\/i>\u00a0weekend?” she said, her voice rising with something that sounded like panic. “Oh, no\u2026 I’m screwed!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman speaking on her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What could I do? There was no way I could skip the conference, but listening to her panic-ramble about alternative venues in a shaky voice sent my big sister instincts into overdrive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“It’s fine, Sue,” I said, interrupting her. “You can use my place, anyway. Just mind the kids around the pool, okay?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman smiling during a phone call | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“You’re seriously the best sister in the world,” she gushed. “I promise I’ll take care of everything. You won’t even know we were there.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Anything for my awesome nephew,” I replied. “Pity I can’t be there.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“We’ll still see you on his actual birthday, Livvy. Thanks a million for this! You’re a lifesaver.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman smiling down at her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It felt good to help Sue give Ethan a fun birthday party, but I didn’t stop there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I stopped by the store later that week and bought snacks. I left out plastic plates and colorful napkins in the kitchen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then, I placed a massive wrapped gift labeled “To Ethan, Happy Birthday, sweetheart!” on the hall table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A gift tied with a ribbon | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Inside was the $400 Harry Potter LEGO castle he’d been begging for all year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The kid was obsessed with those movies, and I figured if I was going to miss his party, I might as well make it memorable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Saturday afternoon, while I was sitting in some stuffy hotel conference room listening to a presentation about quarterly projections, my phone buzzed with a text from Sue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman looking at her phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“The party’s amazing! You’re the BEST aunt ever!!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My heart swelled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I pictured little Ethan’s face lighting up when he saw that LEGO castle, surrounded by friends and cupcakes and all the chaos that comes with a proper seven-year-old birthday party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A smiling woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Another text came through a few minutes later: “You’re seriously the best sister in the world.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then another: “I can never repay you. Love you!!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I was practically glowing with that warm feeling you get when you’ve done something genuinely good for someone you love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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This is what family is about<\/i>, I thought.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman in an auditorium smiling | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But then my flight got bumped on Sunday. Weather delays, they said. I could wait until Monday morning or take a red-eye that would get me home around eleven.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I chose the red-eye because, honestly, I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep in my own bed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was late when I pulled into the driveway, completely unprepared for what I was about to walk into.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A home driveway | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A half-deflated pink and white balloon arch sagged over the front walkway like a sad, pastel rainbow. Glittery confetti clung to my flower beds, sparkling under the streetlights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That didn’t seem like Ethan’s style, and I was a bit annoyed that Sue hadn’t tidied up, but I didn’t realize anything was wrong yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I entered my house through the garage. That’s when I spotted the banner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman staring at something in shock | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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It was stretched across my back patio. The string lights secured to the pergola illuminated the words: “Congratulations! Jessica’s Baby Shower!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Jessica?\u00a0Who the hell was Jessica?<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But it didn’t stop there. I found wine bottles in my recycling bin, chafing dishes stacked on my patio table, and leftover pink cupcakes. A stack of unfamiliar glassware gleamed in the moonlight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A box of pink cupcakes | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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And there on my entry table, right where I’d left Ethan’s gift, was a white linen guest book embroidered with tiny footprints.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Written across the front, in elegant script: “Leave a message for baby Ava.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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All my fatigue from the conference and flight evaporated in the heat of the anger coming to a boil inside me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An angry woman in a living room | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sue hadn’t used my house to host Ethan’s birthday party. Instead, she’d thrown a full-blown baby shower! And I had no idea who Jessica was or why she’d been celebrating in my house.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was late, but I called Sue anyway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My hands were shaking, but I tried to keep my voice level, tried to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe there was an explanation. Maybe I was missing something obvious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman making a phone call | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Livvy? What’s up?” she answered sleepily.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I just got home and saw the decorations\u2014”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I was gonna clean up Monday,” she cut in, casual as anything, like we were discussing the weather.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Who’s Jessica?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman frowning during a phone call | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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There was a pause. Just long enough for me to know that whatever came next was going to hurt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Oh… yeah. So, the thing is… her venue canceled last minute. Total emergency. And your house is perfect, sooo… we kinda did a double event. Two birds, one stone, right?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I stood there in my living room, silent, stunned.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman staring intently at something | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The guest book stared at me from the table, mocking me with its cheerful little footprints.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Then she added, and I swear I can still hear the dismissive tone in her voice: “I mean, technically, it was still a kid’s party. There were kids there. Don’t make this a thing.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But it was already a thing, and the next knock at my door proved it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A front door | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Monday evening, my next-door neighbor Cheryl dropped by, glass of wine in hand and gossip in her eyes. Cheryl’s one of those neighbors who knows everyone’s business and isn’t shy about sharing it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Just wanted to ask,” she said, “are you renting out your place now? That shower was so fancy, and I heard that Jessica just adored it. She’s my friend Melissa’s niece, you know?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman speaking to someone on a front porch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“Wait, you know Jessica?” I asked, my stomach starting to twist.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Since she was a baby. Super sweet girl. Anyway, she said she paid $900 for the place and catering, and I told Paul we should try to book with you for his retirement party! What do you say? It’s in two months; I hope that’s not too short notice?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“I-I’ll have to get back to you, Cheryl,” I mumbled.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman frowning at someone | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sue hadn’t just helped out a friend in a bind \u2014 she’d charged Jessica and her family $900 for “venue plus food!”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And the catered food? It wasn’t hers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Minutes after the phone call during which I’d agreed to let her use my house, she’d texted me to ask if she could borrow $300 for Ethan’s cake and juice boxes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman holding a cell phone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I’d sent it to her, no questions asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“Wow,”<\/i>\u00a0I’d thought, “cakes really are expensive these days.<\/i>“<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But now it made sense. That money wasn’t for cake and juice boxes; it was for a professional catering order for a baby shower I didn’t even know existed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When I confronted her the next day, she rolled her eyes like I was being dramatic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman staring at someone | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“You weren’t even using the house. Why do you care so much?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I told her she was banned from ever using my house again. That trust, once broken, doesn’t just magically repair itself.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She twisted the knife: “You’re just jealous I made more money in one afternoon than you make in a week.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman leaning her head in one hand | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Now I feel sick. Sue lied, used me, and stole from me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She didn’t just borrow my space; she exploited it. She made money off my property and made me look like some kind of Airbnb\/party venue host to my neighbors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Worst of all, she did it without a shred of remorse.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A thoughtful woman | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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When I told my mom the full story, hoping for some support, some validation that what happened was wrong, she just sighed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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“You’re overreacting, Livvy. It’s just a party. You’re tearing the family apart.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But here’s the thing: I’m not mad about the money.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An annoyed woman standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I’m mad that she thinks trust means nothing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I would’ve given her the house for anything if she’d just told me the truth. I would’ve helped her plan the shower and made sure everything was perfect for this Jessica person I’d never met.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead, she went behind my back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman staring thoughtfully at her garden | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She lied with a smile and turned my generosity into her business opportunity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And now she’s trying to make me the villain for being upset about it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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So I ask you: am I really the one tearing the family apart? Or is it wrong to believe that trust should matter more than cupcakes and confetti?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman glancing over one shoulder | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Because right now, sitting in my house that still smells faintly of baby shower cake, I’m wondering if I even know my sister at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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When my sister begged to use my house for her son’s birthday, I said yes. She needed space, and I’d be out of town. I even left snacks and a … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6302,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297\/revisions\/6302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}