Consider the story of Jenna, a 34-year-old graphic designer who wrote into a family advice column about her mother-in-law, Helen. By day, Helen was curt, critical of Jenna’s cooking, and dismissive of her career. Jenna dreaded family dinners. Everything changed one night when a storm knocked out the power. Forced to sit by candlelight, Helen began to talk—first about the storm of 1987, then about her own overbearing mother-in-law, and finally, about her fear that her son (Jenna’s husband) had stopped needing her.

Clara finds Evelyn in the garden at midnight, glowing under the moonlight, performing a ritual Clara's own grandmother once described. The Betrayal:

Many mothers-in-law feel a deep need to stay "front and center" to remain relevant in their children's lives. Late-night calls or conversations are often a subconscious power play to reclaim attention after the busy workday ends.