At 58, I was thrilled for my first weekend alone with my grandson, Tommy. The day started with excitement but quickly unraveled when my old washing machine broke, flooding the laundry room. With Tommy’s clean clothes now soaked, I decided to head to the laundromat.

The laundromat, a dingy relic from the ’80s, made juggling Tommy, a diaper bag, and a laundry basket feel like a circus act. A kind stranger offered to help, holding Tommy while I managed the laundry. Relieved, I accepted.

But then, I saw it—a Tide pod in Tommy’s mouth. My heart stopped. The man was standing there, smiling like everything was fine. I yanked the pod out of Tommy’s mouth, my hands shaking.

“Don’t you know how dangerous those are?” I shouted at the man, who casually shrugged it off. “Kids put everything in their mouths. No harm done.”

“No harm done?” I was livid. “Here, eat one then!”

The man backed away, offended, and I grabbed Tommy, leaving behind my laundry. The drive home was a blur of guilt and fear. I called my doctor, who reassured me Tommy seemed fine but advised close monitoring.

Exhausted, I held Tommy close, vowing never to let pride or anyone else’s “help” endanger him again. When Sarah and Mike returned, I masked my anxiety with a smile, relieved to have kept Tommy safe despite the chaos.

And so, with a heavy heart and a new washing machine on order, I learned that sometimes, the price of safety is steep but worth every penny.