In this intriguing tale of love and family dynamics, Sue, a Black woman, shares her experience testing her wealthy and influential mother-in-law, Diane, during a Christmas gathering. Despite a secret and intimate wedding with her white husband, Richard, Sue hadn’t met Diane before and wanted to form her own opinion of the woman who raised her husband.

Sue devised a clever test involving two Christmas presents: a sentimental hand-painted stone featuring Diane’s cat and a luxurious Gucci handbag. The plan was to gauge Diane’s reaction to the intimate gift before revealing the grand one. Diane’s response to the stone was less than gracious; she deemed it cheap and suggested Sue take it back.

The tables turned when Sue unwrapped her gift from Diane—a mere $20 movie theater gift card. Despite the apparent imbalance in the thoughtfulness of their gifts, Sue decided to reveal the Gucci handbag. Diane’s initial delight shifted to scrutiny as she inspected every inch, hinting at suspicions of it being a fake.

Richard, aware of the test, confronted his mother about her ungrateful behavior, asserting that Sue had bought the expensive bag with her own money and deserved respect. Despite Richard’s intervention, Sue reflected on her initial suspicions and concluded that Diane turned out to be the expected fussy mother-in-law.

As the story closes, Sue wonders about the fate of the stone with Mittens’ face, reflecting on the complexity of family dynamics and the challenges of bridging gaps between different worlds. The Gucci handbag serves as a constant reminder for Diane to reconsider her attitude towards Sue, leaving the reader to ponder the complexities of family relationships.