{"id":747,"date":"2026-01-01T02:05:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T02:05:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=747"},"modified":"2026-01-01T02:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T02:06:03","slug":"our-dad-demanded-we-all-buy-mom-kitchen-utensils-as-a-hint-so-we-decided-to-outplay-him-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/?p=747","title":{"rendered":"Our Dad Demanded We All Buy Mom Kitchen Utensils as a “Hint”\u2014So We Decided to Outplay Him"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our Dad Demanded We All Buy Mom Kitchen Utensils as a “Hint”\u2014So We Decided to Outplay Him<\/b><\/h1>\n

When my brother and I overheard Dad calling Mom \u201clazy\u201d and mocking her cooking, we knew we couldn\u2019t let it slide. What started as a Christmas gift list turned into a clever plot to teach him a lesson he\u2019d never forget.<\/p>\n

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I never thought I\u2019d say this, but my family\u2019s Christmas this year felt straight out of a sitcom, except, you know, the kind that makes you grind your teeth first.<\/p>\n

My name\u2019s Stella, I\u2019m fourteen, and my life\u2019s a mix of biology homework, arguing with my sixteen-year-old brother Seth, and trying to keep my sneakers white in a house that\u2019s spotless only because Mom makes sure of it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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My mom is the glue holding us together. She works full-time, does all the laundry and house-cleaning, and still finds the energy to help Seth with his physics projects that, let\u2019s face it, are basically black holes with glitter glue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A tired-looking woman sits down to rest after doing the house chores | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n

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Dad, on the other hand, considers himself the \u201cman of the house,\u201d which is just a fancy title for doing nothing and watching old action movies. I\u2019m not saying I don\u2019t love him\u2014I do\u2014but he\u2019s a \u201cfeet-up, channel-surfing, and passing-commentary-on-everything\u201d kind of guy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But then Christmas happened, and now Seth and I can\u2019t forget what we heard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was two weeks before Christmas, and Seth and I were sneaking through the hallway looking for Mom\u2019s stash of wrapped presents.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts with festive ribbons | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Instead, we caught Dad on the phone with his brother, Uncle Nick. His voice was loud enough to carry through the closed door.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat to get, Lily?\u201d Dad said, laughing like he was sharing a joke. \u201cBro, only kitchen stuff. Mixers, blenders, utensils\u2014you know, stuff that\u2019ll make her actually useful in the kitchen. She\u2019s soooo lazy in there.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I felt my stomach twist. Lazy? Was he kidding? Mom barely sits down. Seth shot me a glance, his jaw clenched. He whispered, \u201cDad can\u2019t be serious.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A teenage boy looks surprised and upset | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But Dad wasn\u2019t done. \u201cI\u2019m just saying, if she had better gadgets, maybe she wouldn\u2019t be such a horrible cook. It\u2019s not like she\u2019s great at it anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It felt like the world had tilted sideways. Seth and I weren\u2019t the type to agree on much, but in that moment, we didn\u2019t need words. We had a plan before we even left the hallway.<\/p>\n

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On Christmas morning, the living room smelled like pine and cookies. Mom had been up since dawn baking, her hair tied in that messy bun she swore was \u201cpractical\u201d but always looked perfect.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A closeup shot of a woman decorating a home-backed cupcake with cream | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She kept refilling the coffee pot and handing out mugs while Dad lounged by the fire, sipping his hot chocolate like he hadn\u2019t just insulted her existence two weeks ago.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The whole family of 12\u2014grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles\u2014sat in a circle by the tree. Seth and I perched on the couch, biting our lips to keep from grinning too early. One by one, the gifts were unwrapped. The usual stuff: socks, gift cards, and ugly sweaters that no one wanted but everyone pretended to love.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A closeup shot of a woman holding Christmas socks lying a red gift box | Source: Pexels<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Then it was Dad\u2019s turn.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Aunt Patricia handed him the first box. \u201cThis one\u2019s from me, Tanner,\u201d she said with a sweet smile.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad tore off the paper and blinked. \u201cOh. A fishing rod. Nice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s not just nice\u2014it\u2019s top of the line,\u201d Aunt Patricia said, grinning widely \u201cThought you\u2019d love it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad chuckled awkwardly. \u201cYeah\u2026 I do. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But then Seth passed him another box. \u201cHere, Dad. From me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another fishing rod. Dad frowned but forced a smile. \u201cUh\u2026 thanks, son. Really thoughtful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man forcing a smile | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I handed him mine next. \u201cMerry Christmas, Dad!\u201d I chirped, sounding as innocent as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He unwrapped it slowly, probably hoping for a wallet or something practical.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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His face fell. \u201cAnother one?\u201d He laughed nervously. \u201cWow. Three is a charm, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Uncle Nick was next, followed by Aunt Claire and even Grandpa. Each gift was the same: a fishing rod. By the time the fifth one was opened, Dad\u2019s smile had turned into a twitching scowl.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWait a minute,\u201d he said, his voice rising. \u201cWhat the hell is this? Fishing rods? Who needs this many fishing rods?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A closeup shots of fishing rods lying in a living room | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, Mom\u2019s laughter echoed through the living room as she unwrapped the beautifully wrapped designer purse. Seth and I watched as her face lit up, glowing as brightly as the Christmas lights strung around the room.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh my gosh, this purse is beautiful! How did you all know I wanted it?\u201d she asked, running her fingers over the smooth leather.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Uncle Nick grinned from his spot near the fireplace. \u201cWe had help. The kids sent us a wishlist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man grins while looking at someone | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mom\u2019s eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked like she might cry. \u201cYou two did this?\u201d she whispered, glancing between me and Seth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We nodded in unison, trying to keep our cool. Seth shrugged, but his grin gave him away. \u201cYou deserve it, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Her voice broke a little. \u201cThank you. Both of you. This is the best Christmas I\u2019ve had in years.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A woman gets happy and emotional while being surrounded by Christmas presents | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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I won\u2019t lie, hearing her say that made every second of planning worth it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Rewind to two weeks ago. Seth and I were furious after overhearing Dad call Mom \u201clazy\u201d and a \u201chorrible cook.\u201d It was like a switch flipped inside us. That night, we stayed up in Seth\u2019s room, sketching out what we called \u201cOperation Outplay.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOkay,\u201d I said, pacing his cluttered room. \u201cFirst, we need to stop this kitchen gadget nonsense. Mom doesn\u2019t even like cooking; she does it because she has to.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A thoughtful young girl | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seth leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. \u201cAnd then we make Dad eat his words. Literally, if we can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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I smirked. \u201cLet\u2019s start with an email.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Together, we drafted a message to every family member who had planned to join us for Christmas. The email was simple but clear:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHi, this is Stella and Seth. We need your help to make this Christmas special for Mom. Dad asked you to get her kitchen stuff, but we think she deserves better. Here\u2019s a wishlist of gifts she\u2019ll actually love and cherish\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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A young girl smiles while using her laptop | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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We listed things Mom had quietly admired but never bought for herself: that designer bag she had been longing to buy for as long as we could remember, a spa day gift card, her favorite skincare products, a personalized necklace with our names engraved, and the cozy reading chair she\u2019d been eyeing for her tiny library.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We added one final touch. \u201cInstead of getting Dad what he asked for, please buy him fishing rods. As many as possible. Trust us\u2014it\u2019s part of the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A young girl smiling triumphantly | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The responses rolled in almost immediately. Aunt Patricia wrote back, \u201cCount me in! Lily works so hard, and I\u2019m happy to help.\u201d Grandpa added, \u201cFishing rod it is. This will be fun!\u201d By the end of the week, every family member was on board.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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***<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Fast forward to Christmas morning. After Dad\u2019s meltdown over the mountain of fishing rods, Mom\u2019s gifts kept coming. The personalized necklace brought tears to her eyes. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d she said, clutching it to her chest. \u201cThank you, everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A heart-shaped necklace with the initials \u201cSS\u201d engraved on it | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seth handed her the next box, a spa day gift card. \u201cYou need a break, Mom. Go get pampered for once.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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She laughed through her tears. \u201cYou two are amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meanwhile, Dad was fuming in his armchair, surrounded by his growing pile of fishing rods. His face was a blend of confusion and annoyance. \u201cWill someone please tell me what this nonsense is? Fishing rods? Like, seriously? I don\u2019t even fish!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Uncle Nick leaned forward, grinning. \u201cWe thought you\u2019d want to start, dear brother. You know, since Lily puts so much effort into cooking for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A mean grinning widely | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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That was the spark that lit the fire.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThis is ridiculous!\u201d Dad snapped, his voice rising. \u201cWhere\u2019s all the stuff I told you to get for Lily? The kitchen gadgets? She needs those!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mom froze, her smile fading. \u201cYou told everyone to get me kitchen stuff?\u201d she asked, her tone sharp.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Seth crossed his arms. \u201cYeah, Dad said you were \u2018lazy in the kitchen\u2019 and needed gadgets to cook faster. We figured you deserved better.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad\u2019s face turned a deep shade of red. \u201cYou two\u2014! That\u2019s not what I meant!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An angry man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOh really, Dad?\u201d Seth shot back. \u201cBecause it sure sounded like that when you were whining to Uncle Nick about how Mom\u2019s \u2018too tired to cook for you.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The room went silent. All eyes were on Dad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mom\u2019s voice trembled, but it wasn\u2019t from sadness, it was anger. \u201cSo, all this time, you\u2019ve been complaining about me behind my back? And the kids had to step in because you couldn\u2019t appreciate me? You\u2019re impossible, Tanner!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad stammered, \u201cI\u2014I was joking!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s funny,\u201d Mom said, crossing her arms. \u201cBecause I\u2019m not laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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An upset woman standing with her arms crossed | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seth leaned toward me and whispered, \u201cMom\u2019s about to go nuclear.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cGood,\u201d I whispered back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mom stood, grabbed one of the fishing rods, and placed it firmly in Dad\u2019s lap. \u201cHere. You\u2019ll have plenty of time to \u2018joke\u2019 while you\u2019re learning to fish with your new toys.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Dad opened his mouth to argue but thought better of it. He slumped back in his chair, defeated.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A man sitting back in his chair looking defeated | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The rest of the day was perfect. Mom basked in the love and attention from everyone, while Dad sulked in the corner. That evening, as the chaos died down, Mom pulled Seth and me into a tight hug.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYou two have no idea how much this means to me,\u201d she said softly. \u201cI don\u2019t need fancy things, but knowing you see how hard I work\u2014it\u2019s everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cOf course we see it, Mom,\u201d I said. \u201cWe just wanted you to know that we appreciate you. For everything that you\u2019ve done for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A young girl smiling softly | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seth added, \u201cAnd we wanted Dad to realize it too. He\u2019ll think twice before calling you lazy again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Mom laughed, wiping her eyes. \u201cGosh! I love you both so much! You are the best. And your plan? Genius. I\u2019m so proud of you, Seth and Stella.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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And the fishing rods? Let\u2019s just say they weren\u2019t gifts; they were a lesson. One Dad wouldn\u2019t forget anytime soon. For starters, he never dared call Mom \u201clazy\u201d again. Safe to say, our plan worked better than we could\u2019ve hoped, don\u2019t you think?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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A teenage boy and girl smile triumphantly | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our Dad Demanded We All Buy Mom Kitchen Utensils as a “Hint”\u2014So We Decided to Outplay Him When my brother and I overheard Dad calling Mom \u201clazy\u201d and mocking her … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":748,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-747","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-life-story"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=747"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":749,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/747\/revisions\/749"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/748"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=747"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=747"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/storyreadin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}