My mother-in-law came into our bedroom every night at exactly three o’clock while we were asleep: one night we pretended to be sleeping to finally understand what she really wanted 

My husband and I live in my mother-in-law’s house until we can get our own place. During the day she seemed like an ordinary woman — calm, balanced, caring. But at night, it was as if something changed. Every night, at exactly three in the morning, she would enter our room without knocking, holding a small flashlight in her hand.

She didn’t care that we were asleep, that she woke us up. When we asked why she did this, her only answer was:

— I just wanted to see what you were doing.

— Mom, what could we possibly be doing at three in the morning? We were asleep. Go back to your room, — my husband said tiredly.

But the next night it happened again. And again the night after that.

I was exhausted. I started having sleep problems — after her nightly visits we couldn’t fall back asleep for a long time, and at six we had to get up for work. In desperation, I suggested to my husband:

— When your mother comes, let’s not get up. Let’s pretend to be asleep. Maybe then we’ll understand what she really wants.

And so that night she came into our room once more. We lay with our eyes closed, trying not to breathe too loudly.

What my mother-in-law did next left us in shock  To be continued in the first comment 

She stood by the bed for several minutes, shined the flashlight on our faces, called us by name. We didn’t respond. After about five minutes, she silently walked out.

The following evening, already fearful of her nightly visits, I made a desperate decision — I pushed an old wardrobe in front of the bedroom door so she couldn’t come in.

That night we slept soundly, for the first time in a long while. But in the morning a real horror awaited us: we found my mother-in-law in her own bed. She wasn’t breathing. Her body was cold.

The ambulance arrived quickly. The doctors said it was a sudden heart attack.

— Death occurred about five hours ago, — one of them said.

— So… at three in the morning, — I whispered. And I froze at my own words.

Because every day she came into our bedroom at exactly that time. Why? To check on us? Or because she herself felt the end approaching and was trying to escape it?

Or maybe, that last night, when we didn’t open the door to her, something inside her finally gave way…

I never found the answer. For me, it will forever remain a mystery.