The Twilight Zone

Yesterday was game #2 in my stepmom-goes-to-games experience.
Firstly, The Kid's team didn't get creamed! He did great and they only lost by 2 points in the last 4 minutes. I was great fun to watch.
The Ex was there but had to leave before the end of the game. Consequently, her mother came to watch the end of the game and take The Kid home.
To describe her mother as an evil troll would be kind. This woman has been nothing but nasty to my husband and I. She hated The Husband from day 1 of his dating her daughter. She threatened to kill him when they got pregnant. She would call her daughter every day of their marriage and say, "You don't have to stay with him. You can do better. There's always a room in my home for you." She shoots us dirty looks when we're in the same place at the same time. She constantly tells The Kid how much she hates us. She says rude things about me, but not to me, whenever we run into each other. She. Is. Horrible.
So, I was less than thrilled when we had to swap out some of The Kid's forgotten things to her at the end of the game. Ugh.
As we were all standing around the cars, waiting for things to get unlocked/situated there was an awkward moment where it was just me and The Troll, standing within throttling distance feet of each other. She snuck a look in my direction. I decided it was high-time I actually meet this woman.
I stuck out my hand. "Hi. I'm EWO. I've heard so much about you. Nice to finally meet you."
She returns the gesture. "Hello. I'm A Conniving Twatbag The Kid's Grandma."
Silence.
She continued, "I've heard so many wonderful things about you," as she placed her knobbly, wrinkled, old hand on my arm. "Thank you so much for being so great to my grandson."
Insert record scratch.
The Husband dropped the car keys.
The orange The Kid was eating fell straight out of his gaping mouth.
I must have looked something like this.
"W-w-well. Well, that's very kind of you to say," I managed to choke out.
We transferred all of The Kid's stuff into the car, said our farewells and I jumped into my car.
The Husband and I looked at each other in equal states of disbelief.
"Well that was..." I whispered.
"...odd, " he offered.
"Um, yeah. I need..."
"...a drink?"
"Yeah!"
And so we drove away from The Twilight Zone and went to the pub.
I don't know what prompted this woman to suddenly recognize that I'm not an evil bee-otch. Maybe she doesn't and just felt outnumbered. Whatever the reason, I think it's still a pretty huge compliment coming from Satan her.
And I think it's safe to say that nothing but good has come from becoming more fully involved in The Kid's life outside our home.