For as long as I can remember, I was raised by my mother. My father was a distant figureour conversations were limited to the occasional phone call, and hed send small sums of money until I reached adulthood, but it was Mum who truly brought me up. She never dared to try her luck again with anyone else, choosing instead to devote her life to raising me. We lived simply yet comfortably enough. After finishing my studies and getting married, a new issue arose with housing.
My husband came from a large family plagued by constant arguments about their parents house, unable to settle who should get what. Eventually, the house was sold, and my husband got barely anything for it, but with the help of my mum, we managed to save and multiply his funds, which allowed us to buy a car for the family. Although, to be honest, the car was really only in his name and he was the one who drove it.
At first, the three of us lived together in our two-bedroom flat and it seemed to work well, though my husband occasionally let it be known that living with his mother-in-law didnt suit him. He complained that she eavesdropped, meddled, or intruded on our family life. I never felt that way myself. Having spent my whole life with Mum, it was comfortable for mewhile I worked, she took care of the cleaning and cooking.
But once the news broke of my pregnancy, my husbands behaviour worsened. Over dinner, he deliberately raised the subject of where we should set up the nursery, given the flat had only two rooms. I tried to stop him from hurting my mother with such talk, but when I wasnt around, he spoke his mind regardless. I was oblivious until one day I came home and Mum wasnt there.
Probably gone to the shops, my husband muttered dismissively.
We waited until dinner but I couldnt shake the worry. When I kept asking about Mum, it annoyed my husband to the point where he confessed all the unpleasant things hed said to her. He claimed life would be better without her, that she was taking up too much space.
I never expected this from him. Wed managed alright in our cramped space, but the news of a baby seems to have unsettled him…
Before things got any worse, I hurried out to find Mum. She was sitting alone in the park, afraid to come home. I hugged her and reassured her, telling her not to take her son-in-laws words to heart. He isnt a bad person, just anxious about whats ahead. Wed figure something out.
After returning home, once I calmed down, I warned my husband that if he acted out again, it would be him making space in the flat. Being pregnant doesnt mean Im helpless or dependent. Quite the opposite, reallyhes dependent on my mothers flat and should be grateful he has somewhere to live and isnt paying hefty rent. If he truly wants change, hes welcome to make it, but if hes content living here with Mum, then she has just as much reason to be happy with the arrangement.
