A flat without the motherinlaw: escaping the nightmare of sharing a threeroom apartment
Were not buying a home to live with my motherinlaw; I refuse a threeroom flat just to avoid that horror.
My husband and I have been dreaming of a place of our own, took out a mortgage and even borrowed money from my motherinlaw. She isnt mean, but her constant presence drives me to the edge. Since her husband passed away, she has made it her mission to look after everyone, and its suffocating us. She owns a spacious apartment in the heart of Lyon, yet Ive decided that a modest home that belongs solely to us is the better choice. I wont let her shadow hover over our nest.
We found a threeroom unit in a brandnew complex. One of the rooms is tinyperfect for the walkin closet Ive always wanted. But my motherinlaw, Édith Thérèse, exploded. She called it absurd to turn that space into a dressing area. Where will guests sleep? What if family comes to visit? she kept asking, eyes sharp. I instantly realized she was thinking of herself. Lately she lingers at our place until impossible hours, as if she refuses to return to her empty apartment. Her words sounded like a threat: if we take the threeroom flat, shell move in, maybe even make it her permanent residence.
I can see where this is heading. Édith Thérèse lives alone, and her attentions are turning into stifling control. She phones three times a day to check on us, offers unsolicited advice, and even tries to dictate how we should arrange our future home. I will not share my house with her! My husband, Antoine, and I are buying a place to build our life, not to bow to her whims, however kind she may appear.
I gave an ultimatum: no threeroom flat. I only want to see your mother at celebrations, I told Antoine. If she needs a guest room, she can set one up at her own place. He tried to persuade me, saying she simply wants to be close, that shes aging and loneliness weighs on her. I remain firm. I wont sacrifice our peace for her oppressive care. Id rather give up my closet than turn our home into an annex of hers.
If guests arrive, theyll sleep on an inflatable mattress. And if my motherinlaw insists on staying overnight, Ill find a thousand excuses to send her back home. This is our house, our life, and no onenot even herwill rob us of the right to be its masters.
