Before William and I got married, wed been seeing each other for five years. We practically grew up as a pair during our time at university. That was when we travelled together, started sharing a flat, attended the weddings of our mates, and even went to his cousins wedding with Williams family in Bristol.
Williams mum, Eleanor, had always treated me warmly. I truly believed she liked me, that perhaps we were something like friends. Eleanor was in her fifties but seemed to understand me well, supported my ambitions and pursuits, and when William proposed, she told me shed be thrilled to have me as her daughter-in-law. I never doubted Id get along with her, considering how she behaved.
Everything shifted the moment William actually asked me to marry him. I was over the moon, but he only took the leap after I showed him a positive pregnancy test. It wasnt that he was ecstatic about the babywed only just finished uni and got ourselves jobsbut he wasnt panicked either. Eleanor, however, was utterly unprepared for this news. She asked why we needed a baby at our age, and how wed raise it given that we were, as she put it, barely grown ourselves. She tried to talk me into not having the child.
To hasten the wedding, we didnt plan anything extravagant and only invited our closest family and friends. I hoped my soon-to-be mother-in-law would help arrange things, but she simply faded away.
Now, I realise she didnt want to see me or speak with me. She pretended she was too busy and didnt attend our wedding. Everyone else cameeven Williams relatives from Manchester and Londonbut Eleanor couldnt make it.
What did she have against the baby? It was bound to happen sooner or later, so wheres the problem in that? In my opinion, Eleanor lives according to odd notions, keeps a peculiar timeline for how she relates to her own children, and grandchildren dont seem to be pencilled into her plans yet. But to miss such an important day for William and me because of it its a real dreamlike absurditylike a pig in the parlour.
