My mother-in-law is known for her snooping. Once, she showed up unannounced when my husband and I were in the middle of an intimate moment. Christmas dinner was the last straw, and I exposed her, hoping to set boundaries.
But I never expected my husband would take her side.
When my husband Chris and I finally bought our dream house, I felt like all our sacrifices had paid off. After three years of living on ramen noodles, skipping date nights, and sharing a one-bedroom apartment, we’d done it. The little blue colonial with white trim was ours, complete with a bay window I’d already filled with plans for morning coffee and Sunday reading sessions.
“Can you believe it’s really ours?” I whispered to Chris as we stood in our living room that first evening.
The sunset painted the walls gold, and for just a moment, everything felt perfect.
But my bubble of joy didn’t last 24 hours. The next morning, my mother-in-law Winter showed up unannounced, armed with a casserole and demands.
“I need an emergency key,” she declared, setting her casserole on our half-unpacked kitchen counter. “Every family member has one.
It’s how we do things.”
“Winter, we haven’t even unpacked yet,” I said, gesturing at the towers of moving boxes threatening to topple over in our hallway.
Winter’s lips tightened into that familiar line I’d come to dread. “What if something happens? What if there’s a fire?
Or a break-in? Or Chris falls down the stairs while you’re at work?”
“That’s what emergency services are for,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice level.
She turned to me, her eyes narrowing. “Anna, dear, you’re still new to this family.
You don’t understand how we do things. When Chris was growing up—”
“Mom,” Chris interrupted, “things are different now.”
“Different?” Winter’s voice quivered. “So now I’m just a stranger who needs permission to check on her only son?”
I’d known exactly what kind of woman Winter was since my wedding day last year.
While I was getting ready, she’d “accidentally” stumbled into the bridal suite three separate times, each time with a flimsier excuse than the last.
“Oh, I thought I heard crying!” she’d said, barging in while I was half-dressed in my wedding gown, my mom still zipping up the back.
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