Ever since our son married, hes drifted away from us. He barely comes round anymore; instead, hes constantly at his mother-in-laws, answering some latest crisis. I cant even fathom how that woman managed on her own before her daughter wed our son.
Theyve been married just over two years now. Once they tied the knot, they moved into a flat we bought for him when he started at university. Since he was little, wed always given him everything he needed: our support, our love, our understanding. Even before he married, hed lived independently, the flat just a short walk from his job.
I wont pretend I ever disliked my daughter-in-lawI just always thought she wasnt really ready for marriage, not in spirit. Yes, our son is only a couple of years older, but she would often behave like a little girl, throwing tantrums over nothing. Our sons always been so gentle, and I used to worry how his kindness would bear this child-like partner.
After meeting her and her mother, everything made sense. Even though my sons mother-in-law and I are the same age, she acts like a teenager. Maybe youve encountered people like that: fully grown, but utterly childish and helpless. When the wedding came around, shed already been divorced six times.
We never had much in common to talk about. She seemed to float in her own world, and we simply exchanged polite courtesies at the wedding and left it at that.
Red flags started waving just before the wedding, when my daughter-in-law began dragging our son over for every little thing: a leaking tap, a socket that needed fixing, a cupboard door off its hinges. At first, I shrugged it offthere was no man in their household, after all, perhaps she just needed a helping hand.
But as time passed, the house always seemed to have something else in need of repair. Our son stopped coming by, saying he and his wife were always off to her mums. Then they started spending every holiday at the mother-in-laws, while our dinners dwindled to just me, my husband, and, occasionally, my own mother-in-law.
It hurt enough when our son stopped attending family gatherings, but it stung even worse when he started ignoring us altogether when we asked for help.
Not long ago, we bought a new fridge and asked if he could help move it in. He agreed at first, but then called to say he couldnt make ithis wife had insisted they needed to go to her mothers because the washing machine was leaking.
When my husband called him, I could hear my daughter-in-law in the background: Couldnt your parents just hire someone? Our son eventually showed up, but he was fuming.
Dad, couldnt you have got a removal company? Now its down to me to do it!
I bit my tongue, longing to know why his mother-in-law never just called a professional herself. My son muttered something about con men, plumbers and repairmen charging money but doing nothing.
That was the final straw for my husband. He snapped, Maybe your mother-in-law cant fix a kettle, but shes got a real knack for stringing you along! My son stormed out, livid, and didnt speak to his father for a fortnight.
I didnt say a wordI agreed with my husband. His new in-laws are always hanging on our sons coattails. He goes running to fix everything for them, while forgetting we even exist.
Now father and son are locked in a cold war, both stubborn as mules. My husband refuses to reach out; our son declares he wont call until his dad apologises. Here I am, stuck in the middle, torn apart by it all. I know my husbands right, but I wish hed been gentler. Im not about to lose my son over something so silly.
The silence continueseach of them waiting for the other to crack. And, as usual, its only the mother-in-law who seems to be flourishing in all of this.
