Who cared for Nana doesnt matter! The flat legally belongs to me! thats the argument my mum keeps throwing at me.
My own mother is now threatening legal action. Why, you ask? Because the flat that belonged to my grandmother never belonged to her or to me it actually went to my daughter. Mum thinks thats utterly unfair. She believes the flat should have passed straight to her, but Nana had other plans. Most likely she thought it was a thankyou for the five years my husband and I spent living under her roof and looking after her.
Mum can safely be called selfish; her own wants have always trumped anyone elses. Shes been married three times but only ever had two children: me and my younger sister, Lucy. Lucy and I get on famously, but our relationship with Mum is a bit strained.
I can barely recall my dad. He and Mum divorced when I was two. Until I was six, I lived with Mum at Nanas place. For some reason Nana always seemed a bit prickly to me back then probably because Mum was constantly sobbing. It wasnt until I grew up that I realised Nana was a topnotch lady who simply wanted her daughter to stand on her own two feet.
After Mums second marriage we moved in with my stepdad, Peter. Thats when Lucy was born. Mum and Peter lived together for seven years before they split. This time we didnt go back to Nana; Peter took a job and let us crash in his flat. Three years later Mum remarried again and we moved in with her new husband, David.
David wasnt thrilled to discover hed inherited a couple of stepchildren, but he never hurt us he just ignored us. Mum was equally distracted by her new man, constantly jealous and prone to dramatic plateshattering scenes.
Once a month Mum would start packing, but Peter always stopped her. Lucy and I got used to it and stopped paying attention. I ended up looking after Lucy because Mum never had the time. Thankfully we had both grandmothers to lean on; they were a godsend. Eventually I moved into a council hostel while Lucy stayed with Nana. Dad helped out where he could, and Mum only rang us during the holidays.
I realised pretty quickly that Mum was just Mum. She never bothered with us, never worried. Lucy, however, was different. She took everything to heart, especially when Mum skipped her graduation ceremony.
We grew up. Lucy married and moved to Brighton with her husband. James (my boyfriend) and I werent in any rush to wed, even though wed been together forever. We shared a rented flat in Manchester, paying the usual £800 a month. I still visited Nana often; we were close, but I tried not to be a bother.
Then Nana fell ill and ended up in the hospital. The nurses said she needed good care, so I started dropping in daily, bringing groceries, cooking, cleaning, or just chatting. I also made sure she took her medication on time. Six months went by with me, sometimes accompanied by James, who was handy with repairs and tidying up. Eventually Nana suggested we move in with her to save on rent and avoid the £800 monthly bill.
We didnt think twice we loved each other and Nana liked James a lot. So we moved in. Six months later I discovered I was pregnant. We decided to keep the baby, and Nana was over the moon at the prospect of a greatgrandchild. We held a tiny wedding ceremony at a local café with a few relatives, and Mum didnt even call to congratulate us.
When my daughter, Poppy, was two months old, Nana suffered a fall and broke her leg. Juggling a newborn and a brokenleg grandma was a nightmare. I begged Mum for help; she promised shed be there later, but never showed up.
Six months after that, Nana had a stroke and was confined to bed. Caring for her was a Herculean task; without James I dont know how Id have survived. Slowly she recovered enough to speak, eat, and even take a few steps. She lived another two and a half years, getting to watch her greatgranddaughter toddle about. Nana passed away quietly in her sleep. James and I were devastated wed loved her dearly.
Mum only turned up for the funeral. A month later she swooped in, demanding the flat for herself, convinced it was rightfully hers. What Mum didnt know was that Nana had bequeathed the flat to me just after Poppys birth, so there was nothing for Mum to claim.
Naturally that didnt sit well with her. She threatened to sue unless I handed over the property. How cunning of you! You stole the flat from the old lady and now youre living in it! It doesnt matter who cared for Nana the flat should be mine!
Ive already spoken to a solicitor and a solicitornotary. Mum wont get the flat. Well stay in the house Nana gifted us, and if our next child turns out to be a girl, well name her after Nana, just like we promised.
