After checking on her daughter, Emily saw red welts from a belt. Something inside her shattered. She gently moved the children aside and stood tall.
Emily was dragging her feet on the way home from work, dreading what awaited her. The autumn wind nipped at her coat, and the heavy clouds seemed to push down on her shoulders. But the weather wasnt the problemit was the unexpected visitor.
Earlier, during an important client meeting, Daniel had called:
“Emily, dont be cross, but I picked Mum up from the station. She missed the grandkids. Shes staying a few days.”
Those words sent a chill down Emilys spine. Her mother-in-law, Margaret, was a nightmare. In ten years of marriage, Emily had never found common ground with her.
“Daniel, we agreed,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “You were supposed to warn me first.”
“Sorry, love. She rang out of the bluesaid she needed tests at the hospital in Manchester. Thought shed pop in. I couldnt say no.”
Emily sighed. Of course he couldnt. Daniel was hopeless when it came to standing up to his mother, no matter how unreasonable she was.
“Fine. Ill stay lateneed to finish this project by tomorrow.”
“Dont fret, Mums watching the kids. She brought presents, and Ive got to dashclients system crashed.”
So Emily delayed the inevitable as long as possible. The thought of an evening with the woman whod once kicked her and little Oliver out in the rainaccusing her of everything short of the plaguemade her stomach twist.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Daniel:
“Still with client. Running late. You alright?”
Emily typed back:
“Nearly home. Ill cope.”
Memories of their early years together flickered through her mind. Back then, theyd lived in Margarets housespacious but as warm as its owners personality.
Six years earlier.
Young Emily was at the stove, stirring soup. Upstairs, baby Oliverjust five months oldwas wailing. She wiped her hands on her apron, about to rush up, when Margaret swept in.
“Cant you hear the child crying?” her mother-in-law snapped.
“I was just going to him,” Emily replied calmly.
“Youre always ‘just going,'” Margaret scoffed. “And yet the house is a tip. My Daniel slept like an angel at that age. Must be your side of the family.”
Emily bit her tongue. She heard this daily.
Margaret peered into the pot.
“What on earth is this slop? Daniel doesnt eat this.”
“Its his favourite,” Emily said. “He asked for it.”
“Rubbish. Im his mother. I know what he likes!”
Margaret snatched the pot and dumped its contents down the sink. Emilys eyes stung.
“Why did you do that? I spent ages making it!”
“Dont be dramatic. Go to the baby. Ill cook a proper meal for my son.”
When Daniel came home that evening, Margaret greeted him:
“Darling, would you believe ityour wife did nothing all day! The baby screamed, and she ignored him. Thank goodness I was here.”
Daniel sighed.
“Mum, Im sure Emily looks after Oliver.”
“Of course you defend her!” Margaret threw up her hands. “Shes got you wrapped around her little finger, and Im nothing to you now!”
With a dramatic sob, she flounced off. Daniel gave Emily an apologetic look.
“Sorry, she just worries”
“Daniel, she throws out my cooking,” Emily whispered. “She tells Oliver Im a bad mum. Its unbearable.”
“Just hang on a bit longer,” he pleaded. “Well move out soon, I promise.”
But months passed, and things only worsened.
A passing car snapped her back to the present. Emily hurried her steps. She was almost home.
Before she knew it, she was in the lift, pressing her forehead to the cool wall.
“Its just a few days,” she muttered. “Ill manage.”
When the doors opened, a sound froze herdesperate sobbing. It was Sophie.
Emily fumbled with the key, hands shaking. Finally, the door swung open.
What she saw turned her blood cold.
In the living room stood Margaret. In her handa belt, raised over little Sophie, who cowered in a corner. Oliver was shielding his sister, tears streaming.
“Ill teach you to touch my things!” Margaret hissed, lifting the belt again.
Emilys face burned.
“What are you doing?!” she screamed, rushing forward.
Margaret turned, unfazed.
“Oh, youre back! Your daughter ruined my new handbagcost me £200!and then she cheeked me!”
Emily gathered her children.
“You hit my child?! Have you lost your mind?!”
“Dont tell me how to discipline children!” Margaret snapped. “I raised my son alone! You could use a bit of my backbone!”
Emily examined Sophies legsangry red stripes. Something inside her broke.
She set the children down gently and stood tall.
“Get out of my house.”
Margaret gaped.
“Im not leaving! I came to see my son and grandchildren!”
“Mum,” Oliver whispered, “Gran hit Sophie because she spilled tea. Then Sophie said hittings wrong, and Gran got madder”
“Quiet!” Margaret barked, but Emily stepped between them.
“Dont you shout at my son! You hit my daughter. Youd have hit him too if he hadnt dodged!”
Just then, the door opened. Daniel walked in.
“Whats going on? Why are the kids crying?”
Margarets face crumpled instantly.
“Darling, Emily shouted at me! I only scolded Sophie, and she overreacted!”
Daniels eyes locked on the belt.
“Mum, whats that?”
“I was just polishing it from your old school bag”
“Dad!” Sophie wailed. “Gran hit me with the belt ‘cos I spilled tea by accident!”
Daniel knelt beside her, checking the marks. His usual kind expression hardened.
“Mum, youre hitting my children?”
He went to the shelf and opened a hidden panela security camera.
“We installed this to check on the kids. I just watched the footage.”
Margaret paled.
“Daniel, darling! You know I adore them! It was just a light smackproper discipline! In my day, this was normal!”
“In your day,” he said coldly, “children shouldnt fear their gran. In your day, adults talk to kidsnot beat them.”
“Modern parentings ruined everything! Kids run wild! And you, Danielunder your wifes thumb! I came to help! Ive got surgery next weekthought you might stay with me”
“Surgery?” he frowned.
“Serious,” she said gravely. “Doctors say something must come out”
“What exactly, Mum?”
“Never mind that! I need family! I thought perhaps you could move in awhile? The house is big. Emily can stay here if she likes.”
Daniel shook his head.
“Mum, is this why you came? To split us up again?”
The doorbell rang. In stepped a silver-haired man with warm eyesEmilys father, Arthur.
“Evening,” he said, glancing around. “Popped in to see the grandkids. Whats all this?”
The children ran to him.
“Grandad! Gran hit me with a belt!” Sophie cried.
“Stay out of this!” Margaret snapped.
“When someone hurts my grandchildren,” Arthur said firmly, “its my business too.”
He gestured to the sofa.
“Lets talk like adults. Margaret, sit.”
Something in his tone made her comply.
“You know,” he began, “when Emily married, I wasnt thrilled. Thought Daniel too posh for my girl. But I gave them a chancesaw how happy they were.”
He turned to Margaret.
“Youre clinging to your son, controlling his lifeand pushing him away. Now youre turning the kids against you.”
“What do you know?!” she spat. “I raised Daniel alone! His father lefteverything fell on me!”
“Youre terrified of being alone,” Arthur said gently. “Thats why you invented the surgery.”
Margarets shoulders slumped.
“Just a scan but I am scared”
“Mum,” Daniel said, “if you need help, just ask. Why lie? Why try to wreck my family?”
“I didnt mean” she faltered. “When I see you happy without me, it feels like youve moved on”
“Youre my mum,” he said firmly. “Of course I need you. But not like thisangry, controlling. I need you as my mum, who respects my choices and loves my kids.”
“I dont know how else to be”
“Try,” Arthur suggested. “Start by apologising to the kids. They forgive when they see sincerity.”
With effort, Margaret met Sophies eyes.
“Sorry, poppet I was wrong.”
To everyones surprise, Sophie nodded.
“Okay but dont do it again. It hurts.”
“I wont,” Margaret whispered.
Arthur pulled a bottle from his bag.
“Right, lets have dinner. Ive got a Bakewell tart in the carmade it special for these two.”
Later, at the table, the air was tense but softer. Margaret watched silently as Emily cut the tart and Daniel teased the kids.
After dinner, Arthur suggested,
“Margaret, why not stay at mine tonight? Plenty of room. No need to rush things here.”
To everyones shock, she agreed.
As they left, Sophie tugged her sleeve.
“Will you really stop being cross?”
“Yes.”
“Then will you come to my school play? Im a snowflake!”
Something flickered in Margarets eyes.
“Thank you If your parents allow it, Id love to.”
A month later, frost covered the ground.
They gathered at Arthursthe first meeting since the incident. Margaret had agreed to the rules: no unsolicited advice, no meddling, no criticising Emily.
“Ready?” Daniel squeezed Emilys hand.
“No but Ill try.”
Margaret arrived in a simple dressno more flashy outfits to upstage her daughter-in-law.
Over roast beef, they stuck to safe topics. Afterwards, Arthur took the kids to see his stamp collection, leaving the adults alone.
“Ive been seeing a therapist,” Margaret admitted suddenly. “Arthurs idea Its helped.”
She looked at Emily.
“Ive been horrible Hitting Sophieunforgivable. I just thought I was losing everything. Instead of fixing it, I made it worse.”
For the first time, Emily saw not a tyrant, but a lonely, frightened woman.
“Margaret,” she said slowly, “I cant forget it all but Ill try to start fresh. For Daniel. For the kids.”
“Thank you,” Margaret whispered, eyes glistening.
Sophie burst in with a small box.
“Grandad gave me a lucky sixpence! Want to see?”
Margaret took it carefully, as if handling treasure.
“Lovely Thank you for showing me.”
As they left, Margaret approached Emily.
“I always thought Daniel married wrong. But now I seehe chose a strong woman. The sort I wanted to be.”
“You are strong,” Emily said. “Just differently.”
That night, after tucking the kids in, Emily stared at the falling snow. She didnt know what came next with Margaret. But for the first time in years, she felt hope.
And Margaret, back home, opened an old photo album. Little Daniel beamed up at her from a faded picture.
“Ill do better,” she promised. “For my son. My grandkids. And maybe myself.”
The road ahead was long. But the hardest step was taken.
