«Every bit of trouble starts somewhere…»
«Greg, are you having a laugh? Off to your mums again?»
«What am I supposed to do? Leave her freezing with no power or water?» Greg snapped, rummaging through his rucksack. «Would you do that to your parents?»
«Well, mine wouldnt put me in this position. They know Ive got my own family and dont drag me into these dramas. But your mum…» Emily began.
«Give it a rest. You know Ive got to help her,» Greg cut in, waving her off.
«I do. But it still stings. Not because the boys will forget their dads name, but because you wont even try to teach her to stand on her own two feet. She made this messlet her sort it. Youve got to choose: is your family here, or back in that village?»
Emily turned and walked to the bedroom. Half a minute later, the front door clicked shut. Greg was gone. She was alone again, left with their sonsthe ones shed promised a family day out at the park.
Once more, Dad had vanished from their lives. And once more, everything fell on Emilys shoulders.
…Two years ago, things were different. She remembered it clearly. Theyd visited her parents, bringing along Gregs mum, Margaret, so she wouldnt be lonely. She got on well enough with the in-laws, so no one minded.
While they sipped tea under the pergola, Margaret had a «brilliant» idea that turned Emilys life upside down.
«Oh, its lovely here!» Margaret sighed, breathing deep. «I ought to move to the countryside. Perfect for someone my agepeace, quiet, fresh air…»
Emilys mum just smirked at first, thinking Margaret was daydreaming aloud.
«Its nice for a visit,» she said bluntly. «But living here without a man about the house? Its no holiday. Theres always something to fix or patch up. No offense, love, but youre not cut out for it.»
Margaret pursed her lips, though she had no right to be offended. She wasnt lazy, exactly, just permanently knackered, even when shed done nothing.
«Oh, Im not after a farm! Just a little garden, some flowers. A place to sit in the shade and enjoy the view. And the grandkids would love itan inflatable pool, running about on grass, not breathing in exhaust fumes.»
«Flowers need tending too. You can barely manage your flat, and thats practically maintenance-free! A quick dust, a mop every other day, then feet up,» Emilys mum said dryly.
«You think we keep this place for fun?» her dad chuckled. «Sounds idyllic, but a house is a money pit. Boiler goes one day, roof the next, then the fence. And it all costs. We make do.»
«Oh, well manage. Im not alone,» Margaret said stubbornly, glancing at Greg.
Emily raised her brows but stayed quiet. Arguing with her mother-in-law was like convincing a hungry goat to ignore cabbages.
Margaret didnt push it that day, just smiled like the Mona Lisa. Six months later, she was proudly showing off her new cottage, basking in the scent of roses from next doors garden. The place was decentmodern, comfortable.
«See? And you doubted me! Ill never set foot back in that city,» she declared.
But the bliss didnt last. First, she asked Greg to help with a bit of decorating. That dragged on for months, since he only went down weekends. Emily grumbled but bit her tongue. She believed itd end eventually, and life would return to normal.
Then the fence was painted, the walls paperedand the to-do list kept growing.
First, Margarets power cut out for nearly two days. No lights, no water. Greg rushed over with bottled water and her heart pills to calm her down.
«Everythings at a standstill! In this heatno air con, no shower… Its unbearable!» she wailed.
Next, she took in a stray dog, «just for now.» Turned out, the poor thing had kidney issues. No vet in the village, so guess who had to drive it to the city? Greg, of course.
«Well, the poor lads ill… But hes a good guard dog,» Margaret cooed, stroking the mutt.
Later, Emily had to scrub dog sick out of the car seats. And that wasnt all. The dog needed special food, and no pet shops delivered out there. So Greg became the delivery man.
«I cant just leave her with a sick dog! You know how soft-hearted she is. Shed never forgive herself,» hed say whenever Emily protested.
«Right. Soft-hearted. Pities dogs, but not people, apparently…»
Greg spent every weekend there, sometimes even weeknights after workoccasionally staying over.
«If I come home, youll all be asleep anyway,» hed say. «Ill just leave early from hers and head straight to work.»
Emily kept waiting for it to ease up. It never did. Leaky roof, blocked septic tank, snow to shovel, grass to mow… Margaret outright refused to handle any of it. Couldnt even call a tradesman herself.
«What if theyre crooks? Or thieves? Theyll skin me alive… Greg, love, youre a mantheyll think twice with you there. Find someone decent and supervise, wont you?»
Emilys patience ran out when the power went againthis time in late autumn. Briefly, but enough for Margaret to panic.
«Em, Im getting Mum a generator tomorrow,» Greg said casually.
Emily stiffened.
«From our money?» She narrowed her eyesgenerators werent cheap.
«Well… yeah. You know shes strapped. Most of her flat sale moneys gone, and shes just on her pension now,» he shrugged.
«Brilliant. So were funding her dream home now too. Greg, when does your mums wish list end?»
He scowled and waved her off.
«Dont start. Their powers dodgy. You want her freezing?»
Emily rolled her eyes but swallowed itagain.
Now she sat alone in their bedroom, toying with the idea of divorce. He was never home anyway. «But were comfortable otherwise… No, divorce is too much. I need another way to stay sane.»
And she found one.
…A week later, Emily rose early and dressed quietly. Just as she was leaving, Greg stirred.
«Wherere you off to so early?» He rubbed his eyes.
«To my parents,» she said calmly, checking her reflection.
«What? Today? I promised Mum Id prune her trees.»
«You didnt check with me. Ive got parents too, you know. They need help as well.»
«But yours are a pair!»
«Old age comes for everyone. New rule: one weekend for your mum, one for mine.» Emily moved toward the hallway, then paused. «Oh, and the kids homework list is on the fridge. Dont forget. And make them pizza for lunchthey asked.»
She walked out, feeling Gregs glare on her back but not turning. On the drive, she realisedfor once, she wasnt rushing or fretting.
The help she gave her parents was light. A quick tidy upstairs, then relaxing. Reading on the garden swing, sharing childhood stories over lunch, lazing on the bed. Shed forgotten what it was like to eat properly, not scarf food down between shouts of «Mum!»
Maybe there was no perfect fix. Maybe Margaret would never sell that cottage or handle her own problems. But now, Emily would have her own little pocket of peaceand she wouldnt budge on that. A small victory, but a victory all the same.
