Oh, youve had your turn, now its ours
“Listen, Mum, loads of my mates got help with housing from their parents,” said the grown-up son. “Im getting married sooncome on, help us out with a flat! Dyou want us to be sleeping on sofas? You dont even have to buy onejust let us have the one-bed youre renting out. Oh, and maybe put it in my name? Yknow, to keep things fair!”
***
Charlotte sat at the kitchen table, sorting through bills. Her husband, James, had left for work ages ago, but she still hadnt mustered the energy to tidy up. Her thoughts buzzed around like angry wasps. Lately, peace at home had gone to pother youngest son, Oliver, had been grinding her and Jamess nerves to dust.
All Charlotte wanted was to finally live for herselfdeck out the spare room just how she liked, buy sleek new furniture for the lounge. Oliver would move out once he married, and the whole flat would be theirs again. But no such luckher eldest, Emily, had just divorced her good-for-nothing husband, leaving her and James to pick up the pieces. The big room went to Emily and the grandkids, Archie and Sophie, while their own plans for a proper refurb went up in smoke.
And now, in a months time, Oliver was set to marry his fiancée, Victoria. Hed moved her in months ago, claiming his “territory,” and now seven people were crammed into a three-bed, practically living on top of each other.
Victoria strode into the kitchen. Charlottes face darkened the second she saw her.
“Morning, Charlotte,” chirped Victoria, fiddling with her flawless ponytail. “Are you having breakfast, or shall I sit here alone? Dont want to bother you.”
No “Mrs. Harrison,” just her first nameas if they were mates. Rude, entitled, and dripping with condescension, Victoria wasnt the daughter-in-law Charlotte wouldve chosen. But Oliver worshipped the ground she walked on, so she and James had to grin and bear it.
“Morning, Victoria. Ive eaten already,” Charlotte replied stiffly. “Give me five minutes to clear up, then you can have the kitchen.”
Victoria grabbed a glass and filled it with water. “Charlotte, I wanted to ask you something. Oliver and I were talking about where well live after the wedding What dyou reckon?”
Charlotte set the bills aside. There it wasthe string theyd been tugging at for months.
“Weve already talked about this, Victoria. Theres a spare room. Move in there.”
Victoria set the glass down, her face twisting into what Charlotte had privately dubbed her “smug little sneer.”
“Charlotte, lets be honest. Your place is lovelyreally cosy, bright, nicely done up. But its yours. You and James have lived here thirty years. And now, with Emily and the two kids its not three people anymore, its five. Ollie and I dont want to live under a microscope.”
“And where dyou picture yourselves living, then?” snapped Charlotte, irritation simmering. “Youve got no place of your own. Rentings your only option.”
“Thats exactly what were talking about,” Victoria cut in, sliding into the chair opposite. “We thought about your other flatthe one-bed you rent out. Couldnt we live there?”
“You could. And?”
“Well itd be perfect. Wed pay rent, of course. Orand hear me outyou could just give it to us. Yknow, as a wedding gift.”
Charlotte smirked. “Ive got two kids, in case youve forgotten. So Im meant to hand you a flat and leave Emily with nothing?”
“Emily could stay here,” Victoria shrugged. “Three bedroomsyou and James in one, Emily and the kids in another. Plenty of space.”
“Emily cant live here forever,” Charlottes fists clenched. “Shes divorcedshe needs her own life. And let me spell it out: Im not giving you that flat. Im not fixing your housing problems. Youre young, you worksort yourselves out.”
“But thatll take ages!” Victoria flung her hands up. “Oliver just got a promotion, but even then, buying a placell take five to seven years! We want to live properly now!”
“Then why the flashy wedding?” Charlottes tone brooked no argument. “Why stretch limos, doves, a hundred-person reception if you cant even afford a roof? Just sign the papers quietly and put the money toward a deposit. Wouldnt that make more sense?”
“Thats your opinion,” Victoria said coolly. “Ollie and I see it differently. Its our daywe want to celebrate how we dreamed. I want the dress, the party, my mates to see were not skint. I want to rub their noses in it! Dont you get that?”
“Oh, I get it,” Charlotte nodded. “You want to show off. And I also know no home means a fast track to divorce. Smart couples get the house first, then marry.”
Victoria shot her a filthy look and flounced out. She had no comeback.
***
That evening, Oliver ambushed her with the same talkclearly put up to it by Victoria. This time, he dragged their recent anniversary into it.
“You and Dad splashed out on your thirtiethrestaurant, the lot. Because you could. You scrimped for ten years, paid off the car loanthe car you gave me, by the way. Yeah, you had a fancy do. Because youd earned it!”
“You couldve stayed in! Barbecue at the holiday cottagecheaper. Dyou know how much I could use that cash now? How much did you blow? Two hundred grand? Three?”
Charlotte spun to face him. “Youre saying this to me?” Her voice cracked. “You, who couldnt even save for a decent suit? We bought your wedding one! Were covering seventy percent of this weddinghad to take a loan for your little fantasy. And now youre having a go?”
“Dont shout at me,” Oliver snapped. “No ones having a go. Im just asking for whats fair. Where am I supposed to take my wife? Here? Some mouldy rented dump? Mum, Im asking you!”
“And Im asking why her parents cant sort you out! You want me to hand over the only safety net Ive got? That flats for me and your dads retirement. Well keep renting it out.”
“Since when? Youve had your turnnow give us ours, Mum!”
“Youre forgetting your sister, Oliver. Emilys got kidsshe needs help more than you, young and healthy!”
The argument screeched to a halt as Victoria stormed in.
“Emily can lean on her ex,” she snipped. “Or that flat youll leave her. Just give us the one-bedwere not asking for this place. Right, Ollie?”
The row spiralled. Everyone thought they were right. Oliver and Victoria had long forgotten mannersthey werent asking anymore. They were demanding.
***
A week before the wedding, the house was oddly quietOliver and Victoria were off at a mates holiday home, Emily and the kids visiting cousins out of town. Charlotte and James were watching telly when the doorbell rang. No guests were expected.
James answered. The second the lock clicked, a shrill voice pierced the flatVictorias mum, Zoe.
“Jim, love! Charlotte in? Let us in, then!”
Charlotte froze. Shed met Zoe exactly three timesenough to know the apple hadnt fallen far.
She hurried to the hallZoe was already toeing off her shoes.
“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Charlotte asked, skipping pleasantries.
Zoe grinned. “Alright, Charlie? Came for a chat. Kids big days comingmy Vickys beside herself. Crying her eyes out yesterday, complaining about you!”
Charlotte arched a brow. “Really? Whatve I done now?”
“Dont play daft!” Zoe scoffed. “Why wont you let em have that empty flat? Its just sitting there! Too stingy to help your own son?”
James exhaled sharply. Charlotte squeezed his handa silent plea to stay calm.
“Zoe, why arent you buying them a place? Whys it my job?”
Zoe blinked. “Whered I get that sort of money? Were just getting by! If I had a spare place, Id hand it over in a heartbeat. So come on, Charliestop being difficult. Give em the flat. No need for fuss, eh?”
James had had enough. He nudged Zoe toward the door and barked, “Enough! Outnow! Tell your daughter the flats off the table.”
Zoe left, cursing. And James called Oliver with one order: move out the second youre back.
