“Every problem has its roots,” Emily muttered under her breath.
“James, are you serious? Off to your mums again?”
“What do you expect me to do? Leave her in the cold with no power or water?” James snapped, rummaging through his backpack. “Would you treat your parents like that?”
“You know mine wouldnt put me in this position. They respect that I have my own family and dont drag me into these dramas. But your mum” Emily began.
“Enough. You know I have to help her,” James cut her off, waving a dismissive hand.
“Fine. But it still hurts. Not just because the boys will forget what their father looks like, but because you wont even try to teach her to stand on her own two feet. She made this messlet her sort it out. Choose where your family is: there in the village or here with us.”
Emily turned on her heel and marched to the bedroom. Thirty seconds later, the front door clicked shut. James was gone. She was alone again, left to explain to their sons why their promised family day out in the park wasnt happening.
Once more, their father had vanished from their lives, and everything fell on Emilys shoulders.
…Two years ago, things had been different. Emily remembered that day vividly. Theyd visited her parents, bringing Jamess mother, Margaret, along so she wouldnt be lonely. She got on well enough with the in-laws, so no one minded.
As they sat sipping tea under the pergola, Margaret had her “brilliant” ideathe one that turned Emilys life upside down.
“Oh, its so lovely here!” Margaret sighed, breathing deeply. “I should move to the countryside. Perfect for someone my age. Peace, quiet, fresh air…”
Emilys mother smirked at first, thinking Margaret was just daydreaming aloud.
“Its nice when youre visiting,” she said bluntly. “But living here alone? Its no holiday. Theres always something to fix or mend. No offence, love, but youre not cut out for it.”
Margaret pursed her lips, though she had no right to be offended. She wasnt lazy, just perpetually exhausted, even when doing nothing.
“Oh, I dont plan to keep livestock or dig in greenhouses. A few flowers and trees will do. Somewhere to sit in the shade and enjoy the view. And the grandchildren would love itIll get them a paddling pool, let them run on the grass instead of breathing in exhaust fumes.”
“Flowers and trees need care too. You can barely keep up in your flat, and theres hardly anything to do there. Dust once a week, mop the floors, hoover, then put your feet up,” Emilys mother pointed out.
“You think we keep this place for fun?” Emilys father chuckled. “Sounds idyllic, but a house is a money pit. One day its the boiler, next its the roof, then the fence. And it all costs. We make do.”
“Ill manage. Im not alone,” Margaret said stubbornly, glancing at James.
Emily raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. Changing her mother-in-laws mind was harder than convincing a hungry goat to ignore a vegetable patch.
Margaret didnt argue further that day, just smiled mysteriously, 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 house was nice enough, with all mod cons.
“See? And you all doubted me. Ill never set foot in the city again!” Margaret declared triumphantly.
But the happiness didnt last. First, she asked James to help with redecorating. That dragged on for months, with him only visiting on weekends. Emily grumbled but endured it, hoping once the work was done, life would return to normal.
Then the power went out for nearly two days. No lights, no water. James rushed to his panicking mother with bottled water and sedatives.
“Everythings at a standstill! And in this heatno air con, no shower! Its unbearable!” Margaret wailed.
Next, she took in a stray dog, “just for a while.” Turned out the poor thing had kidney problems. With no vet nearby, James had to drive it to the city.
“Poor boys ill… But at least hes a guard dog now,” Margaret cooed, stroking the mutt.
Later, Emily had to scrub the car seats after the dog got sick during the journey. And that wasnt allspecialist dog food wasnt available locally, so James became the delivery man.
“I cant leave Mum with a sick dog! You know how soft-hearted she is. Shed blame herself,” he said whenever Emily protested.
“Soft-hearted? For the dog, maybe. Not so much for people.”
James spent every free moment at his mothers, sometimes staying over on weeknights.
“If I come home, youll all be asleep anyway,” hed say. “Ill leave early and go straight to work from here.”
Emily kept waiting for things to ease, but they only got worse. The roof leaked, the septic tank clogged, snow fell, grass grew… Margaret refused to lift a finger, not even calling tradesmen herself.
“What if theyre crooks? Or thieves? Theyll charge a fortune… James, love, youre a mantheyll respect you. Find someone decent and supervise them,” shed plead.
Emilys patience snapped when the power went out againthis time in late autumn. Briefly, but enough to send Margaret into a panic.
“Em, Im buying Mum a generator tomorrow,” James said casually.
Emily tensed.
“With our money?” She narrowed her eyes, knowing it wouldnt be cheap.
“Well… yes. You know shes strapped after buying the cottage. Shes just on her pension now.”
“Perfect. So were funding her dream home too. James, does your mum ever stop wanting things?”
He scowled and waved her off.
“Dont be like that. The powers unreliable out there. Do you want her freezing?”
Emily rolled her eyes but swallowed her words again.
Now she sat alone in their bedroom, considering divorce. He was never home anyway. But things werent all bad… No, divorce was too extreme. She needed another way to stay sane.
And she found it.
…A week later, Emily rose early and dressed quietly. As she headed out, James stirred.
“Where are you off to?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.
“To see my parents,” she said calmly, checking her reflection.
“What? Today? I promised Mum Id prune her hedges.”
“You didnt check with me. Ive got parents too, you know. They need help as well.”
“But there are two of them!”
“Old age comes for everyone. New rule: one weekend with your mum, one with mine.” Emily stepped toward the hall, then paused. “Oh, and the to-do lists on the fridge. Dont forget the kids homework. And make them pizza for lunchthey asked for it.”
She left, feeling his glare on her back but not looking back. On the drive, she realised she wasnt rushing or stressing for once.
Her parents needed little helpshe tidied upstairs, then relaxed. Reading in the garden swing, sharing childhood stories over lunch, lounging idly… Shed forgotten what it was like to eat properly, not wolfing down food between shouts of “Mum!”
Maybe there was no perfect solution. Maybe Margaret would never sell up or handle her own problems. But now, Emily would have her own spacea small victory in the battle for fairness and her own sanity.
