Margaret Williams couldn’t sit still—today, her son William was bringing his fiancée home for the first time. She’d been bustling about the kitchen since dawn, setting the table with care, making sure every detail was perfect. Emma struck her as lovely—polite, well-mannered, and sweet. They chatted over dinner, but when William walked Emma home and returned an hour later, his face was grim.
“Mum, it’s off,” he muttered before she could even ask. “Emma called it all off.”
Margaret froze. “What on earth happened?”
“It’s because of you.”
Her breath caught. Was it really her fault?
Later, struggling to hold back tears, she rang her friend Beatrice. “Bea, please come over. I don’t know how to go on. I’m just in his way—maybe it’d be better if I weren’t here at all.”
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Beatrice snapped. “I’ll be right there.”
Margaret and William had always made do—just the two of them in their modest rented flat. No family to lean on, no savings to speak of. She’d worked two jobs to keep them afloat while he studied, and though life was tough, they’d managed. But one thing gnawed at her—William had never settled down. She longed for grandchildren.
Then Emma came along, and her heart swelled with hope. Six months later, William announced they’d applied for a marriage license. Margaret prepared for their visit like it was a royal occasion. Emma seemed perfect—until she asked over dinner, “Margaret, how long will you be staying here?”
“What do you mean? I live here.”
“In this flat? With William?”
“Yes.”
Emma fell quiet. By the next day, she refused to see William—then ended things altogether. The reason? She wouldn’t share a home with his mother.
“I’m a burden, Bea!” Margaret sobbed. “And I’d have helped—with the house, the baby… She’s expecting!”
Beatrice sighed. “William needs his own life. You had yours. He’s a man—he should lead his family, not live with his mum forever.”
“But I can’t manage alone. No proper pension, no steady work—”
“You’ll manage. People do. And you’ll see your grandchild, have a happy family, if you don’t stand in their way.”
The next day, Margaret and Beatrice went to Emma. After a long talk, Emma finally said, “Thank you for coming. I… I love William. We’ll make it work—but separately.”
The wedding went ahead. William moved in with Emma, and when their son was born, Emma surprised Margaret: “We’d love your help, if you’d like to stay with us a while.”
Now Margaret dotes on her grandson, cooks hearty meals, and one evening, Emma hugged her tight. “Thank you, Mum. I don’t know how we’d manage without you.”
The end.
