Youve grown so hideous, youre bound to have a daughter, my mother-in-law would say to me.
Whenever others said they couldnt get along with their in-laws, I didnt believe them. With his parents, things were finethough that was likely because we moved nearly 200 miles away right after the wedding.
I never even had time to properly meet my new mum. We stayed in their flat for a week after the reception, and everything was pleasant enough. Then we left, my husband being in the military.
We lived there for ten years. Then, they transferred him back to his hometown. It wasnt welcome newsId settled in, wed been given a nice house, and I was expecting our third child. But these things couldnt be helped.
I gave birth in his hometown. A year later, I was pregnant again. Unplanned, unprepared, but wed always wanted a big family, so we didnt dwell on it. While I was expecting, my mum came to help. Shed visit now and then, but instead of lifting a finger, shed sit drinking tea and dishing out advice.
I ignored her comments about tidying and chores. But when she started on child-rearing, I boiled over. It grated on methis woman who barely knew me, hadnt seen me in a decade, knew her grandchildren only from photos, now ordering me about.
Then, in my eighth month, she declared:
Youre definitely having a girl!
We *wanted* a girlafter three boys! So I smiled and asked,
What makes you say that?
Youve aged terribly. Your face is all puffed up. A daughter steals what beauty youve left.
Thanks ever so. Ive swollen like this every pregnancy.
Not every pregnancy.
How would you know? Youve only seen pictures.
Dont argue. I had a son, and I was radianteveryone said so. You? Youre a fright. Swollen like a waterlogged biscuit. Cant even squeeze your feet into slippers.
I said nothing. Didnt tell her it wasnt the babys sexI was 39. Shed had my husband at 19, when everyones a blooming rose. Shed called me ugly often. My husband put a stop to it. And, as it happened, we had another son.
