It doesnt matter who looked after Gran the flat legally belongs to me! my mother shrieks, arguing with me.
My own mother is now threatening legal action. Why? Because the flat that belonged to my grandmother never passed to her or to me; it was bequeathed to my daughter. Mum thinks thats an outrage. She believes the property should have gone to her, but Gran made a different choice. And why? Most likely because my husband and I spent the last five years living with her and caring for her.
You could safely call my mum selfish. Her own wishes always outweighed anyone elses. Shes been married three times, yet she only ever had two children: me and my younger sister. My sister and I get on well, but our relationship with Mum is strained.
I cant even recall my father. He divorced my mum when I was about two. Until I was six, I lived with my mum at Grans house. For some reason I found Grans home very uncomfortable I think it was because my mum was constantly weeping. It wasnt until I grew up that I realised Gran was a wonderful person; she only wanted her daughter to become independent.
After that, my mum remarried and we moved in with my stepdad. That marriage produced my sister. Mum lived with my stepdad for seven years before they split. This time we didnt go back to Grans. My stepdad kept us in his flat while he was at work. Three years later Mum married again and we moved in with her new husband.
He wasnt thrilled to discover she already had children, but he never hurt us. He simply ignored us, and our mother was far too busy with her new partner, constantly jealous and making a scene whenever a plate shattered.
Once a month Mum would start packing, but my stepdad always stopped her. My sister and I got used to it and stopped paying attention. I looked after my sister while Mum had no time. It helped that we had two grandmothers who were a great support. I later moved into a council house, while my sister stayed with Gran. My stepdad always lent a hand, and Mum only called us during the holidays.
I accepted Mum for who she was absent and unconcerned. My sister, however, couldnt stand it. She took everything to heart, especially the time Mum didnt attend her graduation.
We grew up. My sister married and moved to Sheffield with her husband. My boyfriend and I werent in any rush to wed, even though wed been together for years, and we shared a rented flat in Manchester. I visited Gran often; we were close, but I tried not to intrude.
Then Gran fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. The doctors said she needed proper care, so I began visiting daily, bringing groceries, cooking, tidying up, or simply chatting. I made sure she took her tablets on time. I kept that up for six months, sometimes with my boyfriend helping fixing things, clearing out the kitchen, the lot.
One day Gran suggested we move in with her, so we could save on rent and put the £5,000 deposit wed been saving aside. We didnt think twice; Gran liked my boyfriend, and we had a good rapport, so we moved in.
Six months later I discovered I was pregnant. We decided to keep the baby, and Gran was over the moon at the prospect of a greatgrandchild. We got married in a small ceremony at a local café, with relatives present. Mum didnt even call to congratulate me.
When my daughter was two months old, Gran slipped and broke her leg. Juggling a newborn and caring for Gran was exhausting. I begged my mother for help, but she said she was unwell and would come later a promise she never kept.
Six months after that, Gran suffered a stroke and was confined to bed. Caring for her was a massive strain; had my husband not been there, I dont know how Id have survived. Gradually she began to speak again, could sit up and eat. She lived another two and a half years, watching her greatgranddaughter learn to walk. Gran passed away quietly in her sleep. Her death hit my husband and me hard we adored her and miss her terribly.
Mum only turned up for the funeral. A month later she tried to evict us, insisting the flat should be hers. She didnt know that Gran had transferred the property to me right after my daughter was born, so there was nothing for Mum to claim.
Of course that didnt sit well with her. She demanded I hand over the flat or face a lawsuit. How deceitful you are! she shouted. Youve robbed the old lady of her home and now youre living in it yourself! It makes no difference who cared for Gran the flat should be mine!
Shell never get the flat. Ive already spoken to a solicitor and a solicitors clerk. Well stay in the house Gran gifted us, and if our second child turns out to be a girl, well name her after Gran.
