Against his wifes wishes, he invited his mother over to see his newborn granddaughter.
Evelyn was a nightmare when it came to conversationshe never respected anyones boundaries. Shed never liked Helen, not for any particular reason, simply because Michael had married her and she couldnt stand seeing him drift away.
Three weeks earlier Helen had given birth to a tiny girl shed named Poppy.
Evelyn insisted on being in the delivery suite, but Helen wanted Michael alone with her. So while Helen was in labour, Evelyn camped in the hospital waiting room, shouting down the corridor that she deserved to witness the birth of her greatgrandchild.
Whenever Evelyn set foot in their flat, she clung to everything, berating Helen for being a poor housewife and even warned that Helen would be a terrible mother.
That provoked Helen to lose her temper and hand Michael an ultimatum: Evelyn would never set foot in their home again. He understood; no one likes to be humiliated under their own roof.
When they finally brought Poppy home, the grandparents begged to meet her.
Helen said Evelyn could visit once, but only if she kept quiet. Evelyn swore shed honour that, yet the moment she crossed the threshold she unleashed a torrent of barbs:
Its filthy in here. If you want to live like this, carry on, but show some respect and tidy up for once.
Helens fury boiled over and she told Evelyn she was no longer welcome; she could only see the baby if they invited her.
Nearly two weeks passed; the inlaws had met Poppy, as had Michaels father, but Evelyn still hadnt turned up, and Helen refused to see her. They kept the baby inside because the weather was dreadful.
Two days ago Helen had a doctors appointment, leaving Michael alone with Poppy. He seized the chance to invite Evelyn over to see the child. She arrived, and he warned her they only had two hours before Helen returned. She refused to leave, no matter how much he pleaded.
Helen came home, found Evelyn cuddling Poppy, and suffered a complete breakdownshe screamed at both of them, demanding Evelyn leave immediately.
In his mind Michael told Helen to shut up and calm down, reminding her it was his house, his baby, and if he wanted his mother to see her, she couldnt forbid it or throw her out.
Helen dragged Evelyn and Michael out of the flat. She wont speak to either of them. Michael now lives with his parents, hoping Helen will settle down soon.
