Cooking for Everyone
“I’m not planning a grand celebration for my birthday, so I’m inviting a minimal number of guests,” said Nina to her son and daughter-in-law over dinner.
“How many is that exactly?” asked William, knowing his mother’s love for lavish parties.
“Twenty-three people for sure, and maybe a couple more,” the elderly woman replied calmly.
“Wait a minute,” Olivia cut in. “So you’ve already invited everyone and now you’re just informing us?”
“Well, I’m turning seventy, it’s my house, and I think I have the right to invite whoever I want,” countered Nina. “It’ll just be kids, grandkids, and close family. I’m not even inviting neighbors or distant relatives.”
“But why go to so much trouble and expense?” William didn’t understand. “Our place isn’t big enough for everyone, and we’ll have to buy food, clean up, and organize everything.”
“Living in my house is fine, but throwing a party for me once is too much?” Nina began her usual performance. “This could be my last big birthday, I should be able to make decisions.”
“You do realize you can’t manage the preparations yourself,” William pressed on later. “My older sister Kate has been on the outs with Mom, so she might not come at all. My younger sister is in another city and definitely won’t be here to help, so it’s all on you.”
“Fantastic, so I become the hired help for a week,” Olivia fumed.
“We don’t have a choice; we want to honor Mom, and we live in her place,” William reminded her.
Olivia wasn’t eager to do anything, but their shared living situation seemed decisive. She knew otherwise her mother-in-law would make life difficult. Two weeks before the party, she did a deep clean, making everything sparkle, planning just to freshen it up before the event.
“I’m not happy with your proposed menu,” Nina said, looking at her daughter-in-law’s notes. “There aren’t enough meat dishes, nobody needs your trendy sandwiches, and guests shouldn’t go hungry.”
“But there are plenty of dishes here; it’s all hearty and will take much time and money to prepare,” Olivia defended.
“Fine, I’ll add something, and then we’ll decide,” Nina grimaced.
After her additions, the list of dishes and costs increased by half. Nina planned to cover some expenses herself, expecting her son’s family to pitch in for the rest.
“First, we’re one family, and that’s normal,” she declared firmly. “Second, I haven’t decided about the house yet. If I leave it to you, you’ll benefit, so you could make an effort.”
Olivia held back, not wanting to upset her husband, who dutifully followed his mother’s whims. She didn’t like buying everything at one supermarket, believing it wasn’t cost-effective.
“But we’ll waste fuel, time, and energy to get butter at one shop, cream at the market, and eggs outside the town,” Olivia questioned.
“No big deal,” insisted her mother-in-law. “I want assurance about product quality, so we buy where I always have.”
Nina’s health and energy didn’t allow much help in cooking, but she insisted on supervising purchases, demanding her son drive her around. William had to accompany her shopping after work, listening to lectures.
“I hope you have a reliable baker for the cake?” Nina inquired of her daughter-in-law.
“I thought we’d just buy a ready-made cake or pastries,” Olivia was taken aback.
“Sure, we might as well just get a doughnut for my milestone birthday,” the pensioner mock-offended. “You likely don’t do that to your own mother.”
“My mother had a milestone last year and didn’t celebrate at all,” Olivia blurted. “We just had a family dinner with my parents and brother’s family.”
“That’s your business; every family has its own rules,” Nina wouldn’t relent. “You’re in ours, so respect the rules.”
Olivia genuinely tried to appease her mother-in-law. During lunch breaks, she selected a cake and skimmed recipes, hitting the shops after work for last-minute items. With guests arriving on Saturday, she took leave from Thursday to prepare everything.
“I guess you have no conscience,” Nina fumed again. “It’s understandable William knows nothing, but you could offer help.”
“What are you unsatisfied with?” Olivia struggled to understand the complaint.
“I’m having a party, guests are coming, and I should greet them in my robe and hair in a bun?”
Olivia ended up trailing her mother-in-law shopping for an outfit and arranged for a friend to come over to do her makeup and hair.
“Why are you roasting the meat rolls today?” Nina burst into the kitchen. “The party is two days away; they won’t be fresh.”
“Because tomorrow’s all planned, and I physically can’t make everything at once,” Olivia reminded. “The stove and oven will be in use, and I only have two hands.”
“Then get up earlier and quit playing the hero,” Nina pushed.
“You’re trying to do everything through me,” Olivia couldn’t stay silent. “If you don’t like it, I won’t do anything.”
“What do you mean?” an enraged Nina yelled.
“Take your guests to a restaurant or get takeaway,” Olivia didn’t hold back. “I’m done with discontent and accusations.”
William returned from work to find his wife in tears and his mother furious. His mother was drinking heart medicine, accusing Olivia of trying to ruin the party.
“Darling, please, let’s finish what we started,” William pleaded. “It’s just a couple of days left, and then it’ll be over.”
Olivia swallowed her pride for her husband’s sake, rested, and went back to the kitchen. She spent all Friday there, dropping from exhaustion. By Saturday, everything was ready, and the home gleamed. The birthday girl, dressed and styled, welcomed guests and ushered everyone to the table.
“Everything’s made with love and good cheer,” Nina sweetly smiled at relatives.
“As always, everything’s delicious, beautiful, and unique with you,” guests showered compliments.
“I put in a lot, despite some people trying to make problems,” said the birthday girl, not looking at anyone specifically but glancing over her daughter-in-law and daughters.
All through the banquet, Olivia hardly sat down, constantly serving. William’s nerves were frayed, making his sisters help his wife.
“Hero or fool, I’m confused,” Kate, William’s sister, asked in the kitchen.
“What do you mean?” Olivia didn’t understand.
“Clearly, Mom’s twisting you around, and the party’s on you and your resources,” she replied.
“Don’t rub salt in her wounds,” requested the second sister, Emma. “You know Mom well and why we’ve kept a distance.”
“It’s a milestone, respect, we’re living together…” Olivia trailed off.
“She’s our mother, and we came only out of fear this could be truly her last celebration,” Emma continued. “But objectively, she’s difficult; living with her is unbearable. If you think she’ll leave you the house, it’s doubtful. She’s just keeping control; we’ve been through it.”
Guests stayed late, praised, finished nearly everything, and left with take-home treats specially bought. After the last guest left, the birthday girl went to rest like royalty, not thanking her son or daughter-in-law for their help. Olivia washed up till dawn before getting some rest. But couldn’t sleep long as her mother-in-law was in the room at ten, suggesting another shopping trip to spend her money gifts.
“I can’t take this anymore, do you understand?” Olivia asked her husband once the door closed. “I’m not going anywhere, regardless of her reaction.”
William stayed put, too. Nina was upset, staged more scenes, and told everyone how unappreciated and slighted she was by her son and daughter-in-law. Within two months, Olivia convinced William to move into a rental, distancing themselves from his mother. Nina couldn’t grasp why and continued to fault Olivia as “ruining her son’s life and having no respect for his mother.” Nina saw herself as the perfect mother, with ungrateful children.
