“Did you buy a gift for your mum again and forget about me?” Marina said with a tinge of bitterness.
The New Year’s Eve scent of oranges and cinnamon filled the flat. Marina, wrapped in a new silk scarf, busied herself with preparations for the festive table. Linda Smith, gracefully wearing an elegant scarf, helped her with the salads.
Discover something new:
Snowflakes were falling heavily, covering the London streets with a blanket of white. Just two days remained until New Year’s Eve. Marina stood by the window of their twelfth-floor apartment with Alex, absent-mindedly watching the snowfall. Distantly, holiday lights twinkled, and in the neighboring windows, Christmas trees were already decked out.
On the coffee table lay a small box tied with a golden ribbon – a gift for her mother-in-law. Marina picked it herself: a delicate scarf with a traditional pattern. Linda had long wished for one like it. “I hope Alex likes my choice,” thought Marina, adjusting the bow for the hundredth time.
The sound of a key turning in the lock startled her. Alex entered, carrying a large bag from an expensive store.
“Can you believe it, I barely snagged it!” he exclaimed excitedly, shaking snow off his coat. “It was the last one. Mum’s going to love it!”
Marina froze. Her heart skipped.
“What is it?” she asked, trying to keep her voice casual.
“That cashmere cardigan she’s had her eye on at Harrods a month ago. Remember she mentioned it?” Alex pulled a luxurious chocolate-colored item from the bag.
Marina remembered. As well as the fact that this cardigan cost nearly half her monthly salary. She also remembered showing Alex a silk scarf she liked two weeks ago… He had nodded absentmindedly and changed the subject.
“You bought for your mum again and forgot me?” she blurted, the words seeping through years of pent-up hurt.
Alex stood stunned, cardigan in hand. His face showed a flicker of surprise, turning to mild irritation.
“Marina, you know how important Mum is to me,” he gently placed the cardigan back into the bag. “She’s all I have. Besides, we didn’t agree on gifts this year…”
Marina turned to the window. Beyond the glass, snow continued to fall, as cold as the emptiness spreading within.
“We never agree, Alex. Every time you just…” she didn’t finish, feeling her voice betray her with a tremble.
In the hallway, keys jingled again—it was Linda arriving. They had planned to discuss the New Year’s menu together today. Marina quickly wiped her eyes and forced a smile.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you both home!” Linda entered, carrying a bag of clementines. “I was thinking, should we make that tuna salad like last year?”
Marina nodded mechanically, avoiding eye contact with her mother-in-law. A lump formed in her throat, and her hands, as she moved the gift off the coffee table, barely trembled.
“Mum, let me help you,” Alex grabbed the bag of clementines, but Linda paused in the doorway, scrutinizing both her son and daughter-in-law.
“Is something up?” she asked softly. Over fifteen years of her son’s marriage, she’d learned to sense tension between them.
“Nothing,” Alex answered too quickly. “Everything’s fine.”
“Yes, just perfect,” Marina let slip a sardonic tone. “Alex here got Mum a gift. The cardigan, from Harrods.”
Linda paled as realization dawned.
“Alex, we talked about this…” she began.
“Mum, please, not now,” her son cut her off. “I wanted to do something nice for you. What’s wrong with that?”
Marina turned sharply to her husband:
“The problem is you can’t see past your own nose! Fifteen years, Alex. For fifteen years it feels like I’m secondary. Every holiday, every weekend – it all revolves around Mum. Her wishes, her plans, her gifts…”
“Marina, darling…” Linda stepped towards her daughter-in-law, but Marina stepped back.
“No, it’s not you. It’s all him,” she gestured towards her husband. “‘Mum’s important to me,’ ‘Mum’s my only one’… And me? Just a side note in your family life?”
“That’s unfair!” Alex flared up. “Haven’t I done enough for you?”
“Done?” Marina scoffed. “You can’t even remember what I told you two weeks ago. About the scarf I liked. You nodded, then forgot. But Mum’s cardigan, you remember perfectly!”
A heavy silence filled the room. Only the ticking clock marked the seconds of tense quiet.
“I… I think I’ll go,” Linda said quietly. “We’ll discuss the menu tomorrow.”
“Mum, stay…” Alex began.
“No, son. You two need to talk. It’s high time.”
The door softly clicked shut behind her. Marina stood by the window, arms wrapped around herself—a familiar gesture during heavy-hearted times.
Instead of heading home, Linda walked along the snowy street. Snowflakes kissed her face, mingling with uninvited tears. “How blind I’ve been all these years…” crossed her mind.
The phone in her pocket vibrated. It was Alex.
“Mum, where are you? I’ll come down.”
“I’m at the park, by the bench,” she replied. “You know, we really need to talk.”
Five minutes later, Alex, a coat hurriedly thrown over his sweater, was sitting beside her. Snow continued to fall, draping their shoulders in white.
“Son,” Linda took his hand. “Remember how you loved jigsaw puzzles as a kid?”
“What does that have to do with this?” Alex was puzzled.
“Because you always started with the brightest piece. But then you struggled to complete the picture because you didn’t see how the pieces connected.”
She paused, gathering her thoughts.
“Now, you’re seeing only one bright spot—your love for me. But a family, Alex, is a whole picture. And Marina—she’s a vital part.”
“Mum, I love Marina!” he argued.
“You do. But do you show her? The scariest thing for a woman is feeling invisible. Especially to the person she loves.”
Alex stayed silent, watching the falling snow.
“Do you think I need that cardigan?” his mother continued. “I need to see my son happy. And that’s only possible if your wife is happy. I see how she takes care of our family. Cooking my favorite meals, remembering every important date, even that scarf…”
“What scarf?”
“The one she picked for me. I saw it on the table when I came in. A perfect choice.”
Alex covered his eyes with one hand.
“Oh, how blind I’ve been…”
“Not blind, son. Just… fixated on one piece and forgot the whole picture.”
As he made his way home, Alex stopped by Harrods. The windows glowed with festive lights, reflecting in the fresh snow. That silk scarf was still there, as if waiting for him.
The flat was quiet. An untouched cup of tea sat on the kitchen counter—Marina hadn’t even finished it.
“Marina?” he called, peeking into the bedroom.
She lay on the bed, facing the wall, her shoulders trembling slightly.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly, sitting by the bed’s edge. “I’ve been a blind fool.”
“Fifteen years blind?” she responded hoarsely, not turning.
“Yes. And every year, a fool,” he gently touched her shoulder. “You know, Mum mentioned something… about puzzles. How I always got stuck on one bright piece and missed the whole picture.”
Marina turned slowly. Her eyes were red from crying.
“I got so used to trying to be the perfect son that I forgot to be a good husband,” he pulled the scarf out of the bag. “Remember this?”
She lifted herself on one elbow, looking incredulously at the shimmering silk.
“Alex, you didn’t have to. Not because of the scarf…”
“I know,” he took her hand. “It’s not about gifts. It’s about seeing the care you give us both. To Mum too. That scarf you chose… It’s perfect, really?”
A tear traced down her cheek.
“I just want to feel important to you. Not in words, but…”
“In deeds,” he finished. “And I’ll prove it. Not just today. Every day.”
The New Year filled the flat with the scent of oranges and cinnamon. Marina, now wearing the silk scarf, prepared the holiday feast. Linda, elegantly sporting her scarf, assisted with the salads.
“Marina, your tuna salad is always exceptional,” her mother-in-law smiled. “Will you teach me your trick?”
“Of course,” Marina found herself smiling back genuinely. “I add a little apple cider vinegar to the dressing. My grandma’s trick.”
Alex, watching them, discreetly snapped a photo on his phone: the two most important women in his life, together at the festive table, so different yet so dear.
“Ladies,” he cleared his throat to get their attention. “Before the countdown starts, I have something to say.”
He pulled out two envelopes.
“Mum, this is for you,” he handed her the first envelope. “A ticket to that spa resort you’ve dreamed about. Two weeks, in the spring.”
“Oh, Alex…”
“And this,” he turned to Marina, “is for us. A trip to Venice, for our anniversary. Fifteen years is a big milestone.”
Marina paused with a napkin in her hand. “But you mentioned having lots of work in the spring…”
“The work can wait,” he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve missed so much, giving weight to the unimportant. Time to catch up.”
Outside, the first fireworks of New Year’s exploded. Their colors mirrored in Marina’s eyes, making them shimmer.
“Happy New Year, my dears,” Linda said softly, watching them. “May this year be the start of something new and real.”
Marina leaned into her husband’s shoulder. The cashmere cardigan remained tucked in the cupboard, but it no longer mattered. What mattered was the warmth spreading in her heart – the warmth from knowing that finally, everything was as it should be.
