Helen was not very lucky with her mother-in-law. Mary Stevenson never really liked her daughter-in-law, but no one expected her to act this way towards her own grandchild. The woman shouted for Helen to leave their home with the child, claiming that her son was a good man who could not see deception, but she understood everything and knew that the child was not Edward’s.
Helen did not know what to do. Her mother-in-law had made similar remarks before. Even when she was pregnant, Mary tried to convince her son that she was unfaithful. However, Helen believed that as soon as Mary saw her grandchild, she would stop talking such nonsense. Edward, Helen’s husband, loved his mother dearly and trusted her in all matters.
Mary took advantage of this and constantly controlled every decision and choice her son made. She never came to terms with the fact that he had chosen to share his life with someone else. She continuously fueled conflicts between the spouses.
Helen often complained to her husband about his mother. She could not understand why he allowed her to interfere in their lives. Edward felt guilty towards his mother and asked his wife to endure it for a while, saying that she would soon calm down.
Mary’s last words finally shook Helen to the core. How could she try to convince her son that his newborn was not his own child? Helen decided to return to her hometown. She hoped that Edward would stop her or come with her. Instead, he said nothing, afraid to upset his mother.
Mary Stevenson finally got what she wanted. The daughter-in-law she despised was out of their lives. Now Edward spent all his free time with her. They had dinner together and engaged in their favorite pastimes. These were the three happiest years of Mary’s life.
But grief comes unexpectedly. One evening, as Edward was coming home from work, he was attacked. A group of ruthless young men robbed and severely beat him. He died from his injuries within minutes. After her son’s death, Mary lost all meaning in life.
Even years after the tragedy, she did not change anything in Edward’s room. She always cooked meals for two and often spoke to her son’s photographs.
Helen, on the other hand, had a wonderful life. She had a loving husband, a son, and an interesting job. Recently, she had been promised a promotion. She was rushing to pick up little Matthew from daycare, hoping to have enough time to prepare dinner.
What she saw took her by surprise. Standing at the entrance to the daycare was her former mother-in-law. She was watching the children playing in the sandbox. Mary Stevenson had aged greatly. She was poorly dressed, hunched over, and looking at the children with sorrowful eyes. At first, Helen did not even recognize the woman who had once driven her out of the house.
Mary Stevenson was watching Matthew. She cried as she whispered how much he looked like her late son.
At first, Helen could not let go of the pain. She reminded her mother-in-law that years ago, she had refused even to look at her grandson, yet now she had come here.
Mary begged her former daughter-in-law for forgiveness. She insisted that the Lord had punished her enough. Now she needed nothing, only the chance to see Matthew from time to time.
Helen decided to forgive her mother-in-law and allowed her to visit the boy. This helped the grandmother to continue living.
