Thomas had just started a new job and his colleagues knew little about his life. But most of all Thomas told them about his mother-in-law.
-“My mother-in-law is so naughty!” Thomas complained to his friends, “She’s just like that, she gets in everywhere. If something is not as she wants, she immediately screams.
The employees often heard this from Thomas, and once his friend Michael could not stand it:
“You’d better tell your wife, let her mother-in-law tame her a bit! If she won’t listen – get a divorce, otherwise how will you endure it all?
Thomas looked at Michael strangely:
-But I don’t have a wife. It’s been two years since she passed away. But my mother-in-law, what a memory she left. Where should I put her? I can’t throw her out of the house, can I?
-So you live in the same house with her? – Alex was surprised. -Wow, what a family you have!
Thomas got this job recently, no one knew about his marital status.
According to his stories, they thought: there is a mother-in-law – there is a wife. And here it is – his wife is probably dead, and his son-in-law takes care of her elderly mother.
Thomas is a good-looking man, a little over 40, and a good character.
Alex immediately realized: if only he had such a son-in-law! His older sister Olivia is 38 years old. She has never been married. She lives alone in their village.
He immediately began to act:
-Do you like fishing, Thomas?
-Of course, but I can’t go for a long time, how will my mother-in-law manage without me?
-Can I go for one day? Or take your mother-in-law with you, the house is big, we’ll find a place. Let’s go, we have such fish places in the village!
He persuaded her for a month and finally persuaded her. They left with the agreement that they would stay only for a day:
“I will not take my mother-in-law with me, it’s too much trouble, let her stay at home. I will leave food, lock the door, hopefully, nothing will happen during the day.
Alex has already told both Olivia and his mother about his colleague and friend. He hinted that here it is, Olivia, your chance to make happiness. And like a duck in water, Thomas fell in love at first sight and Olivia liked him too.
They did not delay, two months later they got married, and Olivia moved to the city to her husband.
Men at work immediately noticed how Thomas changed, became calmer and more confident. They joked:
-That’s what marriage does to a person!
And Thomas’ conversations changed.
My mother-in-law and Olivia immediately found a common language, they live soul to soul, my mother-in-law stopped yelling, she walks around happy, not a mother-in-law, but gold! That’s it, guys, real happiness!
Alex did not like these conversations, but her sister was happy. She did not complain about living with someone else’s old lady. Once he could not stand it and asked his sister:
-Everything okay there?
-Yes, brother, everything is fine!
Alex was in no hurry to visit them, on weekends he went to his mother in the village and told her:
-I don’t want to go, it’s the sweetest time for them, why should I interfere? And I have no desire to see this mother-in-law.
But the New Year was approaching, Alex and his mother Elizabeth were invited to the newlyweds.
“Look how we live, meet my mother-in-law. Olivia and I have been married for six months, and you, Alex, have never been to our house. And your mother has not come, no matter how many times we called her.
Alex wanted to say something, but waved his hand:
-It’s about time!
But in his heart he was worried how his mother would be received, two mothers-in-law is somehow strange. He said:
-On the other hand, we can always go to my place, if necessary!
And now, on December 19, Elizabeth and Alex are passing outside the door:
-What is her name, this mother-in-law?
-You didn’t ask, Thomas is always “mother-in-law” and “mother-in-law”, we call her that at work – “Thomas mother-in-law”.
-“Actually, I’m the mother-in-law now,” Elizabeth sighed.
The guests were greeted cordially, Elizabeth was immediately shown to the room:
-“Here, we have specially prepared for you, make yourself comfortable.
After a while, they called for lunch. There were four of them at the table and there was no other room where the elderly woman could be…
The woman looked at her son inquiringly, he shrugged his shoulders.
A minute later, a fluffy, red cat slowly entered the kitchen.
-“Wow!” Alex said, “Who is this handsome fellow?
-“Meet him,” Thomas was bursting with pride, “This is Mother-in-law!
The guests just opened their mouths.
-Mother-in-law?! Is that Mother-in-law? Why did you call her that?
-“I had a wife before,” Thomas explained calmly. “We lived together for 15 years! And would have lived on, if not for my mother-in-law!
She constantly taught me how to live, gave me her advice, told my wife to study first, get a good job, and then have children.
And I wanted children so much.
Well, I endured it, although even then I disliked her.
But the children were never born…
I’d already resigned myself to no children, but my mother-in-law interfered:
-Take the child for upbringing!
I honestly said:
-Either my own or none. And what if I can’t love someone else’s child? So we divorced, my wife listened to her mother, not me. I moved to this city, here is my parents’ apartment. And I picked up a kitten on the street. She was dirty, nondescript, so I called her Mother-in-law. So the name remained, now Mother-in-law is my friend!
Elizabeth jumped up from the table and ran into the room. Children and son-in-law ran after.
She was crying into the pillow…
-“Why are you crying?” Thomas sat down to Elizabeth and hugged her shoulders, “Did someone hurt you? Just tell me!
Elizabeth hugged the pillow even tighter and mumbled:
-Who, who. You, of course!
-Me?! – Thomas’s surprise was genuine. -When?! Maybe I said something wrong, but I didn’t mean it, honestly!
-A cat! My mother-in-law is a cat!
Thomas laughed:
-You found someone to cry about! She is a mother-in-law, yes. And you are a mother, I immediately understood. For six months, not a single lecture, not a single unsolicited advice, I see only good. Believe me, there is someone to compare with!
-Elizabeth sobbed again.
-“Mom,” Alex looked suspiciously at his mother’s trembling shoulders, “you’re not crying, are you?
-“Me?” Elizabeth sat up on the bed, tears streaming down her face, “Of course I am. From laughter! Well, you give! And you, Olivia, could not say before?
-Olivia was embarrassed, -You didn’t ask about it either…
-Elizabeth looked at her daughter and her husband and suddenly stuck her tongue out at them.
-That’s right, son!
