The car screeched to a sudden halt. Alex was a serious young man, so the unusual urge to give a lift to a stranger girl hitchhiking by the roadside was quite out of character for him.
The countryside village where Alex and his mother had a cozy, warm home was about 10 miles from the town. Living there during the summer was a delight, and Alex would leave for work around 7 in the morning, enjoying the quiet streets and the calming forest, which stirred pleasant thoughts and memories.
The girl ran up to the car and peeked into the open window, smiling.
“Hello,” she almost sang cheerfully. “Could you give me a ride to town?”
“Aren’t you afraid of getting into a stranger’s car in the middle of the woods?” Alex asked, involuntarily smiling.
“Why be afraid of you?” the girl replied. “You have a nice car and kind eyes. There’s no reason for someone with such a car and eyes to do anything bad to me.”
Alex burst out laughing. He hadn’t encountered such innocence and straightforwardness in a long time and, truthfully, thought it barely existed anymore.
Coming from a rural area, Lisa was open and trusting. So when, three weeks after they met, Alex proposed, she accepted without hesitation. This young man seemed so solid and handsome to her. “Just like Aunt Nancy predicted,” Lisa thought quietly to herself, holding Alex’s hand tightly and nervously glancing at his mother, who took the announcement of the upcoming celebration like a mild earthquake.
After the wedding, Lisa and Alex moved to Alex’s city apartment. Living at the village was not very convenient, and Alex’s mother wasn’t exactly fond of his bride.
“I’m amazed at you, son,” Victoria often said to Alex whenever he visited her. “Was this country beauty the only worthy choice in your entire circle?” She sighed sadly, shaking her perfectly styled hair.
Alex would smile but not argue with his mother. He didn’t want to explain how content and secure he felt in his small, cozy family. Alex’s mother was a reserved and cool woman, so for Oliver, Lisa was a breath of fresh air, both motherly and wifely.
Several years passed. Lisa and Alex had a charming daughter, Mary. Lisa adored her, and even the grandmother began to warm up, seeing how lovingly Lisa treated her son and how wisely she raised their daughter. Though Victoria was a tough and slightly cynical woman, she knew how to admit her mistakes.
Therefore, Alex wasn’t at all surprised when one day Victoria extended an olive branch and invited Lisa and Mary to stay at the country home for a few days.
“Alex, I’m scared,” Lisa whined, searching for any excuse not to go to her mother-in-law.
“She won’t eat you,” Alex laughed, gently kissing his wife on the neck.
“She will, she will,” Lisa moaned. “And she’ll snack on Mary for dessert. Then you’ll be crying and regretting it when it’s too late,” Lisa concluded convincingly, even shedding a tear for effect.
But nothing worked. Alex took the picnic basket from his wife, bundled bright-eyed Mary into the car, nudged his reluctant wife into the front seat, and the family set off, chattering and bickering as they went. Victoria was genuinely pleased to welcome them. She smiled at Lisa, and the young woman realized the war was over. Their amazing friendship began from that moment. Each day, the bond between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law grew closer and more trusting.
Lisa went back to work, and Mary often stayed with Victoria, who read her books, taught her piano, and tutored her in English. Victoria had been an interpreter, and the curious girl delighted in her amusing tales of overseas trips and encounters with interesting people.
A few more years passed. One day, Lisa and Mary arrived at Victoria’s without notice. Lisa had lost weight and seemed strangely tense and withdrawn.
“Lisa, what’s happened?” Victoria asked with concern. “You’re not unwell, are you?”
Lisa sighed, sat down, and burst into tears.
“Alex hasn’t been living with us for six months now,” Lisa managed to say through her tears. “Before, he’d sometimes not come home, saying he was working late. Then he started disappearing for days. He’d come in, change, kiss Mary, push me away, and leave again. I thought he had problems at work. We haven’t seen any money in almost a year. But that’s okay. I’m a nurse, I earn well enough for us.”
We’re managing. Then one day, the doorbell rang, and I opened it to find a well-dressed lady. She was beautiful, elegant, wearing a hat, and carrying a handbag. I’ve only seen those on TV,” Lisa paused to catch her breath and continued, “She said, ‘You’re poor and not suitable for Alex. He’s going to live with me, so leave the apartment and take your silly daughter with you. Alex and I have no use for her.'”
“I’m not silly and very well-behaved,” Mary suddenly declared, turning away indignantly. Victoria and Lisa hadn’t noticed her slip into the kitchen, listening to the adults’ conversation for several minutes.
“Of course, you’re not silly,” Victoria affirmed, straightening her back. “You’re smart and well-mannered, and we’re going to live together and take your mum with us.”
Lisa wiped her tears and looked at Victoria in surprise.
But the iron lady had already made her decision. When her son informed her that he was getting a divorce and hoped she would soon redo the will for the house, Victoria accepted it calmly and gracefully. After all, the will had already been changed.
Victoria had simply forgotten to inform her son that the new owners of the house were now his former wife and the bright-eyed Mary, who was at that moment, as usual, playfully tousling her beloved grandmother’s attentively styled hair.
