Three years of marriage and every night, her husband slept with his mother. One night, she followed him and what she discovered left her breathless.
Lucy and William had been married for three years. To everyone else, they looked like the perfect couple. William was kind, diligent, and attentive. Yet, beneath the surface, Lucy was troubled by a peculiar habit of her husband.
Every evening, somewhere around midnight or one in the morning, William would slip out of bed ever so carefully. Hed gently untangle himself from Lucys arms and step quietly out of their room. He always went to his mothers roomMrs Margaretwho lived with them. And every time, he wouldnt return until sunrise.
For the entire first year, Lucy tried to be understanding.
My mum just cant sleep at night, William would tell her. She needs someone there.
But by the second year, doubts started gnawing at her.
Was he simply too attached to his mother? Was he what people jokingly called a mummys boy?
By the third year, jealousy and suspicion consumed Lucy. She felt as if Williams love for his mum overshadowed their marriage, as if there was a third person living between them.
Why do you sleep there? she confronted him one evening. Im your wife! Youre supposed to be with me. What are the two of you doing all night? Chatting until morning?
Lucy, please, try to understand, William replied, exhausted, and with dark circles under his eyes. Mums unwell. She really needs me.
Unwell? She seems perfectly fine every morning, eating breakfast, watching telly That just sounds like an excuse to avoid sleeping next to me!
William said nothing, dropping his gaze and quietly leaving the room.
Blinded by anger and doubt, Lucy made up her mind: she had to get to the bottom of this. The truth had to be uncovered.
Midnight came.
As usual, William rose from bed gently. He thought Lucy was asleep, but her eyes were open, watching quietly in the darkness.
He left the room.
Lucy waited a few minutes, tiptoed after him in her bare feet, and made her way down the hall.
She stopped outside Mrs Margarets door, which was slightly ajar.
Lucy peered in.
She was ready to burst in, ready to demand answers.
But the scene before her stopped her heart.
There, in the dim glow of a bedside lamp, Mrs Margaretwho always appeared calm and normal during the daywas secured gently to the bed with sheets. She was thrashing helplessly. Her eyes were wild with fear, her body covered in sweat, froth at her lips.
Keep away! Dont come near me! No! Dont hurt my boy! she shrieked in a raspy, broken voice.
William was holding her tightly to keep her safe from herself. His arms were covered with bite marks, scratches, and bruises.
Shhh Mum, Im here. Its William. Youre safe, he whispered, softly stroking her back.
No! Youre not William! Williams gone! They killed him! she screamed, sinking her teeth into her sons shoulder.
William closed his eyes against the pain but didnt loosen his grip. He never got angry.
Lucy watched tears stream down her husbands face as he endured the suffering his own mother inflicted.
Minutes passed, and then Mrs Margaret retched, soiling Williams clothes. The acidic stench reached the doorway. Still, William took a cloth and gently cleaned his mothers face first, then himself. He then changed the elderly womans nappy with tenderness.
Lucys legs buckled. She clutched the doorframe for support.
Nearly an hour later, Mrs Margaret quieted, slipping into a brief moment of clarity.
W-William? she stammered weakly.
Yes, Mum. Its me.
She touched her sons face, noticing his injuries.
My boy did I hurt you again? Im so sorry I didnt mean to she sobbed. Go, go back to Lucy. Poor thing, youre neglecting her.
William shook his head as he pulled the covers up.
No, Mum. Im staying right here. I dont want Lucy to see you like this. I dont want to frighten her, or make her clean all this up. Im your son, its my duty to bear this. Let her rest.
But youre so tired, my love
I can manage, Mum. I love you both dearly. Ill look after Lucy in the day and you at night.
And in that moment, Lucys world shifted.
She flung the door wide open and stepped inside.
Lucy? William started and tried to hide the stains on his pyjamas. What are you doing here? Please, go back to bed its dreadful in here
Lucy said nothing. She knelt down and hugged her husband tightly, breaking into tears.
Im so sorry she wept. Forgive me, William I thought the worst of you and youve been carrying all this alone
Lucy looked at Mrs Margaret, who now gazed at her with deep shame.
Mum Lucy said softly, taking her hand. Why didnt you tell me? You have dementia and sundowning, dont you? (that condition that worsens at night).
We didnt want to trouble you, love, the elderly woman replied. We know you work so hard. I never wanted to be a burden.
You arent a burden, Lucy said firmly.
She got up, fetched warm water and a towel, and tenderly wiped the grime from Williams arms and her mother-in-laws face.
William, she murmured as she cleaned him, Three years youve shouldered this by yourself. From now on, its both of us. Im your wife. Through thick and thin and that includes looking after Mum.
But Lucy
No buts. Well take turns, or well find a nurse if we need to. But youll never do this alone again.
William embraced her. For the first time in years, he felt a sense of relief. The burden hed carried grew lighter.
From that night on, Mrs Margarets illness was no longer hidden. They managed together. And Lucy realised that love isn’t measured by pleasant times alone, but by the willingness to stand beside one another through the darkest and most difficult chapters of life.
Jealousy vanished.
Instead, there was mutual respect and a deeper love for a man who gave up his rest and endured pain, for the sake of protecting the women most dear to him.
It was in those hardest moments that Lucy learned: true love is not simply in the light, but in the steadfastness we bring to each other in the shadows.
