Every Mid-Autumn at Her Mother's, After Remarrying My Son and Daughter-in-Law Broke

For the five years since my daughter-in-law married into this family, they've spent every holiday at her parents' place, the three of them, leaving me here alone.

This year she said we'd celebrate Thanksgiving at home, so I went straight to work slaughtering a hog and baking holiday pies by hand.

But on Thanksgiving Day itself, she had a car haul off every last pie and all the pork, and said with a smug look on her face:

"I'm taking it all to my parents' as a gift. Saying we'd do Thanksgiving here was just me messing with you!"

"Thanksgiving is about family being together, so of course we have to spend it with our own family."

Heartsick, I looked at my son.

"I'm your family too."

Before he could get a word out, my daughter-in-law snapped:

"A mother-in-law needs to know her place!"

"Any mother-in-law with sense just puts in the money and the work and keeps her mouth shut!"

"And she certainly doesn't get it in her head to compete with her daughter-in-law's own mother!"

I let out a cold, bitter laugh.

Five years I spent raising their child, doing the laundry, cooking the meals, putting in the money and the work.

Every holiday they went to her parents'. Every trip they took, they brought her family along.

And my place in that house was nothing but the unpaid help.

If my whole heart couldn't warm this family, then I'd find a new one.

I pulled out my phone and typed back a reply:

"Wallace Simmons, that thing you brought up last time, about getting married. My answer is yes."

I've known Wallace eight years, and he's wanted to marry me for a long time.

But for the sake of my son's little family, I never agreed.

All these years, he stayed by my side as a friend.

From now on, I won't be putting anyone else first.

My son, Tyler Henson, suddenly tugged at my arm, working his eyebrows, trying to signal me something.

I wasn't in the mood to read whatever was in his eyes.

Virginia James, my daughter-in-law, couldn't hold it in and said with an edge in her voice:

"You've lived this long and someone still has to teach you how the world works!"

I didn't want to deal with her. I turned and started back toward the house.

That set Virginia off. She stamped her foot at Tyler:

"What is your mother playing at!"

"It's Thanksgiving and she won't put out a single cent!"

"What mother-in-law doesn't hand over a little money for her in-laws' holiday!"

"This means she doesn't respect me, and she doesn't respect my family either."

Tyler tugged my arm and lowered his voice:

"Mom, just give her two thousand for the sake of it."

I looked at the son I'd raised through so much hardship, and the cold in my chest turned into a bitter smile.

"For the sake of what?"

"When did the two of you ever respect me?"

Tyler hadn't expected me to embarrass him.

He was terrified Virginia would get angry and fight with me.

He frowned and dropped his voice:

"Mom, what has gotten into you today!"

"It's a holiday. Don't make the two of us fight over something this small!"

I gave a cold snort. The words to scold him were already on my lips when my next-door neighbor, Brent Lawrence, cut in:

"Tyler's mom, here's that chicken you bought from us. I got it all cleaned and ready for you!"

Virginia likes chicken. After she said we'd be spending Thanksgiving at the old place this year,

I'd messaged the neighbor ahead of time and bought one of his free-range chickens.

Only now did I realize my whole heart might as well have been thrown to the dogs.

I took the dressed free-range chicken and thanked him:

"Sorry for the trouble, Brent."

Brent said cheerfully to Virginia:

"Virginia, you're a lucky one. Your mother-in-law told me you love chicken, so she had me pick out the best bird I had for her."

"All so she could cook it up for you on Thanksgiving."

Virginia didn't care for it in the slightest. She curled her lip, gave a mocking little smile, and said nothing.

After Brent left, I noticed that Tyler had taken advantage of my distraction.

He'd slipped my phone out of my apron pocket and, behind my back, transferred two thousand dollars to Virginia.

Then he said to Virginia:

"Mom already sent you two thousand. We'd better hurry over to your mother's, it's getting late."

Only then did Virginia's face lose some of its sourness.

As they left, she took the chicken I'd bought from Brent too, saying it was for her own mother.

Tyler texted me:

"Mom, you're used to peace and quiet on your own, and my in-laws' place is always lively."

"The three of us really have to go back and spend the holiday with them."

"If you don't feel like cooking, just buy whatever you want to eat."

I stared at the message and gave a cold laugh. Those words especially, used to peace and quiet, went in like a knife straight to my chest.

Tyler's father died in a car accident when he was twelve.

For all these years I raised him alone, mother and father both, put him through school.

Got him married.

He knew perfectly well I hated a cold, empty house.

He'd seen it too. Before he married, every holiday I would say:

"If only your dad were still here. The house wouldn't feel so empty."

Back then he would look at me and say, in earnest:

"Mom, once I'm married I'll have a couple of kids, and the house will be full again."

"The holidays won't feel empty anymore."

I still remember what he said. But he'd forgotten. Or maybe he just didn't care how I felt anymore.

While I was looking at it, Wallace called.

He sounded overwhelmed, so happy he could barely get the words out.

"Winona, do you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I'm on my own. My daughter's got work out of town, she can't make it back."

"Then let's spend Thanksgiving together. I'm on my own too."

Wallace was grinning ear to ear.

He said right away that he'd go book us a table at a restaurant.

On my way to meet him, I scrolled through my social media feed.

I saw that Virginia's mother had posted a few gleeful photos of the pies and pork she'd received.

Her caption read:

"All because I said I wanted a little more pork to make sausage."

"My daughter sent me a whole hog."

"She really is my sweet girl, and she gives me three thousand a month in elder-support money too."

"Daughters are the way to go!"

My heart froze solid.

A few days before Thanksgiving, Virginia said we'd all be going back to the old hometown for the holiday.

She said she wanted some home-slaughtered pork, so I went straight to someone I knew back home and bought a hog, three hundred fifty pounds.

I got a few people together to help slaughter it.

I never imagined it was her mother who wanted the pork.

All these years I've watched their kid, and the living costs, the household expenses, all of it came out of my pension.

Every few days I'd even slip Virginia some spending money.

I never imagined she'd take the money I gave to help her out and turn it into elder-support money for her mother.

Back when she married Tyler, she asked for a three-hundred-thousand-dollar bride price.

The house and the car are both in her name.

Her mother took the bride price, and for a dowry gave us four quilts.

Her parents once said, in front of everyone:

"I've taken the bride price. A married-off daughter is like water thrown out."

"As for who takes care of us in our old age, we won't be looking to a daughter. I've got a son to see me through."

Her mother plainly favored the son.

But Virginia was a dutiful daughter, and she thought all of it was perfectly normal.

All these years, she'd kept funneling money back to her parents.

So she stayed close with them.

Hand on my heart, from the first day she walked through my door I loved her like my own daughter.

But no matter how much I gave, I could never warm her heart.

I was about to turn off the screen when a message came from Virginia:

"Mom, you got my nephew sick!"

"My sister-in-law says he's had a cough on and off, running a fever every few days, for more than a month now."

"Now she's giving me the cold shoulder, and it all started because of you."

"Wire my sister-in-law three thousand for nutrition money, right now, so I'm not left looking bad in front of my own family!"

That set me off.

Over the summer, Virginia brought both of her nephews to stay with us.

She never lifted a finger to look after them. I took care of all three children alone, ages four to six.

Two whole months, every meal, every mess, all of it was on me.

Snacks, toys, she bought her two nephews a whole pile of them.

Just those two summer months, I spent about ten thousand on them.

And it wasn't only this year. Every winter and summer break.

Virginia would bring her nephews over.

Loving her, I extended it to them, and I looked after those nephews with everything I had.

I thought all my kindness toward her family would register with Virginia.

Only later did I learn she brought both nephews over on those breaks on purpose, to hand them to me.

All so her mother could take it easy and rest.

I watched those children for them so many times and never once got a thank-you.

And now I was the one being blamed, the one being told to hand over three thousand in nutrition money.

I typed back one message:

"I won't tolerate you people pushing your luck any longer."

Less than a minute later, Virginia was calling.

No need to guess. She wanted a fight on the phone.

I didn't want it ruining my mood, so I blocked her.

I got to the restaurant.

Wallace was already at the table he'd reserved, waving me over warmly.

The place was lovely, one of the best-known spots in town.

About a thousand a head.

I sat down, and Wallace told me to order.

I'd just finished ordering when a familiar sneer came from behind me.

"Well, well, if it isn't Evan's grandma. Out on a date?"

Virginia's barbed eyes moved between me and Wallace like she was sizing up a suspect.

A whole crowd of her family trailed behind her.

Tyler looked stunned to see me here too.

"Mom, what are you doing in a place like this?"

He gave Wallace the same wary, appraising once-over.

My face didn't move. My voice only dropped a few degrees.

"You can all come here, but I can't?"

Wallace kept a polite smile on his face and started to rise to introduce himself.

I stopped him with a hand.

Virginia gave a cold little snort, her tone dripping with mockery.

"See? I was right. Your mom can't wait for us to spend every holiday at my parents' place."

"Otherwise how would she get the chance to come out on dates with some old man."

She paused, letting her disgust settle over me in one long look.

"At her age, pulling something like this. Shameless!"

Tyler's tone was like he was warning me off ahead of time.

"Mom, you're this old now, just take good care of your grandson! Don't go getting ideas!"

"Don't eat. You'll only embarrass yourself!"

As he spoke, he picked up my bag and took the pension card out of my wallet.

He dressed it up nicely.

"There are a lot of bad people out there these days. I'll hold on to your pension card for you."

I'd already withdrawn this month's pension. The card was empty.

I looked at him coldly.

"Embarrass myself how? If you're not afraid of a scene, I'm happy to have it out with the two of you right here on Thanksgiving!"

"Let everyone here be the judge."

Something flickered in both their eyes.

They hadn't expected me to push back this hard.

Their faces darkened, one worse than the other.

My in-law scolded Virginia with fake concern.

"Virginia, you're the daughter-in-law. It's not your place to say some of these things."

"And don't go fighting out in public on Thanksgiving, it's bad luck!"

She paused, turned her eyes on me, and dropped a snide little line.

"You know, if the holidays ever get lonely, you're welcome to spend them at my place."

"After all, we have to think of the children's reputation."

I gave a cold snort, unimpressed.

"Since you understand things so well, then from now on I'll leave all the thinking-for-them to you!"

My in-law choked on that, her face ugly for a moment.

Her son pulled her off to the next table.

Not far from ours.

Tyler did the ordering. He remembered every preference and taste of everyone in his wife's family.

And it was all the best dishes.

After all these years, I never knew my son had such a good memory.

A man who never lifted a finger at home could rattle off exactly how each dish should be prepared out here.

And just what he bought came to thirty-eight thousand for one meal.

He swiped the card without blinking.

In all these years, he'd never spent a cent on me, his own mother.

It felt like a stone lodged in my chest.

The whole meal I heard him at the next table, laughing and chatting with his wife's family.

Swearing up and down that from now on, every holiday, they'd all spend it together as one family!

And the family he meant had never once included me.

Wallace could see how I was frozen out, pushed around in that house, and it hurt him and made him angry.

He wanted to say something on my behalf, but a look from me stopped him.

We finished our meal before they did.

We left the restaurant and walked along the street together.

I told him about all the years of it, the hardship and the bitterness I'd swallowed.

He held my hand tightly, aching for me, and promised that from now on he would take good care of me.

I smiled a little and nodded.

After reporting my pension card lost, I went home to pack.

A message came in from Tyler:

"Mom, you're not to have anything more to do with that old man. Virginia won't like it."

"My in-laws want to go away for a couple of days, and it's a hassle to bring the kids."

"You've got nothing to do at home, so we're leaving all five kids with you for a few days."

"We've dropped them at the neighbor's next to Virginia's parents. We already told them, so you can just go pick them up."

"Oh, and there's one more thing I need to tell you."

"Virginia's two nephews are starting elementary school here after the new year, so they'll be living with us from now on."

"Get the room cleaned out right away, and buy some things for the two boys."

"Virginia says you blocked her number. Unblock her, now. It took me forever to smooth things over."

"Mom, can't you be the bigger person? Don't put me in the middle like this."

A cold smile crossed my face, and I sent him one last message:

"Without me in this house, you won't be in the middle of anything!"

"I'm not your nanny. Your problems are no longer mine to fix!"

I wheeled my suitcase toward the door. My things in that house were few. One case was enough.

Wallace drove over to pick me up.

I left without hesitation, and I didn't look back at that house once.

The next day, Wallace and I got our marriage license.

We bought plane tickets and set off on our honeymoon.

Just as we were about to board, Tyler called.

His voice was frantic, burning:

"Mom, what's going on? The neighbor called Virginia's mother."

"Said you still haven't come to get the kids. What are you playing at here?"

Before I could get a word out, Virginia snatched the phone from Tyler.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you!"

She came at me, furious. "Trying to back me into a corner, is that it?"

I let out a cold laugh, my voice full of contempt:

"Yes, I left the kids there on purpose. I'm not your nanny!"

"And don't turn it around and accuse me of cornering you. From now on, you won't get the chance."

The airport PA announced a flight overhead.

Virginia demanded, thrown off and rattled, "What do you mean? Where are you? Why can I hear an airport?"

There was real satisfaction in my voice now:

"I got married, and I'm leaving for my honeymoon! You spent every holiday without me, and from now on you won't have this nanny waiting on you either!"