Lucy lives with her son and daughter-in-law following the death of her husband, Ron, until she is well enough to move on.
Eve takes good care of her at first, treating her the same way she would her own mother. Eve, however, becomes overconfident and assigns Lucy all of her chores. What is Lucy going to do next?
After retirement, shouldn’t life get easier?
I always believed that, but everything seemed difficult after my husband, Ron, died a month ago. Without him, the house we shared for so long felt too large and too silent.
Particularly at night, when all I had were my thoughts and the empty places where Ron used to be, the silence grew unbearable.
I made a choice because I couldn’t bear to be by myself in that house. I asked my son, Connor, if I could spend some time living with him and his wife, Eve.
God bless Connor, he didn’t hesitate.
Naturally, Mom. “Remain for as long as you require,” he said.
I felt some sort of relief for the first time in weeks when I heard his warm voice. They welcomed me into their home, and I was appreciative. I simply didn’t want to be alone any longer, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
I knew I had to keep moving forward, day by day, even though I missed Ron more than words could express.
I took care to avoid becoming a burden when I moved in. I gave Connor the rent each month as a contribution after I rented out the old house.
He said, “Mom, I don’t need your money.” Indeed. I want you to be here.
“I understand,” I replied. However, I’m not going to take advantage of my own son. No, I had a better upbringing.
If I’m being completely honest, it was also my way of letting him know that I wouldn’t be staying forever. All I needed to do was stay around long enough to recover emotionally.
I didn’t want them to believe that I would stay too long.
The initial weeks were fantastic. On the first floor of their house, I was assigned a comfortable room.
It’s yours now, but it was the guest room. As Connor carried my bags inside, he remarked, “We decided that it was better to be on the first floor so that you wouldn’t have to worry about your knees and the stairs.”
The thoughtfulness touched me.
At first, my daughter-in-law, Eve, was very sweet. She was always asking how I was feeling and fussing over me. She insisted on preparing every meal and was always willing to make me a cup of tea.
“Lucy, you’ve been through so much,” she would say. “Give me a little time to handle things.”
It was quiet for a time. I enjoyed the warmth that Connor and Eve provided, even though I had never really spent a lot of time with them before—not in their own house.
Then, however, things started to shift.
At first, it was slow.
To be honest, I didn’t mind at all when Eve stopped swooning over me. After all, I didn’t require waiting on me.
However, she then began giving me more household chores.
“While I finish this show, could you load the dishwasher?”
Lucy, could you please fold the laundry? I have a headache.
Naturally, I had no problem lending a hand. After all, I was living with them. I wanted to do my part somehow.
But gradually, the demands and frequency of the requests increased. All of a sudden, I was responsible for all of the cleaning, cooking, and errand running.
I was no longer their houseguest. I was now in charge of cleaning.
Eve was sitting on the couch one afternoon, a few days before Christmas, laughing at a ridiculous romantic comedy on television. She called out without even raising her gaze.
“Lucy, are you able to go grocery shopping once you’ve finished the laundry? We need food for Christmas dinner and tonight. Before you go, I’ll give you the cash. Get enough for everyone because nine people are coming over.
My heart sank as I stopped folding the laundry and simply gazed at her.
Nine individuals?
And I was expected to organize, buy, and prepare their Christmas dinner? I was astounded by how casually she had given me this enormous duty, treating me like her personal maid.
Something changed inside of me at that very moment. I was obviously being treated more like a servant the longer I stayed, despite my best efforts to be helpful.
Really?
I came to the realization that I had to remind Eve that I wasn’t there to be her servant.
I didn’t want to cause a scene, though. Not just before Christmas, I didn’t want to start a fight.
Instead, I made the decision that it was time to impart a small lesson to Eve in my own unique manner.
Growing up, Christmas dinner was a major event in my family. Every time, we had an enormous spread with enough food to feed twice as many guests as we had invited. I was accustomed to cooking for large groups of people, so I made the decision to give it my all in order to make the most delicious Christmas dinner they had ever had.
I thought about how to make everything perfect for hours while I planned each dish. I would do it on my own terms if Eve believed I would do all the work.
I got up early on Christmas Eve and made my way straight to the kitchen.
I mentally noted the following: stuffing, honey-glazed carrots, cranberry sauce, roast turkey, garlic mashed potatoes, and my well-known pecan pie for dessert.
The entire thing. I was going to make good food if I was going to cook.
I listened to Frank Sinatra on the kitchen speaker while I cooked all day.
The house was filled with the aroma of a roast turkey, and I could hear Connor and Eve’s guests coming in, greeting one another with animated voices.
The table was overflowing with food by the time dinner was ready. As the guests gathered in the living room, I set out a platter of canapés and poured mulled wine for them.
I could see the admiration on their faces as they started eating.
“This food is amazing, Aunt Lucy!” cried one of Connor’s pals. “Did you prepare everything yourself?”
I grinned, pleased with my accomplishment.
I just said, “I did.”
My son had a huge smile on his face. He seemed so happy with the way things worked out, and I couldn’t help but feel a little victorious.
I had demonstrated my abilities to Eve.
Eve, too?
As she ate her dinner in silence, I caught a glimpse of her. She was savoring every bite of the meal even though she had not added anything to it.
She appeared somewhat… embarrassed for the first time since I had moved in.
She hadn’t expected me to prepare such a perfect dinner, and I could tell that she wasn’t sure how to react.
Eve finally spoke up after supper as we were clearing the table and getting the dishes done.
“Can we talk, Lucy?”
I looked at her while using a dish towel to wipe my hands. “Yes, tell me what’s on your mind.”
After a brief pause, she let out a sigh.
“How much I’ve been putting on you was unknown to me. I suppose I’ve been depending on you too much because I’ve been so exhausted lately. I sincerely apologize.
I was surprised by what she said.
I didn’t think she would confess what she had been doing. I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Don’t worry, my love,” I said. “I’m happy to assist, but keep in mind that I’m not as young as I once was. There’s only so much these old knees can handle.
She returned the smile, appearing relieved.
But we’re a fantastic team. I will be lending a hand more from now on. Put your feet up and let’s go. Please allow me to make you a cup of tea.
The tension between us appeared to vanish in an instant. A little Christmas miracle occurred. Eve even offered to rub my knees while we were enjoying our tea.
This was not something I anticipated.
I thought that perhaps everything would work out in the end as I sipped my tea.
For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could finally unwind because Eve had become the considerate, kind daughter-in-law I had known.
Everything feels just right now. I’m not a servant. I’m related. And knowing that I’ve disciplined Eve without using any harsh language, I can finally unwind as we sit on the porch drinking tea.
That’s just my story, though.
If you were me, how would you have responded? Would you have imposed your will right away or would you have given a lesson?