That month dragged on painfully. Zinaida Ivanovna sulked, made snide remarks, and hinted at cruelty. But Lyudmila learned not to react. She smiled, nodded, and went about her business.
When moving day arrived, Lyudmila herself helped pack. Boxes, suitcases, ficus plants—everything was loaded into the car. Oleg and his friends moved the furniture. Zinaida Ivanovna left without saying goodbye.
Lyudmila was left alone in the apartment. She went into the bedroom, which smelled of someone else’s perfume and mothballs. She opened the windows. She stripped the unfamiliar bedding, aired out the mattress, and put on her own sheets. She arranged her things. She sat on the bed and exhaled. Silence. Finally, silence.
Oleg returned late in the evening, tired and silent. They lay down in their own bedroom, on their own bed, and Lyudmila felt the tension of the past few months gradually fade away.
Two months passed. Zinaida Ivanovna settled into her new apartment and made new neighbors to talk to. She called Oleg every day but no longer demanded he come over immediately. Lyudmila and her husband visited her once a week, bringing groceries and helping around the house.
Her relationship with Oleg didn’t improve overnight. They had several serious conversations where Lyudmila explained that her boundaries were not a whim but a necessity. Oleg listened, nodded, sometimes argued, but gradually began to understand.
A year and a half later, Zinaida Ivanovna came to their home for Lyudmila’s birthday. She brought a cake and a modest bouquet. She sat at the table, had some tea, and suddenly said:
— Lyudmila, I wanted to apologize for that incident with the money. I was wrong, I stuck my nose where it didn’t belong.
Lyudmila put down her cup and looked at her mother-in-law. Zinaida Ivanovna seemed sincere.
— Zinaida Ivanovna, I’m glad to hear you say that. Thank you.
— I just… I was scared back then. I felt like nobody needed me. Like I was a burden. So I wanted to prove I could be useful. Silly logic, I know.
— Oleg needs you, you’re his mother. But that doesn’t mean you should live with us and control us…
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