“Your mother called. She was asking for money again. Maybe it’s time to tell her we can’t afford to support her?”
Anna had never said anything like that to Sergei before. There was no anger in her voice, only a tired anxiety, as if she had been carrying a heavy load for a long time and had finally begun to feel her strength slipping away.
Her husband really did help his mother financially, but lately their own family budget was bursting at the seams even without that. Every ruble counted; every kopeck went to something important and urgent.
“Darling, you know my mom is alone. It’s hard enough for her as it is,” Sergei frowned, put down his phone and gave his wife a stern look. In his eyes there was a visible struggle between his duty to his mother and his responsibility to his own family.
“And is it easy for us?!” Anna’s voice cracked with the desperation she had been trying to hide for so long. “The baby is constantly sick. You know how much his treatment costs. We’re barely making ends meet ourselves! Every trip to the pharmacy is a real ordeal for our wallet.”
“I understand everything. But my mom… She’s used to relying on my help. I’m sorry, but I can’t refuse her… She’s all alone in this world.”
Sergei and Anna had met at a party at mutual friends’ place on one of those warm summer evenings when it seems like life is only just beginning. Back then, he was taking his first steps toward a successful career, and she had just graduated from university. Their meeting was like a flash of light—sudden, bright, blinding.
Anna was an orphan who had managed to get into university and build a life for herself thanks to her own brains and persistence. That was exactly what won Sergei over. A sincere, brave girl with a strong inner core immediately drew the young man’s attention. He saw how her eyes lit up when she talked about her dreams, about how she wanted to help children, how she believed in kindness and the responsiveness of the human heart.
Before the wedding, Sergei introduced his beloved to his mother. As soon as Veronika Petrovna realized that in front of her stood a simple girl with no dowry, she immediately frowned and began to scrutinize her future daughter-in-law. Her gaze slid over Anna’s modest dress, evaluating every detail.
“What do you do, Anna?” she asked in a strict tone full of cold curiosity.
“I work in a kindergarten as a teacher,” the girl answered quietly, feeling her hands tremble slightly under that gaze.
“In a kindergarten?” the future mother-in-law repeated with obvious disdain. “I’ve heard kindergarten teachers don’t earn much. Does that suit you? Is it enough to live on?”
“The main thing is to love your job. I adore working with children. Their smiles, their first discoveries—that’s priceless,” Anna replied, and her face lit up with a warm, sincere smile.
This answer did not please Veronika Petrovna at all, but she decided not to pursue the topic. Sergei was sitting next to Anna and was practically drilling his mother with his eyes, and she did not want to get into a conflict with her son. She only nodded silently, keeping a mask of disapproval on her face.
Veronika Petrovna had retired very early. She used to work at a hazardous plant, so she became a pensioner at an age when other women are still quite capable of building a career. But Veronika decided she wanted to rest and didn’t look for another job.
She loved comfort, but her pension didn’t allow her to live large. She constantly asked her son for money. That was precisely why she didn’t like Anna. The mother-in-law wanted her son to marry a girl from a well-off family, with money, but Sergei had fallen in love with a poor bride whose only wealth lay in her kind heart and bright soul.
After her son’s wedding, it never even occurred to Veronika Petrovna to stop asking him for money. And Sergei had been raised in such a way that he never refused his mother. He fulfilled all her requests, even when it became an unbearable burden for him.
Anna knew perfectly well that her husband always gave part of his earnings to his mother. She turned a blind eye to it, not wanting to start conflicts and hoping that someday the situation would change on its own.
A year and a half later, the young couple had a son—premature and sickly. From that moment on, Anna began to worry about the future. The child required large expenses, and she herself was on maternity leave and not working. Every day was filled with caring for the baby, sleepless nights and quiet prayers for his health.
“Sweetheart, let’s tighten our belts… And ask your mother to do the same,” Anna said one day, mustering all her courage. After a talk with her husband, she managed to convince him to reduce the amount he transferred to his mother every month. At first Sergei resisted, but when he realized that their budget truly was splitting at the seams, he agreed. He saw how Anna saved on everything, even on herself, just so the baby would have everything he needed.
This unexpected turn became the reason for new complaints from Veronika. Her calls became more frequent, and reproach could be heard in every one.
“Maybe it’s time you went back to work?” she began to say to her daughter-in-law more and more often, irritation clear in her voice. “Sitting at home is no good. Money doesn’t fall from the sky.”
“But I’m on maternity leave! Your grandson is still very small. Besides, he gets sick often. How can I leave the child? Maybe you could stay with him?” Anna replied, trying to remain calm.
“Oh no. I’ve worked hard enough in my life already. And besides, he’s too little. Anyway, there’s no need to ‘leave’ anyone. Just find yourself at least a part-time job!” the mother-in-law insisted, absolutely unwilling to listen to Anna’s arguments.
“All right, I’ll look, but only on the condition that you’ll watch your grandson,” the daughter-in-law stood her ground, trying to find at least some kind of compromise.
“Eh, no,” Veronika shook her head. “I raised Sergei alone, and no one helped me. Other mothers manage to stay home with small children and earn money at the same time. What makes you worse?” There was so much poison in her words that Anna involuntarily shuddered.
Anna listened to her mother-in-law and couldn’t believe her ears. After thinking it over, she flatly refused to go to work just so that Veronika could continue receiving the previous amount from her son instead of the reduced one. She understood that it would be unfair to their family and their baby.
“You know, Sergei, if your mother needs money, let her get a job. She’s got it easy: she doesn’t want to sit with her grandson, but she’s pushing me out to work! And all for her own benefit!” she fumed, feeling resentment boiling up inside her.
Anna’s relationship with her mother-in-law became even more strained. Sergei’s mother never missed a chance to jab at her, hinting at her supposed inadequacy. A little later, Veronika changed tactics. Now she reproached Anna not only for their financial situation but also for her appearance.
“Why did you stop taking care of yourself? It’s all because of this maternity leave!” she would exclaim and then answer herself. “When you sit at home all the time, the extra kilos cling to you in no time. Watch out… Sergei won’t stay long with such a slovenly woman. He’ll find someone better.”
Those words struck Anna painfully—she was already self-conscious about how she looked after giving birth.
Anna tried not to take her mother-in-law’s barbs too close to heart. She understood why Veronika behaved the way she did. But one day Sergei’s mother crossed all boundaries of decency. It happened on Anna’s twenty-eighth birthday.
Anna decided to have a modest celebration. She invited only her closest people and set a table at home. The air was filled with the smell of homemade pastries, there was laughter, and for a fleeting moment Anna forgot all her worries.
“Well then, dear…” When it was her mother-in-law’s turn to congratulate the birthday girl, Anna tensed, sensing trouble. “Congratulations on your birthday! I thought for a long time about what to give you… And I finally decided on something useful. I hope you’ll make good use of it.” There was sugary, fake care in Veronika’s voice.
Saying that, she took out a basket in clear wrapping from under the table. Inside were small, brightly colored boxes. At first Anna thought it was tea or candy. But when she took the present in her hands, she saw it for what it was—a weight-loss set. There were special teas, creams, and even pills. The mother-in-law had spent quite a bit, but only to humiliate her daughter-in-law, to rub her nose in her “failings” and fuel her insecurities.
It was the most unpleasant moment in Anna’s life. She herself knew she had put on weight after giving birth, but such open humiliation in front of everyone was simply vile. Her cheeks flushed, and her hands shook. Anna didn’t say anything to her mother-in-law at the table, but that evening, when the guests had left, she told her husband everything. Her voice trembled with held-back tears.
“Just look at what your mother gave me! It’s degrading! I can’t believe someone could be that cruel.”
“I know,” Sergei muttered guiltily, staring at the floor. “Don’t pay any attention to her. You know why she gets so worked up? She’s just afraid of losing our support.”
“I know! But that doesn’t excuse what she did.”
“Then just ignore her remarks. Just remember that I love you the way you are. You’re the most beautiful woman in the world. And throw those pills out. The last thing we need is for you to get sick because of them!” He hugged her, and in his arms she felt a little more protected.
After that incident, Anna stopped talking to her mother-in-law altogether. Veronika herself wasn’t eager to keep in touch either. She stopped visiting her son’s family, but she still called him and asked for money. This tug-of-war went on for almost six months. And then the day of Veronika’s birthday came.
All the relatives came to the celebration. Anna and Sergei also decided to go after long discussions. Anna hadn’t wanted to, but Sergei persuaded her, promising that this time things would be different.
The atmosphere at the table was relaxed. The guests gave toasts, congratulated the birthday girl, and gave presents. When it was Anna’s turn, she stood up, took a glass in one hand and a small bundle in the other. There was a determination in her movements that Sergei had never seen in her before.
“Veronika Petrovna, happy birthday. We wish you health and happiness. And happiness is not only financial well-being, but also independence. Sergei and I thought for a long time about what to give you and decided to give you something truly useful.” Anna’s voice was calm and even, but there was steel in it.
Finishing her toast, she stepped away from the table and handed the bundle to her mother-in-law. All this time Sergei stayed in his seat, as if he didn’t want to interfere. He was nervous, but his silence felt like support for his wife.
“Oh, thank you,” the birthday girl said sincerely, taking the bundle. “What is it?” There was a spark of curiosity and hope in her eyes.
“A present. Open it and see,” Anna replied evenly, without lowering her gaze.
Veronika began curiously tearing off the wrapping. She removed the gift paper and then started unfolding the newspaper inside, assuming that a jewelry box or perhaps some banknotes were hidden there. But to her surprise, the inside was empty. She raised her eyes to her daughter-in-law and asked in disappointment, with confusion in her voice:
“Where’s the gift?”
“What do you mean, where?” Anna answered with a sharp, but not malicious, little smile. “It’s right in front of you.”
“But it’s just a newspaper…” Veronika said in bewilderment.
“It’s not just a newspaper,” Anna continued with even more irony, but now with a hint of warmth. “It’s a newspaper with job ads. Sergei and I really hope you’ll make use of it. Because from now on we won’t be able to help you financially. I’m pregnant with our second child, and now we ourselves will need your support—not money, but moral support, involvement, love.”
After Anna’s words, a heavy silence fell over the room. The guests exchanged glances, not knowing how to react to such frankness. The birthday girl herself flushed. She cast a disappointed look at her son, trying to play on his pity. But Sergei, sitting next to his wife, only shrugged. There was no softness toward his mother in his eyes; his gaze was firm and resolute.
“So you’ve decided… to breed poverty?!” Veronika finally asked, her voice tinged with despair.
“Don’t say that, Mom. We’re having a second child, and this baby is no less loved and wanted. Money has nothing to do with it. And if your pension isn’t enough, try getting a job. It’ll give you confidence, you’ll meet new people,” Sergei said gently but insistently.
Hearing this, Veronika crumpled the newspaper and sat down, not even looking in her son’s direction. She couldn’t find the right words to answer Sergei and Anna. It seemed every one of her arguments had shattered against the wall of their unity.
That moment became a turning point in the relationship between mother and son. As much as Sergei wanted to keep helping his mother financially, he understood that he simply couldn’t manage it anymore. His and Anna’s family budget was limited, and with the birth of a second child, their expenses would only grow. He realized that his primary responsibility was to his own family—his children and the wife who had always been his support.
For several days after the party, Veronika didn’t get in touch with her son. Sergei tried calling, but she hung up on him. Anna comforted her husband, saying he wasn’t to blame for his mother’s behavior. She held his hand and whispered that things would work out, that they just needed to give it time.
A week later, Veronika finally picked up the phone. Her voice sounded dry, but the previous resentment was gone.
“What do you want?” she snapped right away.
“Why haven’t you been answering my calls, Mom? I didn’t want it to come to this. Things really are hard for us right now. Our son is sick all the time, Anna has terrible morning sickness, and soon the second baby will be born. I can’t keep sending you money every month. If something urgent and important comes up, tell me and we’ll sort it out. But otherwise, it would honestly be better for you to become more independent and find a job. It’ll be better for everyone,” Sergei said. His voice held not a request but a statement of fact.
“I’ve already found one,” Veronika replied proudly, with a note of her old confidence. “I’ll be working as a receptionist at the beauty salon next door. I got hired last week.”
“What? Really?” Sergei couldn’t believe his ears. He’d expected anything but this.
“Really. You’ve forced your mother… to work until she drops,” she said with a faint, amused smile in her voice, as if she herself understood how absurd the situation sounded.
Sergei didn’t answer. He was simply glad his mother had listened and decided to get back in the game. And although things with Anna didn’t immediately improve, over time Veronika realized she hadn’t gone back to work in vain. She made new friends and found new interests—and got free services at the salon into the bargain. Most importantly, she no longer had to wait for her son to “tear a piece of his paycheck from his heart” for her. She once again felt independent, needed, full of energy.
Sergei and Anna also breathed a sigh of relief. They no longer had to justify their personal expenses or quarrel over the unemployed mother-in-law, and they could devote more attention to the children and preserve peace in their home. In the evenings they would sit together, wrapped in each other’s arms, dreaming about the future and how they would raise their children in an atmosphere of love and understanding.
Several months passed.
One evening, when dusk was slowly falling outside and painting the sky in soft peach tones, the doorbell rang. On the threshold stood Veronika Petrovna. In her hands she held not a basket with slimming teas, but a small neatly wrapped gift and a bouquet of wildflowers.
“This is for you,” she said, handing the flowers to Anna. “And this is for the baby.” She gave her the package. Inside was a tiny knitted outfit. “I made it myself.”
There was no former hostility in her eyes—only a quiet, tentative hope. Anna silently took the gifts and stepped aside to let her mother-in-law in. It was just a small step, but it was followed by another, and then another. They didn’t become friends overnight, but that evening something new appeared in their home—fragile, like the first spring flower, and just as long-awaited.
It was a beginning.
The beginning of understanding, the beginning of a quiet reconciliation, the beginning of a new chapter in which the greatest treasure was not the thickness of one’s wallet, but the depth of a soul capable of forgiving and starting over