So youre the ones who took offence?
Darling, Ive been thinking Why do you need three rooms? One should be plenty, really. Little Sophie still sleeps with you anyway.
At first, Emily didnt even grasp what her mother was implying. She assumed it was another attempt to offload some treasured relica threadbare armchair or a dusty old sideboardthat had been cluttering up her flat.
Well yes, we dont use the other rooms much, Emily conceded cautiously.
Exactly! So Ive decided to rent them out. Ill find you quiet, respectable tenants No point letting good space go to waste, is there? You understandI let you stay there, and now Im left scraping by on pennies.
Emily froze. At first, she couldnt believe her ears. Then, inside, everything turned to ice and shattered. Visions flashed through her mind: strangers in their kitchen, noise, chaos, crowds of unfamiliar facesall in the home where her three-month-old daughter slept. Maybe it wouldnt be so bad, but it was a gamble. And Emily wasnt willing to risk her daughters safety.
Mum what do you mean, tenants? I have a baby! I dont want strangers in the house!
Oh, dont be dramatic. I raised you in a shared flat, and you turned out fine, her mother waved her off. Ive already been generous, not charging you extra while you save. But what am I supposed to do? Starve?
Emily clenched her teeth. She hadnt expected such betrayal from her own mother. Of course, her mother wouldnt dream of renting out rooms in her own flat. But here? No hesitation.
Still, Emily pushed her hurt aside. Right now, her daughter mattered most.
Fine, if its that important to you Well pay you for this month, Emily finally said. Then well figure something out.
She half-expected her mother to relentto insist she couldnt take money from her own daughter, especially in her situation, to let them stay rent-free just this once. But
Good. Ill charge you the family ratetwo hundred pounds, her mother replied smoothly. Just give me two weeks notice if you plan to leave. Ill need to arrange viewings for the next tenants. Youll have to show them around, of course. No point leaving the place empty.
Fine, Emily hissed through gritted teeth before hanging up.
She opened her banking app and transferred the money immediately. The moment she tapped Send, she felt itthe shift from family to business.
Margaret had always been like this. Emilys mother had a knack for twisting situations to her advantage, but this was the first time it had struck so deep.
At ten, Emily learned that her godmother had sent lavish gifts every Christmas and birthdaya plush pony, a robot dog, fashionable dollsonly for Margaret to pass them off as her own. She never added anything herself.
Back then, Emily had felt a flicker of hurt, but nothing more. She knew it was wrong, but it didnt truly sting. Her godmother, however, was furious and started sending presents through Emilys grandmother instead.
Then there was the time Aunt Jane and her daughter Lily planned to visit. They hadnt intended to stayjust needed a place for a week while sorting paperwork. Theyd even booked a hotel, until Margaret intervened.
Why on earth would you traipse around with a child? Stay with meplenty of space. I cant promise restaurant meals, mind you, but youll be comfortable.
Aunt Jane resisted but eventually agreed. Conscientious, she stocked the fridge to bursting on the first day.
Our treatyou handle the cooking, she said with a smile. Well be out all day anyway, queues and errands. And I want to show Lily the sights.
They left early and returned late, causing no trouble. Yet on the third day, Margaret announced:
Jane, Ive overestimated myself. Maybe ring that hotel? Finish your stay there.
Aunt Jane was furious. The hotel refused to reinstate the booking, forcing a frantic search for alternatives. Emily never saw them again.
At the time, Emily believed her mother was just tired of guests. Now she understood: Margaret had wanted a free ride. Free food fit the bill, so once she got it, she kicked them out.
Before, Emily had only suffered indirectly. Teachers side-eyed her because Margaret refused school donations and made scenes. She wasnt invited to birthdaysofficially because of strange parents, but really to avoid buying gifts. Still, none of it compared to the flat.
Emily and James had known each other since school. Friends first, then something deeper. James even gave up his dream for hermedical school in another city. He stayed, knowing she wouldnt follow.
They both studied psychology instead. Emily became a school counsellor; James went into HR. They married, saved for a mortgage, planned childrenlater, when they had their own place.
Then life intervened. An unplanned pregnancy.
Two lines on the test left Emily torn. A child with the man she lovedbut now, just as theyd nearly saved the deposit? Terrible timing.
Whatever you decide, James said. He wanted the baby too but knew money and housing were hurdles.
Enter Margaret.
Whats there to think about? she declared upon hearing the news. Where God closes a door, He opens a window! Stay in my second flatyour grandmothers. Youll save faster. And dont you dare terminate! What if you cant conceive later?
Her offer tipped the scales. Despite her quirks, Emily thought they had a good relationship. A mother with resources helping her struggling daughternoble, kind, right. If only it had stayed that way.
Now Emily was adrift. What if tomorrow Margaret decided two hundred wasnt enough? Or moved in friends? Nothing would surprise her.
That evening, she told James. He held her as she cried, promising, Ill fix this. Faster than a month.
And he did.
Days later, they visited his mother, Eleanor. Nothing unusualthey dropped by often. Eleanor had known Emily over a decade, taking her and James to the park as children.
At one point, Eleanor took Emilys hand.
Sweetheart, James told me everything. Dont worryIll help with the deposit. Youre so responsible at your age. Most still lean on their parents.
Her quiet warmth undid Emily. She cried into her hands at the tablesuch a contrast. Her own mother, squeezing them out, and her mother-in-law, offering a lifeline.
They decided to stay with Eleanor while sorting the mortgage and viewings. James packed their things; Emily returned the keys to Margarets flatbut didnt go up. She couldnt face her. Just dropped them in the mailbox with a text.
Why didnt you come up? Margaret asked.
Isnt it obvious?
Well you chose to leave. No one forced you. Youre the ones who took offence.
From that day, Emily barely spoke to her mother. She had no energy for itpaperwork, signatures, repairs. She freelanced to ease the mortgage burden. Hard, yes, but she felt part of something greater.
Now she focused on her familyJames, Sophie, and Eleanor, whod given them more than money: faith, support, a future. As for her mother well, you dont choose family. Sometimes, the ones who stand by you arent blood at all.
