My wife had just given birth, and my mother had turned down her own work to come care for her.
The postpartum recovery period had barely ended before my wife moved her ex-husband's mother into our home.
"Honey, I've noticed how good your mom is at looking after people. This past month she took wonderful care of me and the baby."
"And Dudley Henson's mother isn't in great health. She needs someone to wait on her, but Dudley's too busy with work to have the time."
"So I figured, since I'm out of recovery now and your mom isn't as busy, one more person to look after shouldn't be a big deal. I went ahead and brought her over."
I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing.
"My mom came to take care of you because you're her daughter-in-law. She's not a hired nurse. Why on earth would she look after an outsider?"
Julia Fox's brows drew together.
"Dudley's mother used to be family to me too. How can you call her an outsider?"
And with that, she started assigning rooms as if it were all settled.
"His mother isn't well, she needs proper rest, so she should have the master bedroom."
"Dudley and I already agreed he'll come see his mother once a week, so we need to keep the second bedroom for him."
"I need the study for work, so that stays as it is. For now, you and I will just set up a floor bed in the living room with the baby and make do."
I asked before I could stop myself, "And where does my mom sleep?"
Only then did Julia seem to remember her.
She fell quiet for a moment, then shifted her eyes toward the balcony.
"How about we let Mom take the balcony? There's just enough room for a folding cot out there."
I stood frozen, looking at the faint guilt on her face, and my voice came out cold.
"And if I say no?"
"…"
Julia's expression darkened at once.
"Julius Swanson, when did you get so heartless?"
"She's old, she's not well, she's just staying with us for a while. Do you really have to nickel-and-dime it like this?"
I stared at her, almost laughing from sheer anger.
"Me, nickel-and-dime it?"
"You bring your ex-husband's mother into my home, make my mother wait on her, make me and our month-old baby sleep in the living room, and somehow I'm the one with no compassion?"
Julia's patience thinned.
"We're husband and wife. Aren't we supposed to share each other's burdens?"
"Besides, I've already worked everything out. Do you really have to make a scene and leave everyone with nowhere to stand?"
I was about to speak when the kitchen door swung open.
My mother came out carrying a pot of freshly stewed chicken soup, her forehead damp with sweat.
She'd clearly heard us arguing, and her eyes were full of worry.
"Julius, Julia just finished her recovery, she isn't back to full strength yet. Don't fight with her."
Then she turned to Julia.
"Julia, if you're really that worried, let Dudley's mother move in."
"I can stay anywhere, the balcony's fine. It's bright, and you can see the view outside."
A sharp sting rose in my nose.
My mother was doing this so I wouldn't be caught in the middle.
But Julia didn't see it as any kind of sacrifice. If anything, she looked relieved.
"See, Mom's the reasonable one."
"Honey, you could learn a thing or two from her. Stop thinking only about yourself."
My mother's face went stiff. She set the chicken soup down on the table.
"But you two and the baby can't sleep in the living room."
"The baby's only a month old, he can't catch a chill at night, and Julia's body still hasn't recovered. The master bedroom has to stay with your little family."
"Say what you will, Dudley's mother is still a guest. The second bedroom is fine for her."
"And Dudley's your ex-husband. Honestly, it isn't right for him to stay here at all. Have him find a place nearby."
Sitting on the sofa, Dudley's mother suddenly pressed a hand to her chest and let out two low coughs.
"This is all my fault."
"With a body as broken as mine, it hardly matters where I sleep. If it's this much trouble, I'd better just go."
She made to rise, and the moment she got to her feet, her knees buckled.
Julia rushed to steady her.
"Don't move around like that."
Dudley's mother waved a hand.
"I only worried I'd be a burden to you."
"I thought you were being kind, willing to look after me for a few days. I never meant to upset your husband."
Julia's heart went out to her in an instant. She spun around and glared at me and my mother.
"She needs peace and quiet. She has to have a room to herself."
"Dudley works hard. He comes over once a week. Surely he can't be left without even a place to sleep."
I let out a cold laugh.
"Doesn't he have a home of his own?"
Julia's face turned uglier still.
"It's only a few nights. Do you have to put it so cruelly?"
"Dudley didn't make a fuss about staying under the same roof as you. You're both men. How can you be this petty?"
The baby, startled by her voice, suddenly began to cry.
I quickly picked him up.
My mother dropped the argument too and came over to help me check his diaper.
The two of us fussed over the baby while Julia settled Dudley's mother down, bringing her a cushion, pouring her warm water.
I'd never once seen her that attentive.
After the baby was born, she refused to breastfeed to keep her figure, and she washed her hands of everything else too.
Every bit of the childcare fell on me and my mother.
There was one time I was burning up at a hundred and two, and I asked her to hold the baby for a minute.
Instead she complained that I was interrupting her show and nagged me about it the whole day.
Now Dudley's mother coughed twice and she was beside herself with worry.
I patted the baby, slowly forcing my emotions down.
"I won't give up the master bedroom."
"And my mother is not sleeping on the balcony."
"If you want to play the dutiful one, take her to a hotel. You pay, and you take care of her."
Just then the lock chimed with the sound of a code being punched in.
A few soft beeps, and the door opened.
Dudley wheeled in a suitcase and walked inside.
