The Beginning of the End
It didn’t seem like a garage sale would be where everything would fall apart. The day had started off like any other: the sun was bright, and a light breeze made the warm spring air feel pleasant. It was a Saturday morning, and I was looking for a way to distract myself. I hadn’t been to my mother-in-law Margaret’s house in a while, and she had been planning to downsize, so I decided to go check out what she was selling. Little did I know, that one innocent trip would be the beginning of a cascade of events that would shatter everything I thought I knew about my life.
Margaret had always been a constant presence in our marriage. Despite the fact that she lived a little over an hour away, it felt like she was always around. She was involved in nearly every aspect of Aaron’s and my life, from holidays to family dinners to the most trivial of matters. She had always been a force of nature, controlling, manipulative, and insistent on having her way. While Aaron never truly stood up to her, I did my best to remain patient and polite.
When I married Aaron, I thought we would be a family — just the three of us, growing old together and making our own memories. But as time went on, Margaret’s influence over Aaron, our relationship, and even our household became more evident. He did what she wanted, often without even realizing it, and I found myself growing more resentful. I didn’t want to be the third person in our marriage, constantly vying for Aaron’s attention. But, over the years, I made my peace with it. At least I had Aaron — or so I thought.
We had been married for five years by the time I became pregnant with our daughter, Daisy. We were over the moon, thrilled to start a family together. I threw myself into preparing for Daisy’s arrival with the fervor of a woman who had been waiting for this moment her entire life. I crocheted a blanket for her, painted her room in soft pastel hues, and imagined every milestone — first steps, first words, and everything in between. I was ready to give her everything I had to offer.