Emily walked through the front door, beaming from ear to ear.
“Hello, love!” she chirped, poking her head into the kitchen.
“Alright? You look chuffed,” remarked James, raising an eyebrow at his wife’s grin.
“Just popped round Mum’s today. You’ll never guess what she’s offering,” Emily teased, mischief in her eyes.
James shrugged, his interest lukewarm. His relationship with his mother-in-law had always been… complicated. Margaret was the sort who liked to take charge, hated anything out of her control, and never took kindly to being disagreed with.
Take their wedding, for example. They’d kept it small—just a quick registry office do, a honeymoon, then a dinner with the parents and a barbecue with mates. Margaret had been livid.
“It’s not proper! My only daughter, and no proper wedding?” she’d shrieked, refusing to even congratulate them.
So when Emily brought her up now, James braced himself.
“Mum’s got a fair bit saved up. Sold the cottage up in Cornwall too—never goes there since Dad passed. And now she’s offering to give us the lot. We add our bit, and bam—our own flat. Brilliant, yeah?”
James frowned. Emily had clearly expected him to cheer, but he just sat there like she’d told him the boiler had packed in.
“Where’s the catch?” he asked flatly.
“No catch!” Emily huffed. “She just wants to help.”
“And that’s it?”
“Well… she did ask for a share in the flat. You know, just in case we ever split up—so her bit stays hers.”
James pulled a face. On paper, it sounded fair enough. But he knew Margaret.
“Em, I’m not keen,” he said firmly.
“Why not? It’s just a stupid little share! We’re not getting divorced!”
“Not just that. I don’t wanna owe your mum. Today it’s a gift—tomorrow she’ll want it back. Or she’ll fall ill. Or change her mind. And we won’t have that kind of cash lying around. Better she keeps it as her safety net.”
Emily sighed. Truth be told, the idea of taking money from her mum made her uneasy too. But the thought of finally ditching rented flats was so tempting…
“And it’s not just that,” James went on. “You know how she gets when she’s got the hump. She’d demand her share. Start calling the shots. I want our place to be just ours. Bought with our own sweat.”
“Right…” Emily slumped.
“But if we borrow from her for the deposit? That’s different. We pay her back bit by bit. Flat stays fully ours.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes lit up.
“Course. We’ll have a proper chat with her, though.”
“She’ll go for it, I reckon.”
The next day, Emily headed to her mum’s, convinced her idea would land well. She’d even thought it through—maybe Mum could buy a little rental place with the rest, keep some income coming in.
“So? Talk to James?” Margaret asked.
“Yeah. We’d rather not take the whole lot—just a loan for the deposit. Pay you back over time.”
“Why on earth?” Her mother’s eyes narrowed.
“Just… we want to do it ourselves. And you’ll still have your money. Could invest it, even.”
But instead of gratitude, Margaret exploded.
“I know perfectly well what to do with my money! You’re being daft! If you divorce, that flat gets split! This way, I’d have a stake! And if you had a kid, James wouldn’t get a penny!”
“Mum, we’re not getting divorced—”
“Never say never! Always have a backup plan!”
Suddenly, it clicked. This wasn’t about helping. It was about control. Making sure everything still tied back to her.
“Mum, we’re done. We’re buying the flat together. If anything happens, we split it. Just tell me—will you lend us the deposit? It’s half what you’ve got. We’ll even sign something.”
“No. I’ll keep it. You’ll need it when this falls apart.”
“Mum!” Emily shot up.
“Someone’s got to look out for you. That’s me!”
That evening, Emily filled James in.
“I’m gobsmacked. Why’s she so sure we’ll split?”
“She just wants insurance. In case…” Emily shrugged. “But I’m glad we said no. You were right.”
“We’ll save up. Reckon I’ll get promoted soon. We’ll manage.”
“Yeah. Long as we’re together.”
A few months later, James’s nan passed, and his parents gave him her old flat. They sold it, put their savings in, got a mortgage, and bought a nice place.
Even then, Margaret wouldn’t let it go.
“Could’ve taken my money. No mortgage. Though, of course, I’d have needed my share… Just in case.”