"My daughter got married - and now she doesn't visit without her husband!" - Isabel laments.

My daughter got married - and now she doesn't visit without her husband!" - Isabel laments. Of course, I knew it: Veronica brought that husband of hers again. Couldn't she at least come once without him?" - Tatiana thought with annoyance, looking out the window as a familiar car parked in the yard. Her daughter and son-in-law got out of the vehicle and together walked towards her entrance. Her mood fell. Isabel's daughter, twenty-five-year-old Veronica, got married just over a year ago. Tatiana does not like her son-in-law either by appearance or character. He doesn’t seem to do anything wrong. However, she's just not fond of him. Of course, Isabel understands that her daughter is living with him, she chose him, she likes him, that’s what matters. Thankfully, they live separately. But ever since the wedding, her daughter has never come without her husband, only in his company.

I don’t understand, do you? George has no business of his own? - Isabel quietly asked her daughter during a brief moment when her son-in-law was away. When the son-in-law went to wash his hands, - Is he going to sit with us again, listening to women’s chatter? Is it exciting? - Oh, Mom, don’t grumble! - Veronica waved it off as she sat down at the laid table. - He drove me here in the car. And he will take me back. You see, it’s starting to rain again so that I won’t be splashing through the puddles... - We could have taken a taxi, if it came to that, - Isabel grumbled. A couple of minutes later, the son-in-law entered the room and sat at the table. Tatiana took out the plates, poured the borscht, pushed the sour cream and black bread closer, everything he likes. Everyone grabbed their spoons and started eating. Silence hung over the table.

"It’s as if he came here just to eat!" – Isabel was annoyed—no everyday conversation, no relaxation. A stranger is a stranger. You can’t discuss any intimate topics about relatives, finances, or health. And not even because of shyness. ... there’s no mood to talk in his presence. George seems to be behaving normally. He sits quietly, doesn’t do anything bad. But something about him... well, I don't feel any connection to him. He seems to be all in his thoughts — Mom, could you make some tea? — Veronica broke the silence. — Yes, of course. I made an apple pie, especially for you. Isabel got up from the table and put on the kettle. She cut the pie, put out some jam, and tossed some candies into a vase. She took out cups and gathered the plates to wash them.

The son-in-law wouldn’t even think to lighten the mood, to initiate some trivial conversation at the table, to joke around, to tell a story. Isabel used to do that herself before. Now she’s tired of it. She’s not an entertainer. — And so we sit here, drinking tea, George between us, talking about nothing. About the weather, about nature. The daughter praised the pie, the son-in-law asked something about filters, and silence fell again. Oh, how I want to talk to my daughter, to tell her how my sister’s gynecological operation went. I met Nicholas’s parents, her first love from school. To finally ask her how she is doing with her husband, if everything is alright, if everything is going well? But not in front of him. I can't get any help from the son-in-law. I asked him six months ago to hammer a nail into the wall, which was supposed to be a five-minute job. He looked at it, said that he would bring the tools and fix it.

I waited a couple of months, then I gave up and called a repairman – he did everything quickly and beautifully. This is even though my son-in-law works in a car service and should know how to do everything. — And the nail, by the way, you still haven’t hammered in, — Tatiana reminded, glancing at her son-in-law. — Honestly, I already called someone myself, and they did everything. — Really? I somehow... forgot. Sorry, he shrugged. — There were just screws, not nails. I didn't exactly promise. She just silently nodded. Yeah, didn't promise. And then my daughter wonders why Mom looks at him sideways. Can't she see? Isabel scolded herself: Well, they are adults, they should figure it out themselves.

They live separately, and no one owes anyone anything. Why is she grumbling like an eternally dissatisfied older woman? But on the other hand, it also works the other way around. Why does Veronika drag him to her mother? Knowing full well that Isabel doesn’t like George very much. — Can he not stay a couple of hours without her? Or is it her? – Isabel doesn't understand. – Maybe I'm jealous? I'm just upset that I've been pushed aside. Or am I right, and should my daughter have boundaries? At least sometimes she could come alone. To chat woman to woman. She has hinted about this to Veronika many times, and even said it directly, but her daughter doesn't hear her. There's only one option left – an ultimatum. 'Either come alone or stay home together.' But what will this lead to in the end? How to be in such a situation? What do you say?