‘You would think that not much could go wrong with Hints. Well I don’t know how, but before I knew it my mother and mother-in-law were in a heated argument!’ Photo: Pexels
Maud celebrates Christmas Eve with her mother and Willem, her father and Patricia, her brother and Gio’s mother. Everyone brings something to eat and we drew lots for presents. Maud was only going to buy the present for her mother-in-law and forgot about it…
“Then why didn’t you buy anything yourself? It’s your mother?” I ask Gio, slightly irritated. He looks at me a bit dully, but otherwise wisely keeps his mouth shut.
I’m extra embarrassed because I pulled my own mother and went way over budget on a gift for her. And then we arrive at Gio’s mother with some trinket that we conjured up from somewhere last minute… That’s not possible?!
I look around. My eye falls on my own Christmas gift that I received from my client. A gift voucher from a perfumery, Italian olive oil and an Italian cookbook. There is no other option than to pass on the gift.
While I’m frantically wrapping the products in Christmas paper, Gio sputters a little. “My mother doesn’t like cooking at all. It always has to be easy and quick…” he mumbles, while I put the parcels under the tree.
“Well, it’s this or nothing Gio! Do you want that? Then I wish you a very happy Christmas Eve: that will be a drama,” I grumble back, although I am secretly worried that giving away a cookbook will also be a big fiasco.
Unfortunately, the gift was indeed not appreciated, but the damage was limited. My mother-in-law has made several comments about her gifts. “Wow, that’s funny, a cookbook, I would never think of that,” but she seemed quite happy with the coupon from the perfumery and when she heard that Gio had drawn her, her irritation seemed to disappear like snow in the sun.
Miraculously, my parents also had a great time. It remains special that despite the divorce they still get along well with each other. My father even talked to Willem for hours about old music. The evening seemed to be going pretty well until we went to play a game. You’d think not much could go wrong with Hints. Well, I don’t know how, but before I knew it my mother and mother-in-law were in a heated argument! My mother-in-law thought she didn’t see enough of Liam.
It wasn’t really a fight, but it was fun. The atmosphere immediately cooled down and it remained that way throughout the evening. My mother ended up being the first to leave; Gio’s mother would of course never leave on her own. After we said about five times that we were tired now, she finally went home.
The next morning I woke up exhausted. I don’t know if it was the wine, the discussions or the end of the year, but I was incredibly tired. We spent the whole day on the couch watching movies.
The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve have flown by. Today I woke up with a mega hangover. Yesterday on New Year’s Day, Gio and I first went out for dinner as a couple and then we went to a party in Amsterdam with a whole group. I had been looking forward to this evening for weeks and I even did a little bit of drugs. Although maybe I shouldn’t have done that.
I find it crazy how quickly this year has gone by. It’s my first year as a mother and next year we’re getting married! At the end of January I will be trying on wedding dresses with Jessie and my mother. Rochella was also going to come along, but I wonder if that will still happen. And that has everything to do with what happened on New Year’s Eve…
Maud (24) likes to party and travel. She works in the editorial office of a magazine. Maud is in a relationship with Gio and she has just given birth to their son Liam. You can read her adventures every week in a new episode of Maud’s Night Book.
#335 ‘Why does something always have to go wrong?’
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2024-01-01 19:02:59
#knew #mother #motherinlaw #heated #argument
