“Surprise! I’m staying with you for the whole summer. And in a few days, expect my sister and her family. Eight people, no more,” her mother-in-law announced as she unpacked her suitcases.
“In a week, my sister will arrive with her husband, and my nephews will come with their families. I’ve already told everyone that the house by the sea is now our family home,” her mother-in-law said, putting her things away in the wardrobe of the master bedroom.
Vera froze with a cup in her hands. Her morning coffee suddenly tasted bitter.
“Excuse me… what do you mean, ‘they’ll arrive’?”
“Eight people. Don’t worry, we’ll squeeze in somehow. Children need sea air.”
Vera stared at the woman who, only a year earlier, had called this house a wreck and laughed at her attempts to save it. Her mother-in-law was calmly rehanging dresses, as if she were settling into her own apartment. Her cosmetic bags were lying on the bed, and a framed photograph of her grandchildren was already standing on the bedside table. Sunlight streamed through the new windows — the very windows Vera had spent her last savings on. The air smelled of the sea and the roses she had planted with her own hands that spring.
The old house by the sea had belonged to Vera’s grandmother. After her death, distant relatives whom the family had not seen for years suddenly began claiming the inheritance.
“They didn’t even come to the funeral,” Vera had protested to her husband back then. “And now they suddenly remember family feelings!”
“Maybe we really should give in?” Andrey suggested cautiously. “You’ll waste so many nerves…”
The court battles lasted almost two years. Vera gathered documents, attended hearings, spent money on lawyers, and constantly heard people mocking her.
Her mother-in-law was especially active.
“Come on, give up that old shed. It’ll fall apart by itself soon,” she would say at Sunday lunch.
“It’s my grandmother’s memory,” Vera tried to explain.
“You can keep memories in an album. You’d be better off buying a bigger apartment.”
“Mom, this is our decision,” Andrey would defend her, though not very convincingly.
“You’re just sending money to lawyers. How much have you already spent? Fifty thousand? A hundred?”
Even some of her husband’s relatives considered Vera stubborn and greedy. At family gatherings, sharp remarks about the “ghost house” and “castles in the air” were heard again and again.
But she won the case all the same.
When the documents were finalized, Vera and her husband went to see the inheritance. The house was neglected, but solid. From the windows, the sea was visible, and old pine trees grew in the yard.
“You know, it’s actually beautiful here,” Andrey admitted as he walked around the property.
They decided to keep the house.
The following year, the family spent renovating it. Her husband replaced the roof and the windows, while Vera took care of the garden and the interior. Gradually, the old house turned into a cozy place for rest.
For the first time in a long while, Vera felt happy.
That summer, Vera posted several photos on social media.
A white veranda with wicker chairs.
A hammock between the pine trees, perfect for reading in the evenings.
Blooming roses by the gate — a whole avenue of different varieties.
A sunset over the sea, photographed from her own terrace.
Dozens of admiring comments appeared under the photos. Her friends asked for the address of the hotel, and her colleagues could not believe it was her house.
A few days later, her mother-in-law unexpectedly called.
Her voice was unusually affectionate, almost honey-sweet.
“Verochka, I saw your photos. What a wonderful little house it turned out to be!”
“Thank you,” Vera replied warily.
“You wouldn’t even recognize it! Like something from an interior design magazine. I’ll have to come by sometime and see your miracle.”
“Of course, sometimes…”
“Is the sea nearby?”
“Five minutes on foot.”
“Wonderful! All right then, kisses. Say hello to Andryusha!”
Vera immediately felt uneasy. In three years of marriage, she had learned to recognize her mother-in-law’s intonations. The change in tone was far too sudden — from contempt to admiration.
A week later, her concern proved justified.
Her mother-in-law appeared on the doorstep with two huge suitcases. The taxi drove away without even waiting for the owner of the house to open the door. Vera stood there in an apron, holding a whisk — she had just been making meringue.
“Mom? You didn’t warn us…”
“I wanted to surprise you!” her mother-in-law said, kissing her on the cheek and walking into the house.
Her mother-in-law entered the house as if she had lived there for a long time. She slowly took off her shoes and left her handbag on the console table in the hallway.
She inspected the rooms, touching the curtains and testing the softness of the sofas.
She praised the renovation with the air of an expert.
“You chose good wallpaper. And the bathroom tiles are nice too.”
Then she calmly announced:
“I’ve decided to spend the whole summer here. Sea air is good for someone my age.”
Vera tried to object.
“But we didn’t discuss this… We have plans…”
Her mother-in-law merely waved her hand.
“Don’t be greedy. The house is big. There’s enough room for everyone.”
She was already rolling her suitcase toward the master bedroom. Vera hurried after her.
Then came another announcement.
“By the way, I’ve already told the relatives about your house. Everyone is delighted!”
“What relatives?” Vera felt the ground slipping from under her feet.
“All of ours. My sister, my nephews. They haven’t seen the sea in so long.”
It turned out that her mother-in-law had managed to promise several families a free vacation. In a week, her sister and husband were supposed to arrive, along with two adult children, their spouses, and two grandchildren.
Eight people in total.
And not one of them had even thought to ask the owner’s permission.
Moreover, her mother-in-law had already assigned the rooms among the guests. She had reserved the master bedroom for herself. The children’s room was for the relatives with children. The guest room was for the second couple.
“And where will Andrey and I sleep?” Vera asked weakly.
“You can put a folding bed on the veranda. Or sleep on the sofa in the living room. Don’t be fussy, it won’t be for long.”
That evening, her husband arrived. Vera heard the familiar sound of the engine and looked out the window. Andrey was parking the car under the pines, tired after a long working day.
Her mother-in-law rushed to the door first, smoothing the folds of her dress.
“Andryushenka!” she exclaimed, hugging her son. “Can you imagine? I only wanted to bring the family together, and your wife caused a scandal. She won’t let the relatives come!”
Vera silently took out her phone and handed it to her husband. On the screen was a message in the family chat, sent that morning:
“Come, all of you. The house is huge. There’s enough space. Vera will only be happy to have guests.”
Andrey read the correspondence. His face gradually darkened. Then he raised his eyes to his mother.
“You invited people without permission?”
“So what?” his mother shrugged.
“You assigned the rooms?”
“Of course. Someone had to organize everything.”
“Even our bedroom?”
“What’s wrong with that? I need a comfortable place. My back hurts.”
His mother clearly had not expected her son to start asking such questions. She was used to Andrey always agreeing with her.
“Mom, this is not your house.”
“But we’re family!”
“That is exactly why you should have asked first.”
The next day, Andrey personally called all the relatives. Vera heard his calm but firm voice from the kitchen.
He explained to each of them that there had been a misunderstanding. That the invitation had been made without the owners’ consent. That the house was not a free boarding house, and that he and Vera planned their own vacation themselves.
Some relatives were embarrassed and apologized. Aunt Lyuda even said:
“We didn’t know Galya had decided everything on her own.”
Some were offended, especially the niece who had already bought tickets.
And her mother-in-law caused a huge scandal. She rushed around the living room, waving her arms.
“This is all because of you!” she shouted, pointing a finger at Vera. “Greedy! Ungrateful! I accepted you into the family, and you’re driving the relatives away!”
But this time, no one supported her. Even Andrey remained unshakable.
In the morning, her husband drove his mother to the train station. Vera came out to say goodbye, holding a thermos of coffee for the road.
Before leaving, her mother-in-law tried once more to shame her daughter-in-law.
“You’ll regret this someday. You’ll be left alone, and no one will help you.”
“No,” Vera replied calmly, looking straight into her eyes. “I fought for this house for too long, and now I want peace and quiet.”
A few weeks later, life returned to its usual rhythm. The morning silence was no longer disturbed by loud conversations and demands.
In the mornings, Vera drank coffee on the veranda and looked at the sea. Seagulls circled above the water, and the wind rustled through the pine trees.
Andrey worked in the garden, planting new roses that Vera had ordered from a nursery.
“They’ll be beautiful,” he said, showing her photos of the varieties.
In the evenings, they grilled fish in the yard and watched the sunsets. Sometimes they invited friends for the weekend.
Relatives still came to visit. But now only by invitation and only for a few days. Even her mother-in-law came in the autumn — for three days, with a month’s notice.
She no longer called the house a wreck. But she no longer considered herself its owner either.
“May I come for the May holidays?” she asked before leaving.
“Of course, Mom. Just let us know in advance, at least three days before,” Andrey replied.
And Vera smiled as she looked at her sea.