“Galina, darling, Viktor and I believe it would be best for you to move into a smaller apartment,” announced Lydia Pavlovna, stirring sugar into her cup of tea with an ease that suggested she was discussing the weather.
Galina froze, spoon in hand, unable to comprehend what she had just heard. The couple had been enjoying lunch at her mother-in-law’s, relishing her signature borscht only moments before. Viktor focused on his plate, deliberately avoiding her gaze.
“Excuse me?” Galina asked again, grasping for clarity.
Lydia set her spoon aside, folding her hands on the table as she adopted a serious demeanor.
“I’m saying it’s time for you to move. A three-room apartment is far too large for a young couple without children. Meanwhile, I’m alone suffering in my little one-bedroom at the outskirts of town. It only makes sense to swap places.”
Galina turned to Viktor, seeking support. He continued to diligently eat his borscht, as if it was the most critical task at hand.
“Viktor, do you have anything to say?” she asked, striving for calmness.
“Mom is right,” he muttered without looking up. “We really don’t need such a large apartment.”
A wave of indignation flooded through Galina. Their three-room apartment in the city center was a wedding gift from her parents three years prior. They had specifically chosen a spacious place for the young family to prepare for future children.
“Lydia Pavlovna,” Galina said slowly, carefully selecting her words. “This apartment is a gift from my parents, and it is in my name. We can’t just switch without consideration.”
Lydia smiled with a feigned warmth that never reached her eyes.
“Oh, come on, dear! We are family! What does it matter whose name is on anything? The important thing is everyone’s comfort. At my age, traveling from the outskirts to the city for doctor appointments is exhausting.”
“But you work in the city, at the library,” Galina pointed out.
“I used to,” Lydia corrected her. “I retired a month ago. Didn’t Viktor mention that?”
Galina glanced at her husband, who blushed and mumbled something about forgetting to mention it.
“You see, Galочка,” Lydia continued, leaning in closer. “I’m sixty-five years old. My health isn’t what it used to be. Living in the city would make it easier since there are clinics and shops nearby. For you young folks, it’s the same whether you live on the outskirts or in the center.”
“We are planning for children,” Galina asserted firmly. “We need room.”
Lydia laughed lightly.
“Children? You have been married for three years and are still planning! When children arrive, we can discuss it. But until then, why should you take up three rooms while I, the mother of the only son, struggle in my one-room flat?”
After lunch, when they settled into their car, Galina could no longer contain her frustration.
“How could you agree to such nonsense? Swap apartments? Are you out of your mind?”
Viktor started the engine and pulled out of the driveway.
“Galya, don’t dramatize. Mom merely made a suggestion. No one is forcing us.”
“Forcing us? Did you not hear what he said? ‘Mom is right, we don’t need a big apartment!'”
“I just didn’t want to upset her,” Viktor said, turning onto the main road. “You know that her blood pressure fluctuates.”
Galina rolled her eyes. Lydia’s blood pressure seemed to rise every time she wanted something from her son.
“Viktor, your mother is perfectly healthy. She just wants our apartment!”
“Stop saying nonsense!” he snapped. “Mom has lived for me her whole life! She deserves a comfortable retirement!”
Galina fell silent, realizing their discussion would get them nowhere. However, anxiety bubbled within her. She knew her mother-in-law well; Lydia Pavlovna never backed down from her plans.
Indeed, the following weeks evolved into a relentless siege. Lydia called multiple times a day, complaining about noisy neighbors, poor transport access, and dampness in her apartment.
“Vitenka, I struggled to reach the clinic today!” she lamented on the phone, on speaker mode. “Two hours on the road! And then I had to come back! My legs are giving out!”
“Mom, maybe we should call a doctor to come to your place?” Viktor suggested.
“Oh, come on! That costs money! I’d rather endure. I’m not young anymore; soon I won’t be able to walk at all…”
Galina watched as Viktor’s mood darkened with every one of these calls. She tried to discuss it with him, explaining it was manipulation, but he merely dismissed her concerns.
After two weeks of this relentless pressure, he finally brought up the idea of moving.
“Galya, let’s think about Mom’s request…” he started one evening. “It really is hard for her to travel from the outskirts.”
“Viktor, no!” Galina cut him off. “We will not swap apartments. End of discussion!”
“But why not?” he raised his voice. “Are you really that stingy? This is my mother!”
“And the apartment is my parents’ gift!” Galina countered. “They chose it for us, for our family, for our future grandchildren!”
“What grandchildren?” Viktor stood up from the table. “We’ve been married for three years and still have none!”
This was a low blow. They had been experiencing issues conceiving and were undergoing tests. Doctors had reassured them both were fine, and it just required time and less stress.
“Don’t you dare!” Galina shot up as well. “You know very well we are both healthy! We will have children!”
“Eventually! But your mother is suffering right now!”
Finally, Viktor slammed the door and drove off to his mother’s place. He returned only by morning.
The next day, Galina decided to take action. She took a day off work and went to see Lydia Pavlovna. It was crucial to speak face to face, without Viktor.
Lydia opened the door dressed in a tracksuit, clearly heading somewhere.
“Galочка?” she exclaimed, surprised. “Is something wrong?”
“We need to talk,” Galina said firmly as she entered the apartment.
Lydia reluctantly closed the door and moved into the living room. Galina surveyed her surroundings. The apartment was small but cozy and clearly recently renovated.
“Lydia Pavlovna, let’s be straightforward,” Galina stated. “You want our apartment, but that won’t happen. It’s in my name, and I have no intention of changing it.”
Lydia sat in a chair, folding her hands in her lap.
“Galочка, you misunderstood me. I just want to be closer to my son. Is that such a crime?”
“You can be closer without switching apartments. Rent something in the center, for example.”
“With what money?” Lydia threw up her hands. “My pension is barely enough!”
Galina knew this wasn’t true. Lydia had a decent pension plus savings from selling her late husband’s dacha.
“Lydia Pavlovna, stop! I know about your pension and the money from the dacha. Viktor mentioned it.”
Lydia pursed her lips.
“That money is for emergencies! Who knows what will happen!”
“And my parents’ apartment is not your safety net!” Galina maintained her composure. “Stop pressuring Viktor!”
Lydia rose, her face hardening.
“Listen carefully, girl! Viktor is my son! I raised him alone and sacrificed everything! If I ask for help, he won’t refuse! And you… You’re just a temporary presence in his life!”
“Temporary presence?” Galina couldn’t believe her ears. “I’m his wife!”
“Wife!” Lydia scoffed. “What kind of wife are you if you can’t even give him a child? Viktor has talked to me about this. Maybe it’s a sign that you two aren’t meant for each other?”
Galina felt a lump in her throat. Had Viktor really discussed their intimate issues with his mother?
“You know what, Lydia Pavlovna,” she said as she stood up. “Do what you want. But you will not get that apartment. Never!”
She exited the apartment, suppressing her tears. On her way home, she called her mother and recounted everything. Her mother listened and offered unexpected advice.
“Galочка, check the documents for your apartment. And for your mother-in-law’s too. Go to the property registration office and find out what’s going on. I have a feeling something isn’t right.”
Galina took her mother’s advice. What she discovered left her in shock. Lydia’s apartment was registered not only in her name but also in Viktor’s — as a co-owner. Moreover, Viktor owned seventy percent of it. The apartment had been purchased only six months earlier, after Lydia supposedly retired.
In the evening, Galina waited for Viktor to return from work. She laid the documents out before him.
“Explain this to me,” she demanded.
Viktor went pale as he looked at the papers.
“Galya, I… This isn’t what you think…”
“What should I think? Your mother bought an apartment with dacha money and put most of it in your name? And now she wants to exchange with us? Viktor, did you plan this?”
“No!” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know! Mom just said she bought an apartment closer to the center and asked me to help with the paperwork… I didn’t read the fine print!”
“Didn’t read?” Galina couldn’t believe it. “You became a co-owner of an apartment, and you didn’t read the details?”
Viktor slumped onto the couch, cradling his head in his hands.
“She said it was safer this way. If something happened to her, the apartment would be mine without issues…”
“And you believed her? Viktor, your mother knows inheritance laws perfectly! You’re already her only heir!”
At that moment, the doorbell rang. Lydia Pavlovna stood there, in person.
“I see you’re discussing things without me!” she announced, stepping into the apartment uninvited. “Galочка must have twisted your head, son!”
“Mom, why did you put the apartment in my name?” Viktor asked directly.
Lydia took a seat in the living room, adopting an air of injured innocence.
“Why, my dear? You are my son! Who else would I leave my property to?”
“But why do it now? And why should we swap apartments?”
Lydia sighed.
“Vitenka, I explained it! Living on the outskirts is hard for me! And you young people don’t care where you live! Plus,” she glanced at Galina, “if you divorce, Galочка takes her apartment, and you end up with nothing!”
“We are not getting divorced!” Viktor protested.
“Who knows, who knows…” Lydia shook her head. “The divorce rate is horrifying. This way, at least you’ll have your share in the apartment. Sounds fair, doesn’t it?”
Galina stared at her mother-in-law and finally understood the entire plan. Lydia Pavlovna wanted not only an apartment in the center. She aimed to safeguard her son in case of a divorce, effectively stealing Galina’s property.
“You know what,” Galina said, standing up. “I have a counteroffer. Let’s formalize everything legally. We’ll draft an exchange agreement. But with one condition — the apartment in the center will be registered in equal shares between Viktor and me. Yours will remain solely in your name.”
Lydia stiffened.
“Why complicate things like that?”
“Because if we’re exchanging fairly, we should receive equivalent housing. A three-room apartment in the center is worth three times your one-room flat on the outskirts. If you can cover the difference, then we can talk.”
“Cover the difference?” Lydia reddened. “I can’t afford that!”
“Funny, what about the dacha money?” Galina innocently asked.
Lydia rose, her eyes blazing.
“Viktor, your wife is behaving improperly! She’s haggling with me like in a market!”
“Mom, Galya is right,” Viktor unexpectedly stated. “If we’re swapping apartments, it should be fair.”
Lydia looked at her son as if he were a traitor.
“You’re on her side?”
“I’m on the side of fairness, Mom. You taught me that yourself.”
Lydia silently gathered her handbag and headed for the door.
“I see she’s turned you against me! Well, live how you want! But when you get divorced, don’t come crying to me!”
The door slammed shut. Viktor and Galina were left alone.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I was an idiot. I let my mother manipulate us.”
Galina sat down beside him.
“Viktor, I love you. But your mother will always be an obstacle between us unless you learn to say ‘no.’”
“I understand. I will learn. I promise.”
In the following weeks, Lydia Pavlovna ostentatiously ignored her son. She wouldn’t answer calls or open the door. Viktor was worried, but Galina convinced him not to give in to the provocation.
Sure enough, a month later, Lydia called him. Her voice was tired and conciliatory.
“Vitenka, let’s forget about this apartment situation. I overreacted.”
“Alright, Mom. Let’s forget it.”
“And… please tell Galya I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Galina, listening to the conversation, could hardly believe her ears. Lydia Pavlovna apologizing? That was a first.
Later, it turned out that Lydia had met a man in her building — a widower and retired colonel. He lived one floor up and had long been interested in her. Now Lydia Pavlovna was too busy with her own personal life to focus on any apartment intrigue.
A year later, Galina and Viktor welcomed a daughter. Lydia Pavlovna, now married to her colonel, became a caring but unobtrusive grandmother.
“You know,” she said to Galina one day, rocking her granddaughter, “I was wrong. I tried to control Vitya because I was afraid of being alone. But happiness was right around the corner; I just didn’t see it.”
Galina smiled.
“The main thing is that everything turned out well.”
“Yes,” agreed her mother-in-law. “And you know what? It’s good you didn’t swap apartments. You truly need space with a child. And Nikolai Petrovich and I are doing just fine in our flat. He even suggested merging the two apartments into one — his is right above. Imagine what that would be like!”
Galina laughed. Life is truly unpredictable. Sometimes, one just needs to stand their ground and wait for the situation to resolve itself.
Viktor had also changed. He learned to make independent decisions without constantly looking to his mother for validation. Their marriage grew stronger after surviving the ordeal.
Little Masha was raised in love, surrounded by the care of her parents and two pairs of grandparents. No one dared to encroach upon their cozy family nest in the city center again.