“Kseniya Nikolaevna, Kolya and I have discussed and decided against giving Dasha money as a present.”
The mother-in-law’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “What? The girl is turning twenty! Money is the best gift at her age!”
“We’d rather give her something meaningful to keep,” Tanya replied.
“Forget about your keepsake! We only accept cash!” Kseniya Nikolaevna shouted, slapping her palm firmly on the table.
Kolya nearly choked on his compote, while Tanya gripped her napkin tightly beneath the table.
“Mom, please don’t be like that,” Kolya tried to calm the tension.
“Silence! Are you always going to be under your wife’s influence?” the mother-in-law snapped, turning her gaze to her son. “Our family tradition has always been about giving money!”
“Maybe it’s time to set new traditions,” Tanya suggested calmly.
“Really?” Kseniya Nikolaevna exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “Only two years into marriage, and you’re already issuing commands!”
Inside, Tanya thought: Mom, we might have to leave.
The dinner had simply become another chapter in an ongoing cold war. From their initial meeting, Kseniya Nikolaevna had disliked Tanya, declaring loudly that Tanya was “far too simple” for her son Kolya.
The wedding itself was filled with turmoil — the mother-in-law demanded a grand restaurant, while Tanya wished for a modest celebration. Kolya found himself running between both sides, managing to satisfy neither.
Post-wedding tensions escalated. The mother-in-law stopped dropping in unannounced, rearranged their furniture, criticized the meals, and meticulously inspected the apartment’s corners with her pristine handkerchief.
“I’m just trying to show you how to be a good wife,” she said, shaking her head at a speck of dust on a high shelf.
Then there was Dasha — the golden child in Kseniya Nikolaevna’s eyes. “Dasha would never dress like that,” “Dasha cooks better,” “Dasha is clever, unlike some others.”
One time, Tanya glimpsed a message sent from her mother-in-law to Kolya: “Kolya, it’s not too late to fix this, she’s no match for you.” Tanya kept silent, finding it too painful to share.
During three years of marriage, Tanya learned to establish boundaries. She began firmly closing doors to unexpected visitors, responding to snide remarks, and no longer apologizing for being herself. Now, Dasha’s birthday had become another battlefield.
The sound of the front door slamming echoed as Kolya and Tanya returned from dinner at the mother-in-law’s, tension clinging thickly between them.
“Why did you do this?” Kolya asked, tossing his keys onto the shelf.
“Me?” Tanya challenged, raising an eyebrow. “It was your mother yelling out in the street.”
“You know how things are with us. Why don’t you like giving money?”
Taking off her coat and hanging it carefully on the rack, Tanya controlled her rising frustration to reply evenly.
“I dislike that each family celebration turns into a cash exchange, as if we are mere business partners, not relatives.”
“Stop it,” Kolya said, flopping on the couch. “It’s easier this way. Dasha gets what she wants, instead of some figurine that ends up forgotten in a drawer.”
“Are you truly certain of what your sister desires? Have you even discussed her interests with her?”
“Don’t start,” Kolya grimaced. “We already have enough problems.”
Tanya sat opposite him, carefully studying his expression.
“Kolya, I endure a lot from your mother, but I refuse to comply just because ‘that’s how it’s always been.’”
“You’re constantly opposing everything. Is it really that difficult to give in sometimes?”
“Is it acceptable to you that your mother shouted at me in front of everyone?” Tanya’s chest tightened with hurt.
“You know how she is. Was provoking her worth it?”
“So I must always bend over backward?”
“Don’t dramatize. Just give her the money, that’s all. I’m tired of all this,” Kolya turned on the television, signaling an end to the discussion.
Tanya’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her husband hide behind the news to avoid family conflict. Silently, she rose and went to the kitchen, overwhelmed by the urge to leave and return to her parents.
- The following day, Tanya visited a bookstore to find a gift.
- The quiet ambiance soothed her as she searched for something distinctive.
- Understanding Dasha’s passion for design, Tanya hoped to find a gift echoing artistic beauty.
Suddenly, a voice called out, “Tanya?”
She turned to see Dasha, a tall young woman with her dark hair gathered in a loose bun.
“What a surprise! When did you get here?” Tanya smiled warmly.
“Just last night. Mom said you stopped by.”
“It was… an interesting dinner,” Tanya blushed.
Dasha grinned slyly, “I’ve already heard mom’s version. Now I want to hear yours.”
They settled in a nearby café, Tanya playing with her latte foam while searching for the right words.
“The truth is, I didn’t want to give you money. I wanted to find something meaningful instead.”
“I thought you were arguing about politics,” Dasha laughed. “Mom tends to dramatize.”
“She insists on keeping traditions alive.”
“You know, I hate those money envelopes. Every year, the same. It feels like they’re buying me off.”
Tanya stared at her in surprise.
“Really? And your mom said…”
“Mom says a lot about others,” Dasha replied bitterly. “She even drove away my boyfriend because he wasn’t from ‘our circle.’”
Tanya’s sympathy for Dasha’s candidness grew.
“Forgive her. She’s controlled everything in her life. I’m glad Kolya has you — someone strong, not pliable.”
- The day before the party, Tanya discovered an exquisite antique silver brooch shaped like an artist’s palette.
- It instantly reminded her of Dasha’s dream to design jewelry.
- Tanya carefully wrapped the delicate brooch in a velvet box.
The phone rang — Kseniya Nikolaevna.
“Tanechka, have you reconsidered your gift?”
“We already picked something, thank you.”
“Kolya mentioned you spent more on some trinket than you intended to give as money,” irritation laced the mother-in-law’s tone.
Tanya glanced at Kolya, who avoided her gaze.
“That’s none of your concern,” Tanya answered firmly.
“How rude! And we welcomed you into the family!”
“See you tomorrow, Kseniya Nikolaevna.”
That evening, Kolya sat silently, absorbed in his phone, deepening the growing divide between them.
“Do you have to damage our relationship with mom?” he asked finally.
“Do you need to report every one of our moves to her?” Tanya retorted.
Kolya went to sleep on the couch; the next day promised to be difficult.
At Kseniya Nikolaevna’s apartment, tension was palpable, with forced smiles and insincere compliments replacing warmth. Whispered rumors of Tanya’s “disobedience” had already spread.
“Happy birthday!” Tanya said, embracing Dasha and handing over the small gift.
The mother-in-law quickly appeared nearby.
“What’s that? I hope it’s an addition to the main present?”
Dasha carefully unwrapped the package, her eyes widening.
“Oh my, where did you find this?” She held up the brooch, turning it under the light.
“An antique shop. The seller claimed it was from the early 20th century.”
“That’s incredible!” Dasha clutched the gift to her heart. “I’m actually working on a project about jewelry design history!”
Kseniya Nikolaevna pursed her lips.
“And where is the envelope? Dasha needs money for courses.”
“Mom, please stop,” Dasha frowned. “This brooch is worth more than all your envelopes combined.”
“Don’t you dare talk back to me!”
“I’m not talking back, just…” Dasha cut off under her mother’s sharp stare.
Tanya felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment on her mother-in-law’s behalf. Kolya nervously adjusted his tie, avoiding eye contact.
“Everyone to the table quickly!” Kseniya Nikolaevna commanded, attempting to regain control.
During dinner, each toast echoed reminders of “family traditions.” Dasha wore the brooch pinned to her dress, occasionally exchanging grateful looks with Tanya.
The atmosphere grew oppressive as Kseniya Nikolaevna announced another toast by the shimmering brooch:
“Now, as tradition dictates,” she cleared her throat, “the birthday girl will read aloud the gift list.”
Dasha reluctantly took a notebook.
“Really?”
“Of course!” her mother snapped. “We always do this.”
Dasha methodically read off the amounts. Tanya observed the guests’ expressions — boredom, feigned interest, and secretive glances at phones under the table.
“From Aunt Vera five thousand, from Uncle Sasha and Aunt Nina seven…”
“Louder, dear, Uncle Borya didn’t hear,” Kseniya Nikolaevna gestured imperiously.
When the list finished, the mother-in-law cleared her throat with pointed emphasis:
“And some only offered old trinkets,” she glanced at Tanya, “being stingy is unkind.”
Kolya winced. Tanya felt a breaking point arise within her.
“Mom!” Dasha objected.
“I’m telling the truth.”
Tanya stood abruptly, not waiting for support from her husband.
“May I propose a toast?”
A murmur rippled through the room. Tanya lifted her glass.
“Dasha, I wish you the courage to remain true to yourself, even when others attempt to confine you. This brooch signifies more than jewelry — it symbolizes that sometimes breaking free from the rules is the path to happiness.”
“Enough lectures!” the mother-in-law interrupted harshly. “No one asked for your opinion!”
“This isn’t a lecture,” Tanya said calmly. “It’s a stand against suffocating traditions and the ritualistic gift tallies that feel like business reports.”
“In my house, you won’t…”
“I won’t come to your house anymore,” Tanya declared firmly, setting down her glass. “And I’m taking my husband with me.”
She turned to leave, Kolya’s eyes wide with surprise.
“Tanya is right,” Dasha interjected. “I’m twenty, and I’m terrified to admit how much I dislike those money envelopes!”
Kseniya Nikolaevna’s face drained of color. Relatives froze mid-fork lift.
“Let’s go, Kolya,” Tanya grabbed her bag. “It’s time to choose — now or never.”
Slowly, Kolya rose, adjusted his tie, glanced between his mother and wife, then decisively stepped toward Tanya.
“Mom, we all need to learn to respect each other’s choices.”
Outside, Tanya exhaled deeply. Kolya squeezed her hand and quietly apologized:
“Sorry for staying silent so long.”
Dasha appeared running behind them, clutching the brooch.
“Can I come with you? Even just for a little while?”
Together, they walked through the spring courtyard, leaving behind the stifling apartment, its oppressive rules, and needless traditions.
While Kseniya Nikolaevna assured guests they would reconsider and return, no one truly intended to come back. An hour later, the relatives had departed, leaving the mother-in-law alone, swallowed by her bitterness and anger.
In summary, this story illustrates how adherence to rigid family customs can create deep divisions within relationships. It emphasizes the importance of mutual respect and the courage to challenge oppressive norms to preserve personal happiness and harmony.