The restaurant was bustling with patrons that evening, as evidenced by the clinking of glasses, toasts, and laughter. Everything appeared gloomy and festive. Until the doors opened and I entered the hall wearing house slippers with pink pom-poms and a terry bathrobe.
When the waiter saw me, he was initially perplexed. Had some insane woman decided to enter the banquet covertly, or was it just a prank? However, I said calmly:
— Please, a table under the name John Anderson. We are commemorating our fifteenth anniversary.
I could feel every stare piercing my back as they guided me along the entire hall. The pink pom-poms bounced with each step, the robe swayed slightly, and the slippers slapped on the parquet.
My mother-in-law gave me a startled look and angrily exclaimed, “What is this?”
— Just like you said — I smiled in response.
But I didn’t intend that at all!
My husband sat in disbelief, looking from me to his mother, obviously unable to comprehend what was going on. I went over to him, gave him a hug, congratulated him, and said, “Today is all for you, my love.”
Shocked, my mother-in-law buried her head in her hands and slumped into her chair. From the outside, it was obvious: “Was it really me who caused this?” was the only thing that went through her head.
When my mother-in-law saw me, she froze. With a quiet gasp, she exclaimed, “What kind of outfit is that?”
I calmly grinned and answered, “Just like you said.” John is important today. It’s his day, not mine today.
She arched her brows a little, obviously attempting to comprehend:
However, this is excessive! I was trying to say that you shouldn’t be so striking, the smartest person, or… that you should put on a show!
— I got it, Mom — I said softly. The fact that you can see John is content is what matters most today. You wanted everyone’s attention to be on him? So let it be.
With a startled expression on his face, my husband tried to figure out who was at fault. I walked up to him, gave him a hug, planted a kiss on his cheek, and whispered, “Today is all for you, my love.”
My mother-in-law leaned on her hands and collapsed into the chair. The joyous atmosphere disappeared as the guests started whispering and my husband appeared perplexed, causing an unpleasant hush to descend upon the hall.
John found himself in the spotlight, but not in a happy way. He looked uneasily between his mother and myself.
As if sensing that my joke had put her son in a precarious situation, my mother-in-law got up and quietly walked away. It was evident that my husband was upset after the evening.
And I started to have doubts: was it worth ruining my husband’s birthday to discipline my mother-in-law?
I knew then that what I had done had not only hurt her but also him, the person I wanted to please the most.
And I kept thinking that maybe I had overreached myself and the lesson had been too severe.
