I knew my mother-in-law had no boundaries. I never imagined my husband was helping her search our bedroom. So when Kathryn screamed my name from upstairs, I knew she had finally found the truth I left waiting in my underwear drawer.
When I married Austin, I already knew his mother had no sense of boundaries. Kathryn never walked into a room like a guest. She entered it like a manager doing rounds. She opened cabinets while talking, straightened stacks I had left alone, and once reorganized my pantry by expiration date while I stood there holding two grocery bags.
Austin laughed.
It became his answer to everything.
“That’s just Mom.”
It became his answer to everything.
Kathryn had a spare key before I finished unpacking. Austin gave it to her because family should be able to help in an emergency, and somehow I was the unreasonable one for pointing out that most emergencies did not require his mother letting herself in on a Wednesday afternoon to inspect the coat closet.
