The moment my sister-in-law, Lucy Wren, finished speaking, my mother-in-law, Gloria Perkins, wore a look like a thunderstorm had just rolled in. I stood there, unsure what had just happened.
The vibe got uncomfortable, but Lucy sipped her drink as if nothing had happened.
Finally, my father-in-law, Michael Cooper, gave Gloria’s sleeve a tug.
Gloria pursed her lips and said, “Mel’s from Hummingdale. She was talking about making some of her hometown dishes for us.”
I raised an eyebrow. My impression of Gloria took a dive. I hadn’t said anything like that since I walked in.
Wayne Cooper and I had just gotten married, and this was my first time celebrating the holidays at the Cooper residence.
Mom always taught me to treat others how I wanted to be treated. Everyone said getting along with in-laws could be tricky, but I was willing to make the first move and show my sincerity for Wayne’s sake.
I thought that by being nice, the Coopers would show the same in return, so I offered to pitch in. But I didn’t expect Gloria to dump all the kitchen work on me.
She kept coming up with reasons, saying her back hurt or that she had to pick up her daughter, Emily Cooper, to bring her home for Christmas Eve.
Wayne and I had agreed to have each other’s backs, but Gloria kept whisking him away. Eventually, it seemed like he had completely forgotten I was handling all the work in the kitchen.
So, there I was, rinsing vegetables, chopping them up, preparing salad, roasting the meat, and baking cinnamon rolls. While I worked, I decided that this would be my first and last time doing so much.
After a whole day of running myself ragged, I couldn’t believe the Cooper family hadn’t even saved me a spot at the table!
I was moments away from walking out when Lucy’s voice broke the tension. “Why are you standing, Mel? Don’t you have a seat? Looks like Gloria’s picking on you.”
Her words jabbed at everyone like a needle, and they froze and exchanged uncomfortable looks. Gloria felt awkward.
Wayne finally caught on. He got up, grabbed a stool, and placed it next to him.
“Babe,” he said, “come sit beside me.”
My heart sank when I saw the cheap blue plastic stool. Everyone else had a proper chair, and there I was, stuck with something that looked straight out of a dollar store.
