“— Nastya, I need to have a serious talk with you! — Vadim began. — I need you to just listen to me first, and most importantly, don’t interrupt…
— About what? — his wife asked. — Did something happen?
— Well, I just asked you not to interrupt! And you immediately interrupted me! — the husband said nervously.
— Sorry! I thought you were done! Well then, continue! — the woman smiled innocently.
— I don’t even know where to start… — Vadim hesitated a little. — In short! There’s a war going on at my parents’ house, and Dimka is demanding that his mother vacate the apartment!
— What do you mean, “demanding she vacate the apartment”? — Nastya was surprised. — Is he kicking her out of the house? Is he crazy? How can you kick your own mother out?
— I don’t even want to get involved! You know my older brother! — the husband said heavily.
— Are you kidding? — Anastasia smirked. — If my older brother pulled something like that, I’d just choke him, no questions asked! Unbelievable! Kicking your own mother out of her own apartment!
— Nastya, you know I don’t talk to him, so talking to him is useless, and I’m not even going to try!
— So what do you want to do then? What did you want to talk about? — asked Nastya. — I hope you’re not thinking about bringing your mother to live with us?
— That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about! — Vadim replied, looking her straight in the eyes.
— Wait! — Nastya raised her hand, stopping her husband from continuing. — Are you joking? Wouldn’t it be easier to throw your Dimka out of your parents’ apartment?! After all, there are laws, special services! Let your mother contact them and evict that freeloader grown-up…
— She will never do that, you know that!
— That’s just great… really wonderful… — the woman was shocked by what was happening. — So when you came back from the army, she was able to kick you out when you had no job and nothing, but she can’t kick Dimka out of her own apartment… Or rather, she never will?!
— Nastya! — the husband addressed her again. — That’s their business, and I’m not going to interfere! But knowing my brother, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mom ends up on the street tomorrow or the day after! That’s why I’m asking you…
— I’m against it! — Nastya answered firmly. — And if I were you and my mom threw me out on the street… I wouldn’t talk to her ever again! And you want to bring her into our home! Do you even realize what will start here?!
— Well Nastya, she’s still my mother! And no matter what she does or how badly she treated me before, I still love her and just can’t abandon her at such a moment!
— Your kindness, Vadim, — his wife said to him — can ultimately ruin your whole life! And if you care so much about your mother, then you don’t need to negotiate with me! You need to give your freeloader Dimka a good beating, brother to brother! So that he remembers this talk forever and doesn’t mess around anymore, and especially…
— Yeah, beat him up… — muttered Vadim. — Well, I’ll beat him up, but then you know what’ll happen?
— And what? — Nastya smirked again. — Dimka will cry, and your mom will pity him and blame you for everything?!
— Something like that! — the husband said. — Only the next day, or even sooner, the police will come for me and take me away for a long time!
— And most likely, your mom will be the one to call the police, Vad!
— That’s exactly what I’m talking about! — Vadim agreed with his wife.
— So that’s settled, Vadik, your mom shouldn’t live here! Just believe me, if she lives here, we can say goodbye to peaceful life! And I can’t agree to that, sorry, dear! I love you very much, but there’s a person in this life whose well-being I worry about more than yours, and even more than your mom’s!
Vadik stared at his wife as if he had caught her with a lover. He didn’t understand what she meant and asked again.
— I don’t get it, — said Vadim. — Who is this person? Do you have someone?
— Are you crazy, Vad? — Nastya couldn’t hold back laughter. — I am that person! And I worry about my own well-being more than anyone else’s! And that’s exactly why I’m against your mom living with us! And don’t even try to persuade me, I don’t agree! — Nastya finally declared to her husband. — So let them sort it out themselves, and you just stay out of it, that’s all!
Vadim hung his head and didn’t respond. He expected Anastasia to take his side, to support him. But it turned out quite the opposite. The man knew that Nastya and his mother, Svetlana Viktorovna, didn’t get along very well. But he thought in this situation his wife would be at least a little softer and would meet him and his mother halfway.
The next day Vadim called his mother from work during a free moment.
— Hi, Mom… — Vadim said sadly. — It’s not going to work, Nastya is against you moving in with us, and I don’t even know how to convince her! Maybe I really should beat up Dimka so he doesn’t feel like the boss in your house!
— Don’t you dare touch Dimka! — Svetlana Viktorovna declared categorically. — I won’t allow him to be offended!
— So what do you want from me then? You keep living with Dimka! What do I have to do with this? — Vadim raised his voice a little.
— Hey! Don’t raise your voice to your mother! Listen to what I’m going to tell you! — she demanded in a commanding tone. — Who’s the boss in your house? You or your wife?
— What does that have to do with anything? — Vadik was surprised.
— It has everything to do with it, son! — his mother answered. — If you’re the boss, then you don’t have to ask her anything! You’re the man in the house, not her! So why the hell are you even asking your Nastya for permission? Your mother will soon have nowhere to live, and you’re still asking your Nastya for permission! — Svetlana Viktorovna started to get angry at her son.
— So what do you suggest? Just come with you and put her before the fact? — Vadim asked.
— Exactly! — his mother replied. — That’s exactly what you need to do! Stop whining and begging for permission to let your own mother live in your house!
— I don’t want scandals, Mom, and if I do that, they’re guaranteed! — the son answered.
— What a wimp you are, Vadim! — Svetlana Viktorovna hissed angrily. — Is this your gratitude to your mother for raising you, dressing you, feeding you!? Well, thanks, son! Thanks for not refusing! Now know this — if I end up on the street, it’ll be your fault! — she said and hung up.
Vadik tried calling her several times, but she immediately hung up every call. He immediately decided to call his older brother and find out why he was trying to evict their mother from her own apartment. But as soon as he found his brother’s number in the phone book, the desire to call him vanished somewhere.
Continued in the comments”