Kristina was lying on the couch, propping up her swollen legs with two pillows. Being six months pregnant was tough—by evening, her feet would be so swollen that she couldn’t get her shoes on. Her back ached from sitting all day at work, and her head spun from the stuffy office air.
Just yesterday at the doctor’s, her blood pressure was 140 over 90. The doctor frowned:
“You need strict rest. Spend more time lying down, avoid stress. Any more issues and I’ll have to admit you to the hospital.”
Kristina worked as an accountant at a small company and was planning to take maternity leave only in August. Every morning meant a packed commuter train, a stuffy office, and staring at numbers in reports until her eyes hurt. By evening, she could barely drag her feet home.
Today was the first time she managed to lie down after work, take off her shoes, and try to relax—when she heard the key turn in the lock. Her heart skipped a nervous beat.
“Kristina!” her husband called from the hallway. “Mom and Marina are coming up!”
Kristina closed her eyes. Again. The third time this week. Her break was already over.
After four years of marriage, she had gotten used to her mother-in-law and sister-in-law showing up out of the blue. Always with some urgent matter, always needing an immediate solution.
Vlad peeked into the room, giving her an apologetic smile:
“They’re already on the stairs. Marina said it’s something urgent and needs to be discussed right away.”
Kristina sat up with effort, searching for her slippers with her feet. Urgent matters popped up regularly for her twenty-three-year-old sister-in-law.
Last month, she urgently needed a new phone—”the old one is way too slow.” Before that, it was tutors for thirty thousand, “to prepare for exams.” Earlier still, a summer wardrobe—”I’ve got nothing to wear at all.”
In the two years since graduating, Marina had already changed jobs six times. Either the salary was too low—”I won’t even consider anything less than thirty thousand,”—or the boss was too picky or looked at her the wrong way, or the team was too old, or the commute too long. For the last six months she’d been ‘actively searching’—which basically meant she stayed home, supposedly studying.
“Maybe another time?” Kristina asked weakly. “I’m so tired today…”
“They’re already coming up,” Vlad shrugged. “Marina said it can’t wait.”
Of course it can’t. With Marina, nothing could ever be postponed. But everyone else had to adjust to her plans and moods.
“Kristinchka, dear!” Kristina’s mother-in-law burst through the door. Galina Ivanovna looked fresh and dressed up—a bright blue floral dress, hair perfectly styled and curled, and a scent of expensive perfume. “How are you, sweetheart? Feeling okay carrying the baby?”
Marina squeezed into the apartment after her. Twenty-three years old, but carried herself like a socialite. Long, hot-pink acrylic nails, a trendy crocodile-pattern purse, stilettos even in the heat. All gifts from her older brother over the past two years for various occasions.
“Hey,” Marina nodded nonchalantly, giving Kristina a critical look. “Just got home from work? You look exhausted.”
“Yeah, I just got home,” Kristina replied.
“Strange,” Marina shrugged. “We told you we’d be coming. You could have freshened up a bit.”
Kristina kept silent. No one had warned her. As usual—they showed up out of nowhere.
“Vlad, put the kettle on,” mother-in-law instructed as she took off her light jacket. “Make it strong. My head is splitting from this heat.”
“And put something out for tea,” Marina added. “Some cookies or maybe some candy.”
Kristina struggled to get up and made her way to the kitchen. Vlad was busy fussing with the kettle.
“Maybe you should lie down?” he asked quietly. “You look really pale.”
“No,” Kristina shook her head. “Better to find out right away what they want.”
They all settled down at the kitchen table.
Kristina silently watched them making themselves comfortable at her table. As if they were at home. As if this wasn’t the apartment she and her husband had been paying off for four years now, stuck with a twenty-year mortgage. Every month—thirty-eight thousand, like a noose around their necks.
Vlad placed the teapot on the table and brought out some cookies. Galina nodded approvingly:
“Good job, son. But where’s the sugar? And slice up some lemon—I can’t drink tea without lemon.”
“So,” Marina waited until her brother brought everything necessary, sipped her tea primly, then placed her cup on the saucer. “Mom and I had a serious talk. We’ve decided—we want a vacation.”
“Alright,” Kristina said cautiously, already sensing trouble in her sister-in-law’s tone.
“Yeah, alright,” Marina nodded, wearing a strange smile. “Only, we kind of have one problem. We’re a bit short on money.”
“And we absolutely need to go to the seaside,” mother-in-law chimed in, slowly unwrapping a candy. “Marina needs to recover her nerves after all those exams. Poor thing is totally worn out.”
“My therapist told me directly,” Marina nodded. “I definitely need a change of scenery—sea air and sun. Otherwise, depression is guaranteed.”
“You go to a therapist?” Kristina asked, surprised.
“Of course I do!” Marina replied indignantly. “What did you think? You think it’s easy working your tail off at the university? Exams, coursework, then defending your thesis! By the end of my studies I nearly lost my mind from stress!”
Kristina remembered her own studies. She worked weekends as a shop assistant to pay for her dorm and meals. She wrote her papers at night—during the day she had internships. Mostly lived on ramen and pasta with hot dogs. Never went to a therapist—couldn’t afford it. But she never liked to complain.
“Mom worried about me the whole time,” Marina continued, taking a bite of her cookie. “Her gastritis flared up because of all the stress from my studies, her blood pressure is all over the place. She really needs a break too. And I don’t want to go alone…”
“It’s true,” Galina sighed. “For five years I’ve been a bundle of nerves. Sometimes she wouldn’t pass an exam, or the thesis was a problem. My nerves are completely shot. I saw the doctor yesterday—he says: sea, sun, complete relaxation. Otherwise, a stroke is just around the corner at my age.”
Kristina looked at her mother-in-law. Fifty-three, but she looked younger. Bright red lipstick, expensive gemstone earrings. She hardly looked like someone on the verge of a stroke.
“Then go on vacation,” Kristina said. “Enjoy yourselves.”
“Oh, we’d love to!” Marina threw up her hands. “But like I said, we’re critically short on funds.”
“How much do you need?”
Marina and Galina exchanged meaningful glances. Marina pulled out her phone and tapped the screen:
“Look, we’ve already picked everything out. Anapa, a four-star hotel. Two weeks, full board, a room with a sea view.”
Kristina glanced at the numbers and nearly choked on her tea. The amount was more than two months of her salary.
“That’s… really expensive,” she managed to say.
“Well, it’s not like we vacation every year!” Marina defended herself. “The last time I went to the sea was three years ago, when I was still a student. And Mom—she hasn’t been in five years.”
“At least we’re not asking for somewhere fancy, like Turkey,” Galina added. “It’s just a Russian resort. All fair, nothing extravagant.”
“But it’s still really expensive,” Kristina repeated.
“Expensive, yes,” Marina agreed. “But what can you do? That’s how prices are now. And as they say, health is worth more than money.”
Kristina could feel the conversation relentlessly moving in a certain direction—and she absolutely did not like where it was heading.
“Maybe you could save up a little more?” she suggested. “Or look for something a bit cheaper?”
“We would save up,” her mother-in-law sighed sadly. “But my salary is so small—just half-time. It only covers the basics.”
“Maybe Marina could get a side job?” Kristina suggested carefully.
“Where am I supposed to find a decent job?” Marina protested. “Everywhere either pays peanuts or is too far from home. I’ve switched jobs five times already—it’s always the same!”
“Maybe it’s time to lower the requirements a bit?” Kristina suggested, even more cautiously.
“Lower my requirements?” Marina scoffed. “I have a red diploma in economics! I’m not about to break my back for twenty thousand in some random office!”
“Then where’s the money for the vacation supposed to come from?”
“That’s exactly why we came to you,” Marina said bluntly.
A tense silence fell. Kristina felt her heartbeat quicken.
“To me?” she repeated.
“Of course,” Marina nodded, as if it was obvious. “You’re not going on holiday anyway. Chip in so we can go to the sea.”
Kristina slowly set her cup down, unable to believe what she was hearing.
“What?”
“Why are you acting like you don’t get it?” her sister-in-law frowned slightly. “The doctor strictly forbade you from traveling in your condition. Your vacation money is just sitting there. It would be better if we used it for some wellness, and then we can help you with the baby when we’re back.”
“Marina is absolutely right,” her mother-in-law chimed in energetically. “Why let good money go to waste? You’ll be home anyway, resting, while we can actually use it for our health.”
Kristina slowly turned her head toward her husband. Vlad sat glued to his phone, carefully avoiding her gaze.
“Vlad?” she called softly.
He looked up reluctantly, then immediately glanced away:
“Well… they’re not asking you for the whole amount… Just… to help out a little…”
“Exactly!” Marina cheered. “Not the whole amount! You’ll give a bit, Vlad will chip in, our dad will help, and Grandma Vera from her pension too. Everyone gives a little and we’re set!”
“Grandma Vera?” Kristina couldn’t believe it. “An eighty-year-old pensioner?”
“So what if she’s eighty?” Galina shrugged. “She gets a decent pension, owns a three-room apartment, and lives alone. She can help her beloved granddaughter out.”
“Have you already discussed this with her?”
“Of course we have!” Marina nodded. “I called her yesterday and explained the whole situation. She agreed right away. She said, ‘Of course, my dear, I’ll help however I can. Better to spend on my living relatives than on a bunch of medicine.'”
Kristina felt a cold wave wash over her chest. Were they serious? They came to a pregnant woman and were calmly asking for money for a luxury vacation? And now they were dragging her eighty-year-old grandmother into this “collection” too?
“Just look at this gorgeous hotel. Pool, entertainment, buffet, you can even add spa treatments. Of course, the prices went up since last year, but what can you do—crisis times.”
She showed the photos on the screen. Luxurious apartments, a stunning view of the sea, a restaurant with pristine white tablecloths.
“This isn’t just a regular room,” Kristina pointed out. “This is luxury class.”
“So what?” Marina shrugged, clearly not getting it. “If you’re going to vacation, do it right, like a normal person. It’s not like we want to stay in some cheap hole.”
“But the luxury suite costs one and a half times more than a standard room.”
“So what?” her sister-in-law frowned. “It’s not just my money, is it?”
Kristina felt the anger boiling up inside her.
“So I’m supposed to sponsor your luxury trip?”
“Not just you!” Marina protested. “Everyone will chip in, the whole family! Vlad will cover his part, our dad, grandma… If everyone gives a little, it’s all doable.”
“A little from everyone?” Kristina struggled to stand up, leaning heavily on the chair. “Marina, do you even hear yourself?”
“Of course I do,” Marina replied calmly. “I understand perfectly that we really need this vacation. And you’re in a position to help your family.”
“What position?” Kristina’s voice trembled. “I’m about to go on maternity leave in two months! I still need to buy a stroller, a crib, clothes for the first months, diapers!”
“Don’t worry about it,” Galina waved her off. “You can buy all that later, it’s not going anywhere. The stroller can wait a month or two. But health is fragile—if you lose it, you could be stuck treating it for years.”
“Whose health?” Kristina asked slowly.
“Ours, of course,” the mother-in-law replied as if it was obvious. “Marina’s nerves have been worn thin after college, and I have high blood pressure every day because I’m constantly worried about my daughter.”
“So the fact that my blood pressure is all over the place every day—that doesn’t count?”
“Well, you’re pregnant,” Marina shrugged, sipping her tea indifferently. “Every pregnant woman goes through that. It’s a normal physiological process.”
“And your stress after college isn’t normal?”
“That’s totally different!” her sister-in-law protested. “You chose to get pregnant yourself. I was forced to study for five whole years!”
“Forced?” Kristina couldn’t believe it. “Who made you?”
“Life made me! Circumstances! You can’t get anywhere without a higher education these days!”
“Kristin,” her husband gently interrupted, “please don’t react so harshly. They’re family, my family.”
“And who am I then?” Kristina turned to him. “A complete stranger to you?”
Vlad blushed and mumbled something under his breath.
“Exactly,” Marina chimed in. “We’re not strangers to each other. In normal families, people help and support one another.”
“Help,” Kristina repeated slowly. “Marina, when was the last time you actually helped me?”
“What?” her sister-in-law didn’t understand.
“Helped. With anything. Around the house, with money, with advice.”
“Well… I mean, I’m not really working yet…”
“You haven’t been working for two years. Have you helped me in any way during those two years?”
“What does that have to do with anything?” Marina stammered, confused.
“It has to do with the fact that help in a family should go both ways. But in our case, it’s completely one-sided.”
“What are you even talking about!” Marina flared up. “I’m still young, just starting out in life! Of course the older ones should help!”
“Should?”
“Of course they should! We’re not strangers! We’re family!”
“Not strangers. But help should be mutual, not just one way.”
“We love and value you!” her mother-in-law protested.
“And how does that love show itself?”
“Well… we come visit you, talk, show interest in your life…”
“Over my tea, my cookies. And every time, you end up asking for money.”
“Not every time!”
“Every time,” Kristina said firmly. “In four years of marriage, can you name a single visit when you didn’t ask for financial help?”
An awkward silence fell.
“Well… I can’t really remember…” her mother-in-law faltered.
“That’s because there hasn’t been a single one,” Kristina stated. “Not one.”
“So what!” Marina snapped. “We’re not obligated to entertain you when we visit!”
“Exactly,” Kristina agreed. “You’re not obligated. And I’m not obligated to fund your entertainment.”
“But we’re family!” her sister-in-law objected.
“Family means caring for each other—not just demanding to be cared for.”
“We do care about you!” Galina exclaimed.
“How exactly?”
“Well… we worry about you, we think about your well-being…”
“You worry,” Kristina nodded. “So much that you come to a pregnant woman to squeeze money for a luxury vacation out of her.”
“We’re not squeezing!” Marina protested. “We’re politely asking for help!”
“Politely?” Kristina looked at her intently. “Coming in and saying, ‘Chip in for our trip to the sea’—is that polite?”
“What’s wrong with that?” her sister-in-law asked, genuinely puzzled.
“The problem is, you didn’t even ask—do I want to help? Can I help? Maybe I need that money myself. You just come and demand!”
“Well, we were just sure you’d help!” Galina shrugged.
“And what gave you that confidence?”
“Because you’re kind, generous!”
“Kind,” Kristina repeated quietly. “So basically, I’m a naive little hen you don’t have to treat with any respect.”
“What’s happened to you!” Marina threw up her hands. “You used to be normal, understanding! Now you’ve become so bitter!”
“I used to stay quiet,” Kristina replied. “I put up with all your requests. But now, I’m done.”
“Done with what?”
– Being an ATM for grown adults who just can’t provide for themselves.
– We’re not an ATM! – Galina protested indignantly.
– Then what are you? – Kristina asked directly. – Marina hasn’t worked for two years but still demands money for a vacation. You spend your salaries on fun and then ask others to pay for your trips. What do you call that?
– That’s called family support! – her mother-in-law snapped angrily.
– One-sided support, – Kristina clarified. – You only take. You never give anything back.
– Listen, – Marina interrupted sharply, – enough with your lecturing! We’re asking you for help like human beings, and all you do is preach!
– Like human beings? – Kristina’s voice suddenly went dangerously quiet. – You come to a pregnant woman demanding money for a luxury vacation—does that sound humane to you?
– We’re not demanding! We’re asking!
– You’re confronting me with a done deal, – Kristina cut her off. – You didn’t even bother to ask if I wanted to help. You just decided I had to.
– Well, we know you can afford it!
– How do you know? Do you know my salary? My expenses? My plans for the future?
– But you have a stable job!
– I do, – Kristina nodded. – So I can live. Not to fund your entertainment.
An awkward silence fell. Marina and her mother-in-law stared at her, mouths wide open in shock.
– What… what did you just say? – her mother-in-law said slowly.
– I said: I work to live, not to entertain you.
– How dare you! – Marina squealed.
– I dare very easily. Because it’s the truth.
– We treat you like family!
– Family who expects me to support everyone?
– Fine! – Her mother-in-law jumped up, grabbing her purse. – Fine! Remember these words! When you’re on maternity leave, don’t even think about asking us for anything!
– I won’t.
– And don’t expect any help with the baby!
– I don’t.
– You’ll regret it! – Marina shouted, storming towards the door. – You’ll be crawling back to us on your knees!
– I won’t be crawling anywhere.
The door slammed so hard, the windows rattled.
Kristina sank heavily into a chair and looked at her husband:
– Well? What do you think?
– Maybe… maybe you were a little too harsh, – Vlad mumbled.
– Vlad, – Kristina placed her hand on her belly, – in two months we’ll have a son. Your son. I need to know: are you with us or them?
A long, heavy pause.
– With you, – he said quietly. – With you and our son.
– Then never let them in here again.
He nodded in agreement.
For the first time in four years, Kristina truly felt relieved. She finally said what she’d held back for months. She set her boundaries. And it turns out—it wasn’t scary at all.
She works to live, to raise a child, to build a family. Not to support freeloading adults.