You could say I was lucky. I got married in Italy even though I came there to work. What’s even luckier is that my current husband allowed me to bring not only my daughter from my previous marriage but also my former mother-in-law.
Surprised? Here’s the story: when my husband and I divorced, I asked my former mother-in-law to take care of my daughter for a while. I was thinking of going to work in Italy for a few years. She agreed. I went abroad. My ex-husband remarried and moved away with my daughter. And within a year, they moved somewhere out of our region.
My former mother-in-law was heartbroken because her beloved son had left her involuntarily. Since then, her only joy was my daughter, and she treated her grandchildren very well. So, I felt secure about my child while I was abroad. Over time, my relationship with my former mother-in-law improved. I was sending her money and packages regularly. In Italy, I was fortunate to get married to an Italian and had another child. Last year, in March, I decided to bring my older daughter to live with us. I had proposed this before, but she had always refused, saying she couldn’t leave her grandmother alone.
However, this time I insisted, and my daughter agreed, but on one condition: her grandmother should come too. At first, I was puzzled. I told my husband everything, and he said, «No problem, let them both come.» So, we welcomed my daughter and my former mother-in-law into our home.
My former mother-in-law wanted to work, and we helped her find a job. Now she takes care of one of our elderly Italian neighbors and earns decent money. All my friends are convinced that my mother has come to visit me. But I don’t confess that she’s my former mother-in-law. She keeps asking when I’ll take her home again.
