I Really Like This House. Son, Write It Over To Me! – My Mother-In-Law Claims My Property.

The house stood on the outskirts of the city—two stories, with a wide veranda and a garden. Aunt Valentina left it to Alisa in her will. At the time, many were surprised. The niece wasn’t a favorite, but the inheritance had been arranged in advance.
Alisa, after receiving the keys, stood for a long time on the porch. The cool autumn wind ruffled her hair, making her wrap her scarf tighter.

«Now this is my house,» she whispered, as if afraid the old walls would hear a foreign voice.
The small apartment in the city center sold quickly. The money earned was enough for the renovation—not luxurious, but solid. Alisa chose everything herself: pastel-colored walls, warm laminate flooring, and comfortable furniture.
«Isn’t anyone helping you?» asked the seller, the gray-haired Mikhail Stepanovich, as he watched her lay out tile samples on her own.
«Who should help?» Alisa lifted her eyes. «I’m thirty-two. I’m a grown-up girl.»

«Usually, ladies come with their husbands,» Mikhail Stepanovich smiled. «The husbands nod importantly, though they understand even less about repairs than their wives.»
Alisa laughed.
«It didn’t work out for me with marriage.»
Three months later, the house transformed. A bright living room with large windows, a cozy bedroom, and a study where Alisa spent evenings with her favorite books.
Georgiy appeared in her life by accident. Alisa ordered bookshelves for the study, and he came to take measurements. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a little gray at his temples.

«I don’t often meet clients with such good taste,» Georgiy remarked, looking through the sketches Alisa had made.
«Years of working as an interior designer,» she shrugged.
«And yet you decided to order the furniture?»

«I can create the design, but assembling the wardrobe is beyond my strength.»
They smiled at each other. That’s how their relationship began—first cautiously, then more confidently.
Six months later, Georgiy proposed. They married quietly, without a grand celebration. Their life together in the house flowed peacefully and steadily.
«You’re an amazing hostess,» Georgiy said, hugging Alisa on the veranda on warm summer evenings. «I never thought I would be so happy.»

But in the spring, something changed. Georgiy began to mention his mother more often.
«You know, Mom lives alone,» he said one evening at dinner. «It’s hard for her.»
«You’ve never talked much about her,» Alisa remarked, serving soup.

«We didn’t get along well before,» Georgiy lowered his gaze. «But now I want to improve our relationship. Maybe we should invite her over?»
Alisa hesitated. On one hand, she wasn’t eager to meet her mother-in-law. On the other hand, she saw how important it was for her husband.
«Okay,» Alisa nodded. «Let her come.»
Nina Alexandrovna arrived a week later—a stately woman with well-kept hands and a sharp gaze. She smiled, admired the house, and praised her daughter-in-law.

«Georgiy wasn’t lying,» she said, trying the pie Alisa had baked. «You’re a real treasure.»
Her mother-in-law carefully examined the house. She peered into every corner, asked about the history of the furniture purchase, and inspected the foundation.
She explained it quite simply:

«Just simple curiosity. At my age, there aren’t many entertainments.»
Three days later, Nina Alexandrovna left, after giving Alisa a tight hug. Before leaving, she whispered in parting:
«You have golden hands. Take care of my son.»
But after Nina Alexandrovna’s departure, Georgiy changed. He became more pensive and silent. He would sit for long periods on the veranda, staring into the darkness. Alisa noticed how he secretly examined the house documents.

«What happened?» Alisa asked one evening, sitting next to him. «You’re so different since your mother’s visit.»
«Nothing,» Georgiy snapped, pulling away. «I’m just tired.»

«This isn’t tiredness,» Alisa touched his hand. «You’re hiding something.»
Georgiy flinched and stood up from the couch.
«Leave me alone! Not all problems need to be discussed!»
The office door slammed shut. Alisa was left alone, bewildered about what could have changed her husband so suddenly.

The silence in the house became unbearable. For two weeks, Alisa walked as if on a «minefield,» not knowing which phrase would provoke Georgiy’s irritation. The early May mornings they used to share on the veranda, she now spent alone, holding a cooling cup of tea.
Alisa’s hands trembled as she brushed her hair in front of the mirror. In the reflection, she saw a gaunt face with dark circles under her eyes.
Alisa asked her reflection:

«What’s happening? What did I do wrong?»
A knock on the door made her jump. Looking at the clock, Alisa frowned—it was barely 10 in the morning on a Saturday, and they weren’t expecting anyone.
At the doorstep stood Nina Alexandrovna with a large suitcase.
«Hello, dear!» her mother-in-law chirped, hugging the stunned Alisa. «I decided to visit you. You look awful, sweetie. Everything okay?»

«You… didn’t give any notice,» Alisa mumbled, involuntarily stepping back into the hallway.
«I wanted to surprise you!» Nina Alexandrovna was already rolling the suitcase into the house. «Is Georgiy home?»
As if by magic, Georgiy appeared in the doorway. His face transformed upon seeing his mother—a shadow of a smile Alisa hadn’t seen in two weeks.

«Mom!» Georgiy rushed to hug Nina Alexandrovna. «Why didn’t you give any notice?»
«It’s more interesting this way, son,» his mother smiled. «Otherwise, you’d have started rushing around.»
Alisa watched this scene with growing astonishment. The husband who had barely answered her questions just yesterday was now animatedly talking with his mother.

«I’ll make some tea,» Alisa suggested.
«Great idea, dear,» Nina Alexandrovna warmly smiled at her. «After the trip, your famous mint tea is just what we need.»
The entire day Georgiy spent with his mother. They secluded themselves in the garden, talking about something for a long time. Through the kitchen window, Alisa saw how Nina Alexandrovna gestured animatedly, while Georgiy furrowed his brow, his head lowered.
Evening came. Alisa spent the weekend alone, inadvertently listening to the rare snatches of conversation.
Sunday wasn’t much different from Saturday. Georgiy and Nina Alexandrovna went to the market, bringing vegetables and fruits. His mother insisted on helping with lunch but then quietly disappeared, leaving all the work to Alisa.

By Sunday evening, Alisa decided to make a special dinner—roast meat with herbs, Georgiy’s favorite dish. While the oven worked, she made homemade lemonade.
«I’ll bring them the drinks,» Alisa said to herself, filling tall glass glasses with the fragrant drink. «Maybe this will ease the tension a little.»

She stepped out onto the veranda, carrying the tray with the glasses. The evening sun gilded the wooden railing. Georgiy and Nina Alexandrovna sat with their backs to the door, not noticing the approach of the hostess. Alisa slowed her pace when she overheard her name.
«Have you decided yet?» her mother-in-law’s voice sounded insistent. «You know, you can’t drag this out.»

Georgiy remained silent, tugging at the edge of the tablecloth.
«I really like this house,» Nina Alexandrovna continued to press. «Son, transfer it to my name! Just slip her the power of attorney. We’ll do it quietly. I need this house more than she does.»
Alisa froze. The air caught in her chest, refusing to leave. Her fingers involuntarily loosened, and the tray crashed to the wooden floor of the veranda. Glass shattered in all directions, lemonade splattered on the lacquered planks.

Georgiy and Nina Alexandrovna turned around at the same time. His mother’s face showed shock, quickly replaced by feigned concern.
«Sweetheart!» she cried, jumping up. «Did you cut yourself? Let me help!»
«Don’t come near me,» Alisa held out her hand in front of her. «I heard everything.»

Alisa’s eyes shot lightning. She turned her gaze to her husband, who sat with his head lowered. His shoulders slumped, and his fingers nervously twisted the tablecloth.

«Georgiy,» Alisa’s voice rang with tension. «Do you have something to say?»

«Alisochka, you misunderstood!» Nina Alexandrovna babbled. «We were just talking hypothetically…»
«I’m not talking to you,» Alisa sharply interrupted her, not taking her eyes off her husband. «Georgiy?»
Silence hung between them like a heavy curtain. Only the sound of the wind rustling in the leaves and the distant caw of crows broke the stillness.
«Son,» Nina Alexandrovna spoke again, stepping toward Georgiy and placing her hand on his shoulder. «You’re not going to leave me, are you? You understand how much I need your support?»
Georgiy slowly raised his head. His eyes met Alisa’s, filled with pain and shame.

«Mom,» his voice was quiet but firm. «I love you. You’re my mother, and I’ll always take care of you.»
Nina Alexandrovna smiled triumphantly, casting a victorious glance at Alisa.
Georgiy stood up from the chair and continued:
«But I love Alisa more. And I’m not going to do anything that will hurt her.»
The smile faded from Nina Alexandrovna’s face. She whispered:

«What are you saying, son?»
«I’m saying you need to pack your things and leave,» Georgiy said firmly. «And don’t come back here. At least not until you apologize to Alisa and understand that there’s nothing more important than the family I’ve created.»
«Family?!» Nina Alexandrovna’s eyes widened with rage. «And who am I then? Am I not family? I who gave birth to you and raised you!»

«Mom,» Georgiy shook his head. «You tried to make me deceive my own wife. To take her house away. And this isn’t the first time you’ve tried to manipulate me.»
«She’s changed you!» Nina Alexandrovna screamed, pointing a trembling finger at Alisa. «It’s all her fault! She turned you against your mother! Damn you!»
«Enough,» Georgiy raised his voice, and his mother stopped. «I’m not listening to this anymore. Either you apologize, or you leave right now.»

Nina Alexandrovna looked around the veranda, as if seeing it for the first time. Her lips trembled, and her eyes filled with tears.
«Is this who you choose?» she whispered. «You’re throwing me out?»

«You have a home, mom,» Georgiy said tiredly. «And I’ll help you financially, just like before. But your presence here is not welcome.»
His mother sobbed, covered her mouth with her hand, and rushed into the house. A few minutes later, they heard the bedroom door slam.
Alisa and Georgiy were left alone on the veranda. The glass shards gleamed in the last rays of the setting sun.

«Forgive me,» Georgiy whispered, stepping toward his wife. «I shouldn’t have stayed silent. I shouldn’t have even listened to her.»

«Why didn’t you tell me?» Alisa quietly asked. «You were acting so distant.»
«She asked me to talk to you about selling the house,» Georgiy admitted. «She said she was lonely, that the house was too big for just the two of us. I didn’t know how to start the conversation. And then she came and started pressuring me that if you didn’t agree, we’d have to act… differently.»
Alisa leaned against the railing, looking at the garden fading into dusk.

«Did you really choose me, not her?» she asked, turning to her husband.

«I love her,» Georgiy answered simply. «But what she was suggesting—it’s not love. It’s obsession and selfishness. I won’t participate in it.»
Alisa took a step toward her husband and allowed him to hug her.
The next morning, Nina Alexandrovna left without saying goodbye. But peace didn’t return to the house—endless calls started. Georgiy’s phone rang from morning till night.

«Mom, I’m not changing my decision,» he said firmly again, standing on the same veranda. «No, I’m not abandoning you. But I’m not abandoning Alisa either.»
Gradually, the calls became less frequent. Georgiy remained resolute. And one evening, when they were drinking tea on the veranda, he smiled—genuinely and openly for the first time in a long while.

«You know,» he said, looking at his wife, «I think we’ve made it.»
Alisa nodded, squeezing his hand in hers. The house was becoming their fortress once again.