— Nikita, couldn’t you at least consult me once before promising something to your mother? — Oksana put her bag down and gave her husband a meaningful look.
— What’s the big deal? Mom asked for help at the dacha this summer. You’ll be on vacation anyway, — Nikita shrugged without looking up from his laptop.
— Vacation? — Oksana’s voice rose an octave. — Did you forget we’ve been planning a trip to Thailand for six months? The tickets are already bought, the hotel booked!
Nikita finally looked away from the screen and gave his wife a guilty look.
— Oksan, Mom really needs help. The garden is big; she can’t handle it alone. Maybe we can postpone the trip until fall?
Oksana took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Five years of marriage, and it was always the same. Once Ekaterina Andreyevna called — and all plans went to hell.
— No, Nikita. This time I won’t give in. We’ve been saving money for this trip for a year. I’m not going to spend my only vacation bent over the garden beds under the scorching sun. — She paused, then firmly added: — No, I’m going to Thailand, not to your mother’s garden.
— But that’s my mother! — irritation crept into Nikita’s voice.
— And I’m your wife! And we had plans. Joint plans, if you remember.
Nikita stood and approached Oksana, trying to hug her shoulders, but she pulled away.
— Let’s find a compromise. First, we help Mom for a couple of weeks, then we go to Thailand for at least a week?
Oksana shook her head.
— You remember perfectly well how last year’s “couple of weeks” ended. We spent the entire July at the dacha. I ruined my back, got sunburned, and then your mother didn’t even give us a single jar of pickles, saying ‘young people don’t need preserves.’
— Come on, she just forgot…
— Forgot? Three crates of tomatoes and five jars of pickles for your sister, who only came to the dacha for barbecues? That’s not forgetfulness, Nikita. That’s… — Oksana didn’t finish and turned toward the window.
The evening was ruined. Nikita went to another room, and Oksana was left alone with her thoughts. She loved her husband, but his inability to say “no” to his mother was destroying their relationship. This time, Oksana was determined not to give in.
The next day, Oksana’s phone rang exactly at 7 a.m.
— Oksanochka, good morning! — her mother-in-law’s voice sounded overly cheerful. — How did you sleep?
— Ekaterina Andreyevna, it’s seven in the morning. Saturday, — Oksana replied curtly, fighting the urge to hang up.
— Oh, I already have plenty of things to do! There’s so much work at the dacha, you wouldn’t believe! The potatoes need hilling, the tomatoes need tying… I’m wondering when you and Nikita will come?
— Ekaterina Andreyevna, Nikita and I are flying to Thailand in July. We planned it a long time ago.
A significant pause followed on the line.
— To Thailand? — the mother-in-law emphasized each syllable. — Why do you need Thailand? It’s hot there, exotic diseases. But we have fresh air and nature at the dacha… Nikitushka told me yesterday that you’d help out at the dacha.
— I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding. Nikita didn’t discuss this with me before making promises. We already bought the tickets.
— Then return the tickets! — her mother-in-law’s voice hardened. — Now’s not the time to throw money on some beaches when the family needs help.
Oksana felt anger boiling inside.
— Ekaterina Andreyevna, our vacation plans are not up for discussion. Sorry, I have to go to work.
She ended the call and exhaled sharply. The day had not started well.
At the travel agency where Oksana worked, preparations for the summer season were underway. The office buzzed like a hive; the phones never stopped ringing. In the rush, Oksana almost forgot the morning call from her mother-in-law until she bumped into a new employee in the corridor.
— Sorry! — the young man caught the folders Oksana nearly dropped. — I’m Andrey, just transferred yesterday from the St. Petersburg branch.
— Oksana, Asia manager, — she smiled, looking him over. Tall, fit, with a pleasant smile.
— Asia? Perfect! I’m flying with a group to Thailand in July. Maybe you could advise what to pack besides the standard tourist set?
Oksana brightened.
— July? My husband and I are going in July too. Which hotel?
— Orchid Beach, right on the front line.
— Seriously? We’re going there too! — Oksana couldn’t believe the coincidence.
— Wow! Looks like we’ll be neighbors. Maybe we can discuss plans in the evening? We’re a small group of colleagues planning excursions.
Oksana paused for a moment. She and Nikita usually planned everything together, but now she felt betrayed.
— Why not? — she decided.
The evening meeting with colleagues turned out to be exactly what Oksana needed. Cheerful, passionate people planning an unforgettable vacation. When Andrey invited her to join their company, she agreed without hesitation.
— It’ll be just the two of us — me and my husband, — she clarified.
— Great! The more, the merrier, — Andrey smiled.
Returning home, Oksana felt a surge of determination. She wouldn’t let this vacation be ruined. Neither by her mother-in-law nor by her husband if he kept bending to his mother.
At home, an unpleasant surprise awaited her. Nikita sat at the kitchen table, looking thoughtful.
— Hi, — Oksana kissed her husband on the cheek. — What’s wrong?
— Mom called, — Nikita looked up at her. — Said you spoke to her very rudely.
Oksana sighed.
— I wasn’t rude. I just reminded her we already have vacation plans.
— She’s very upset. Said she needs our help; she can’t manage alone.
— And Marina and Pavel? Does your sister even come to the dacha besides barbecues?
Nikita frowned.
— They have their own things. Marina works, Pavel’s busy, kids…
— So we have nothing to do? — Oksana was getting annoyed. — Nikita, we already talked about this. I’m not going to the dacha instead of Thailand. Period.
— I thought we’re family and help each other, — Nikita said quietly.
— We are family. That’s why I expected you to discuss important decisions with me, not put me in front of a fact.
Nikita stood and went to the window.
— I called the airline. My ticket can be refunded with a small loss. If I do it now.
Oksana froze.
— What do you mean?
— I’ll stay to help Mom. And you… you can fly if you want.
Nikita said this quietly, not looking at his wife, but each word hit like a hammer.
— Are you serious? — Oksana couldn’t believe her ears. — You’re cancelling our vacation we planned for a whole year just to weed garden beds?
— It’s not about the garden beds! — Nikita raised his voice. — It’s about respect for parents!
— And respect for me? For our plans? Doesn’t that mean anything?
They looked at each other, and Oksana suddenly realized this argument was not just about the trip. It was about who they were to each other. About priorities. About boundaries.
— I’m not cancelling the trip, — she said firmly. — I’ll go to Thailand. With colleagues, if you refuse.
Nikita’s face changed.
— With what colleagues?
— At our hotel, there’s a group from our office. Andrey, the new manager, and a few others.
— Andrey? — Nikita repeated. — So you’ve already discussed everything with this Andrey?
— We met today and found out we’re staying in the same hotel. They invited us to join their group for excursions. Both of us, by the way.
Nikita shook his head.
— Wonderful. Just wonderful. You already found a replacement for me.
— Don’t be ridiculous! — Oksana was outraged. — I didn’t look for anyone. I wanted to go with you. You destroyed everything.
— Me? — Nikita raised his voice. — I wanted to help Mom, and you’re acting like…
He didn’t finish, but Oksana understood.
— Like what, Nikita? Finish.
He turned away.
— Forget it. Do whatever you want. Maybe you shouldn’t come back at all.
For the next two weeks, a cold war reigned at home. Nikita and Oksana spoke only when necessary, trying to avoid each other. Nikita returned his ticket and spent weekends at his mother’s dacha. Oksana pretended not to care and threw herself into work.
Ekaterina Andreyevna didn’t stop trying to change her daughter-in-law’s decision. She called, sent messages with photos of blooming nature and delicious vegetables from the garden. “Look at this beauty! And you’re trading it for some Thailand!” she wrote. Oksana responded politely but remained firm.
One evening, a week before departure, Marina, Nikita’s sister, called.
— Oksana, what’s going on between you? — she started without preamble. — Mom is hysterical, Nikita is gloomy.
— Ask your brother, — Oksana replied coldly. — He cancelled our vacation we planned for a year to dig in your mom’s garden.
— Well, Mom really needs help…
— Didn’t it occur to you to help her yourself? — Oksana interrupted. — Why should all responsibility lie with Nikita?
There was a pause.
— I have work, kids… — Marina started to justify.
— We have work too. And plans. Which we can’t fulfill because of your mom’s constant demands.
— Mom just worries about Nikita. Wants everything to be fine for him.
— If she really wanted that, she’d respect his choice. And his wife.
After that conversation, Marina unexpectedly invited Oksana for coffee. They met in a small café near Oksana’s office.
— I wanted to apologize, — Marina started when they sat down. — You’re right. Pavel and I could help Mom more. It’s just… it turned out Nikita was always more responsible.
Oksana took a sip of coffee, watching her companion.
— It’s not about responsibility, Marina. It’s about your mom manipulating him. And me, by the way.
— Mom is old-fashioned. For her, family is the most important thing.
— But Nikita and I are family too. She just doesn’t want to admit it.
Marina thoughtfully twirled her cup.
— I’ll talk to her. And to Nikita too. This situation has gone too far.
Oksana nodded gratefully but didn’t really believe the conversation would change anything. Ekaterina Andreyevna held her son’s strings too tightly.
That same evening, Nikita came home earlier than usual. He looked tired and somehow lost.
— We need to talk, — he said, sitting opposite Oksana.
— I’m listening, — she put aside the book she was reading.
— Marina called. Said she talked to you, — he raised his eyes. — Do you really think Mom is manipulating me?
Oksana sighed.
— I think she’s not ready to accept that you have your own life. Your own family. That you’re an adult who can make decisions without her approval.
Nikita was silent, considering her words.
— I love Mom, — he finally said. — But I love you too. And I don’t want to choose.
— You don’t have to choose, Nikita. Just set priorities. We can help your mom, but not at the cost of our plans, our happiness.
— I returned the ticket, — he said quietly. — I won’t fly with you.
— I know. And I’m still going.
Nikita nodded.
— I’ll miss you.
Oksana held back a smile. This was the first step toward reconciliation.
The day of departure came unnoticed. Oksana was packing last things when her phone rang. Ekaterina Andreyevna.
— You’re really leaving? — the mother-in-law asked without greeting.
— Yes, Ekaterina Andreyevna. My flight is in four hours.
— What about Nikita? What about family?
Oksana sighed deeply, holding back irritation.
— Nikita decided to stay. That’s his choice. And our family won’t disappear during my two weeks away.
— You’re selfish, Oksana. You only think about yourself. Your pleasures.
— No, Ekaterina Andreyevna. I think about the fact that Nikita and I deserve rest. Real rest, not working in the garden.
— You’re trying to turn your son against me! — her mother-in-law’s voice trembled with indignation.
— I’m not turning anyone against anyone. I just want Nikita and me to live our own life.
— Exactly! Our own! Without me!
Oksana couldn’t take it.
— Ekaterina Andreyevna, I don’t want to quarrel with you. But yes, Nikita and I have our own life. And we have the right to make decisions ourselves.
The mother-in-law abruptly ended the call. Oksana threw the phone on the bed and continued packing. Nikita promised to take her to the airport but called an hour before leaving to say he couldn’t — his mother asked him to come urgently to the dacha, something happened with the plumbing.
Oksana called a taxi, feeling hurt and disappointed. Even on such a day, Ekaterina Andreyevna found a way to interfere.
At the airport, Oksana met her colleagues. Andrey waved happily.
— Where’s your husband? — he asked, helping with luggage.
— He couldn’t fly. Family circumstances, — Oksana replied shortly.
Andrey nodded understandingly and didn’t ask more questions.
The flight was calm. Oksana tried to read, watch movies, but her thoughts kept returning to Nikita, their quarrel, the failed vacation. She hoped two weeks apart would help them both realize what really matters.
Thailand greeted them with heat, humid air, and vivid colors. The hotel was exactly as in the photos — a white building surrounded by palms, with a view of the azure sea. Oksana settled in her room and first wrote to Nikita: “Arrived safely. It’s very beautiful here. I miss you.”
No reply came after an hour or two. Oksana decided not to dwell on it and joined her colleagues for dinner by the pool.
— To a great vacation! — Andrey raised a glass with a fruit cocktail.
— To a great vacation, — Oksana echoed, trying to smile.
The first days in Thailand passed like a fog. Oksana took part in excursions, swam in the sea, sunbathed on the beach, but always felt a strange emptiness. She kept writing to Nikita, sending photos of paradise beaches and exotic temples, but received only brief replies: “Beautiful,” “Great,” “Glad for you.”
On the fourth day, Andrey suggested a walk along the shore.
— You seem sad, — he noticed. — Missing your husband?
Oksana nodded.
— And angry at him at the same time. We were supposed to be here together.
— What happened, if it’s not a secret?
Oksana told him about the conflict with her mother-in-law, Ekaterina Andreyevna’s demands, Nikita’s inability to stand up to his mother.
— Two years ago, I divorced, — Andrey said unexpectedly. — My ex-wife couldn’t set boundaries with her mother either. In the end, there were three people in our marriage, and I was always third.
— And what did you do?
— At first, I fought. Then gave up. And when I realized the situation would never change, I left, — he shrugged. — Sometimes it’s better to admit defeat than continue a war you can’t win.
His words made Oksana think. Was their marriage headed for the same fate? She didn’t want to believe it.
That same evening, Oksana tried to call Nikita. After several rings, he finally answered.
