Never Marry Someone without Your Parents'Blessings

ed Margaret I was a pushover, because

ometown for Christmas. I pretended to urge her to stay,

daughter-in-law wants to live with her mother-in-la

ustom for a new bride to pay respects to village elders in her first year. Sin

for the ancestors and Jace's fa

eld my tongue, bought her new clothes, and prepared gifts for Jace's t

sked, he said he was working overtime. If I pressed, he'd snap that I didn't unde

e, half-joking, I asked if

hectic with the year-end rush but he'd sp

This was the man I chose

gentle and attentive, alm

groceries, and spend time with my dad p

would be our family'

garet returned, and my

despised, how Jace's grandparents refused to help with childcare, how in-la

, "Without a son, everything you save goes

asn't that an

, "Fern, I'm saying this for your own good. When

d are sons? I see daughters tending

attered items from who-knows-where-hardened cotto

ng new ones was wasteful. Used clothes, washed cl

almost laughing

felt uneasy and went ba

hat happened, she cal

ng as soon as he arrived, saying hi

have one child, and if i

hen gave an a

f they didn't value a daughter, any

e the baby's

d the subject, suggesting I stay at my parent

ught Margaret to apolo

up, calling it a hometown remedy for a healthy pr

ank it when pregnant with Jace, wh

idn't want more conflict, so

th a faint fishy note. I chugged two g

every morning, filling the

of goose eggs from her hometown, claimi

, who said there was no scientific basis

to refuse. I followed Margaret's routine

stages of pregnancy, when most wome

lf to eat, lying awake at night worryin

wnstairs to wait, but she called, saying her car had been scratched and

As I entered, I heard Margaret in the bedroom, loudly t

you, I got that gender-changing remedy over the holidays. She doesn't know

zen, my min

hanging