Sarah sat on the edge of the blue velvet couch in her small living room.
She gently rocked her baby boy in her tired arms.
The afternoon sun was casting long shadows across the golden hardwood floor.
Little Leo was barely three months old and cried often during the early afternoons.
Sarah adjusted the soft cotton blanket around his small shoulders.
She had not slept more than four hours a night for weeks.
Her husband Mark worked long hours at the local city bank downtown.
They were doing their best to build a peaceful life together in this quiet neighborhood.
However, the peace was growing harder to keep every single day.
Mark's mother Evelyn had moved into their guest bedroom two months ago.
Evelyn said she wanted to help care for her newborn grandson.
Instead, her presence made the small home feel cold and tense.
Evelyn constantly judged every decision Sarah made as a new mother.
She criticized how Sarah held the baby during his afternoon naps.
She complained about the temperature inside the nursery room upstairs.
Sarah tried her very best to stay polite and respectful at all times.
She wanted Mark to feel happy that his mother was visiting them.
Sarah: He is finally starting to fall asleep now, Evelyn.
Evelyn: You hold him way too much when he cries like that.
Sarah: He is just a baby who needs comfort and care.
Evelyn: You are spoiling him and creating bad habits already.
Sarah took a deep breath to calm her rising frustration.
She walked slowly into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of tea.
Evelyn followed her into the kitchen and folded her arms tightly across her chest.
Her dark eyes tracked Sarah's every movement with open judgment.
Evelyn: My son works hard all day to pay for this mortgage.
Sarah: I know how hard Mark works for our little family.
Evelyn: He deserves a clean house and a quiet place to rest.
Sarah: I clean every morning before Mark leaves for his job.
Evelyn: Well, you are not doing a very good job lately.
Sarah set the heavy teacup down onto the polished counter.
She felt a sharp sting of anger deep inside her chest.
She had sacrificed her own job as a graphic designer to stay home.
She gave every bit of her energy to taking care of her child.
Yet nothing she ever did was good enough for Evelyn.
Sarah: Please do not speak to me like that in my house.
Evelyn: This is my son's house, not just yours, Sarah.
Sarah: Mark and I bought this home together three years ago.
Evelyn: You would be nothing without his income right now.
Sarah turned around to face Evelyn directly near the sink.
She kept her voice low so she would not wake the sleeping baby.
Sarah: I love Mark, and we share everything in this home equally.
Evelyn: We will see how long he tolerates your weak attitude.
Evelyn turned around sharply and walked straight down the hallway.
Sarah stood alone near the counter with her hands shaking slightly.
She knew that things could not keep going on like this much longer.
The tension in the house was becoming far too heavy to bear.
She wondered how much more disrespect she could endure for Mark's sake.
Little did she know that the real test was coming very soon.