“I divorced your son a year ago. Maybe you could finally leave me alone?” I snapped when my former mother-in-law showed up at the country house again.

“I divorced your son a year ago. Maybe you could finally leave me alone?” I snapped when my former mother-in-law showed up at the country house again
“Polinochka! I’m so happy to see you!” a familiar voice rang out from the entryway.
An elegant woman in a light linen suit appeared in the doorway. It was Olga Evgenyevna Sokolova herself, standing there with two suitcases and her usual confident smile.
Polina froze. An entire year had passed since her divorce from Maxim, but apparently his mother had forgotten all about it.
“Olga Evgenyevna? What are you doing here?” was all Polina managed to say.
“What do you mean? Summer is starting, so it’s time to come to the country house!” Her former mother-in-law strode cheerfully into the room, leaving her suitcases in the hallway. “I brought your favorite pastries. And a new kind of tea—Chinese. It’s very healthy.”
Polina took a deep breath. This had to be some kind of misunderstanding. It simply had to be.
“Excuse me, but… I divorced your son a year ago. Maybe you could finally leave me alone?” The words escaped before she could stop them, coming out sharper than she had intended.
Olga Evgenyevna stopped halfway to the kitchen. Her smile wavered slightly, but quickly returned.
“Polina, darling, I remember perfectly well that you two separated. But what does that have to do with our traditions here at the country house? We always had such a wonderful time together! Remember how last year we had a competition to see who could make the best garden bed?”
She spoke as though everything were perfectly obvious.
“But this is my country house,” Polina said, trying to remain calm. “It stayed with me after the divorce.”
“Of course it’s yours! Who’s arguing with that?” Olga Evgenyevna was already taking groceries out of her bags. “I’ve simply come to stay, like usual. Two or three months, and then I’ll go back to the city. By the way, I brought some new tomato seeds. A very rare variety!”
Polina didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The situation was so absurd that she could barely process it.
“How did you get the keys?” she asked, struggling to keep herself under control.
“I’ve always had my own set.” Her former mother-in-law shrugged. “Maxim made me a duplicate a long time ago. Why?”
Polina sank into a chair. She had to solve the problem somehow, but throwing an older woman out on the very first evening seemed too cruel.
“Olga Evgenyevna, let’s discuss this tomorrow. It’s already late,” Polina said, deciding to postpone the confrontation.
“Of course, darling! You’re probably tired from the journey. I’ll make dinner, and then I’ll show you the new seeds I brought for our garden.”
“Our garden,” echoed in Polina’s head.
The morning began with the smell of freshly made pancakes and the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. Polina opened her eyes and, for several seconds, couldn’t understand why someone was bustling around the house. Then she remembered yesterday’s surprise and groaned.
“You’re awake?” Olga Evgenyevna peeked into the room. “I’ve already made breakfast. And I checked the garden beds. We’ll need to do some weeding today.”
Polina sat up in bed.
“We need to have a serious conversation.”
At breakfast, Polina gathered her thoughts and decided to be as direct as possible.
“Olga Evgenyevna, I appreciate the relationship we used to have, but everything changed after my divorce from Maxim. I come here because I want to be alone and get away from the noise of the city. This is my personal space.”
“Polinochka, I understand perfectly.” Olga Evgenyevna affectionately patted her hand. “But surely you won’t mind if I stay here for a little while? I’ll be very quiet. I won’t bother you. I’ll even cook for both of us!”
“That’s not the point. You see… we’re not relatives anymore.”
“Oh, what nonsense!” Olga Evgenyevna waved dismissively. “Papers are papers, but human relationships don’t simply disappear. We were close for so many years!”
Polina sighed. The conversation was clearly going nowhere.
“All right,” she finally said. “You can stay for a few days while you arrange your departure. But afterward, please return the keys.”
Olga Evgenyevna beamed.

“I knew you’d understand! Don’t worry, you’ll hardly even notice I’m here.”
A week passed in a strange state of contradiction. On the one hand, Olga Evgenyevna genuinely helped around the house: she cooked, worked in the garden, and even repaired a leaking bathroom faucet.
On the other hand, Polina couldn’t relax in her own home.
The constant conversations about Maxim were especially irritating.
“Has Maxim called? How is he doing in Novosibirsk? He probably misses you,” Olga Evgenyevna would begin at practically every meal.
“We don’t speak,” Polina repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.
“That’s a shame, such a shame.” Her former mother-in-law shook her head. “You had so many good things together. Maybe you should try to fix everything?”
By the tenth day, Polina had had enough.
“Olga Evgenyevna, we agreed on a few days. It’s already been almost two weeks.”
“Oh, how quickly time flies!” the woman exclaimed. “All right, I won’t impose on you any longer. I’ll leave tomorrow.”
To Polina’s surprise, Olga Evgenyevna really did pack her suitcases the following morning.
“Here.” She placed a set of keys on the table. “Thank you for your hospitality, darling.”
Polina accompanied her to the bus stop, feeling both relieved and slightly guilty.
“Don’t disappear completely,” she said as they said goodbye.
“Of course not, darling. We’ll see each other again!” Olga Evgenyevna waved from the window of the departing bus.
When Polina returned to the country house, she finally felt like the owner of her own home again.
She called her best friend, Anna, and invited her to spend the weekend.
“You won’t believe what happened to me!” she said over the phone.
Anna arrived Friday evening, and the two women sat on the veranda for a long time, drinking wine and discussing what had happened.
“She seriously thought she could simply keep coming here after your divorce?” Anna asked, shaking her head.
“Exactly! As though nothing had changed. And you know what’s strangest? She only returned the keys now, even though the divorce happened a year ago.”
“Are you sure she didn’t make duplicates?” Anna asked.
Polina froze with her wineglass in her hand.
“You think she might have?”
“If I were you, I’d change the locks just in case,” Anna said with a shrug. “You never know.”
But Polina decided that would be unnecessary. After all, Olga Evgenyevna had behaved perfectly reasonably when she left.
Two weeks later, Polina had to go into the city for work.
When she returned to the country house late in the evening, she noticed lights glowing in the windows.
Her heart tightened with an unpleasant sense of foreboding.
Voices were coming from inside.
Polina threw open the door and saw her former mother-in-law sitting on the veranda with an unfamiliar woman of approximately the same age.
They were drinking tea.
“Polinochka!” Olga Evgenyevna exclaimed happily. “We’ve been waiting for you! Meet my friend, Nadezhda Sergeyevna.”
“Very nice to meet you,” the woman said with a smile. “Olga has told me so much about you! What a wonderful country house you have.”
Polina could feel anger boiling inside her.
“How did you get in?” she asked, making an effort to keep her voice calm.
“With a key, of course.” Olga Evgenyevna raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I still had a spare.”
“You promised to return all the keys.”
“I returned the ones I had with me. Then I found this one at home in a little box,” her former mother-in-law explained innocently. “I thought, why not visit the country house? It’s empty during the weekdays anyway.”
Nadezhda Sergeyevna glanced uneasily from one woman to the other, sensing the tension.
“Maybe I should leave?”
“No,” Polina said, taking a deep breath. “Both of you need to leave. Immediately.”
Olga Evgenyevna put her cup down.
“Polina, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. We’re simply relaxing. I even weeded the garden beds and watered the flowers.”
“This is my country house!” Polina raised her voice. “My property! You have no right to be here without my permission!”
“And who spent years making this place comfortable?” Olga Evgenyevna suddenly demanded harshly. “Who planted those flowers? Who chose the furniture for the veranda? And who, after all, convinced Maxim to buy this place?”
“Olga, don’t…” her friend tried to stop her.
“No, let her hear it!” Olga Evgenyevna stood up. “You only have this country house because of our family. And now you’re throwing me out as though I’m a stranger!”
“I’m not throwing you out as though you’re a stranger. I’m throwing you out because you are a stranger,” Polina said distinctly. “You have ten minutes to gather your things.”
“Or what?” Olga Evgenyevna sneered. “You’ll call the police?”
“Exactly.”
Their argument was interrupted by a knock at the door.
Their neighbor, Viktor Petrovich, stood on the doorstep.
“Sorry for intruding,” he said awkwardly. “I heard raised voices and decided to check whether everything was all right.”
“No, everything is not all right,” Polina replied, turning toward him. “These people entered my house without permission and are refusing to leave.”
Viktor Petrovich, a former military man with an imposing build, frowned.
“Ladies, I think you should listen to the owner of the house.”
His presence had a sobering effect.
Olga Evgenyevna pursed her lips but began gathering her things. Nadezhda Sergeyevna quietly helped her, occasionally casting apologetic glances at Polina.
“I’ll be back,” Olga Evgenyevna promised as she left. “You can’t simply erase me from your life.”
The following day, Polina called a locksmith and changed every lock.
She also installed a new security system. Now opening the door required not only a key but also a code.
That evening she called her ex-husband.
Maxim answered after the fifth ring.
“Hi,” he said cautiously. “Did something happen?”
“Your mother,” Polina replied briefly. “She thinks she can come to my country house whenever she wants. She’s already shown up twice using duplicate keys.”
“And what do you want me to do about it?” Irritation crept into Maxim’s voice.
“I want you to talk to her. Explain that she can’t do this.”
“Listen, I’m working on a very important project right now. Don’t drag me into your women’s squabbles, okay? Just change the locks.”
“I already changed them. But that’s not the point…”
“Then what’s the problem?” he interrupted. “Sorry, I have to go. We’ll talk later.”
Polina heard the line disconnect and slowly lowered the phone.
Typical Maxim.
Always busy. Always rushing somewhere. Always postponing unpleasant conversations.
A month passed.
Polina had almost forgotten about the incident with her former mother-in-law and was enjoying the peaceful country life again.
She had even begun dating Sergey, the neighbor’s nephew, who had helped her install the new security system.
One morning, when Polina stepped into the backyard, she saw something that took her breath away.
In the far corner of the garden, beneath an old apple tree, stood a small camping tent.
Polina cautiously approached it.
Snoring came from inside.
She looked into the tent and saw Olga Evgenyevna sleeping peacefully on a camping mat.
“Are you kidding me?” Polina exclaimed.
Olga Evgenyevna jerked awake and opened her eyes.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile, as though there were nothing unusual about the situation.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in?”
“Over the fence,” her former mother-in-law answered simply as she climbed out of the tent. “Don’t worry, I didn’t break your locks. I just set up camp on the property.”
“This is private property! You can’t simply camp here!”
“Why not? The land belongs to everyone.” Olga Evgenyevna began combing her hair with a small comb. “I’m not bothering anyone.”
Polina couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I’m calling the police.”
She pulled out her phone.
Olga Evgenyevna’s face suddenly changed.
Her carefree smile vanished, and tears filled her eyes.
“Go ahead,” she said, her voice trembling. “Let everyone see what you’ve reduced an old woman to. I only wanted to stay close… to the memories.”
“What memories?”
“Of all of us. Of how happy we were here.” Olga Evgenyevna looked toward the house. “You know, Maxim hardly calls me anymore. He moved away to Novosibirsk and started a new life… and you took him away from me.”
“I didn’t take him anywhere,” Polina objected. “We divorced because he chose his career over his family.”
“And you didn’t even try to stop him!” Olga Evgenyevna suddenly shouted. “You simply let him go as though he meant nothing to you!”
Polina lowered her phone.
Suddenly, she realized that the person standing in front of her wasn’t merely an intrusive former relative.
She was a lonely woman who had lost her connection with her son and was desperately trying to preserve some connection with the past.
“Olga Evgenyevna,” Polina said more calmly, “I understand how you feel. But this isn’t the solution. You cannot live in a tent on someone else’s property.”
“And where am I supposed to live? In an empty apartment where every object reminds me that I’m alone now?”
Polina called the local police officer anyway.
When he arrived, Olga Evgenyevna instantly transformed into the picture of serenity.
“Good afternoon, officer! What a misunderstanding. I was simply visiting a relative and we had a little disagreement.”
“She isn’t my relative,” Polina said. “I divorced her son a year ago.”
The young police officer, who looked tired, glanced from one woman to the other.
“In that case, ma’am, you’ll have to leave the property if the owner doesn’t want you here,” he finally said.
“Of course, of course.” Olga Evgenyevna nodded obediently. “I’ll pack everything. Could I just have a little time?”
The officer nodded, then pulled Polina aside.
“You should try to resolve family matters without involving the police,” he said quietly. “She’s not young, and I can see she’s upset. Maybe you could find some sort of compromise?”
“This isn’t a family matter,” Polina objected. “She’s stalking me.”
But the officer only shrugged and drove away after making sure Olga Evgenyevna was packing up her tent.
As soon as the police car disappeared around the corner, Olga Evgenyevna began crying again.
“Happy now? You threw an old woman out onto the street! What are the neighbors going to say?”
“You need legal help,” Viktor Petrovich told Polina when she told him about the latest incident. “This has become genuine harassment.”
They were sitting on the veranda of his country house, drinking fruit compote.
Polina felt exhausted. The ongoing confrontation with her former mother-in-law was wearing her down.
“I don’t want to take her to court,” she said, shaking her head. “Olga Evgenyevna is an older woman, after all. And it seems like she genuinely has problems.”
“Nevertheless, you need to protect yourself,” Viktor Petrovich said firmly. “My nephew Sergey is a lawyer. He can help prepare a formal warning. Sometimes a single official document with a stamp is enough to make someone understand how serious the situation is.”
Sergey, whom Polina already knew, did indeed help.
He prepared a document clearly stating that if Olga Evgenyevna entered private property again without permission, formal action would be taken against her for harassment.
“Send it by registered mail,” he advised. “With delivery confirmation. That way you’ll have proof that she received the warning.”
Polina followed his advice.
For several weeks afterward, everything was quiet, and she began hoping that the problem had finally been solved.
Then one day, after returning to the country house from work, she noticed several strange things.
The vase of flowers on the table wasn’t where she had left it.
A jar of jam had disappeared from the refrigerator.
Most importantly, on the windowsill she found a small dragonfly-shaped brooch that she distinctly remembered seeing on Olga Evgenyevna’s clothing.
Polina installed a hidden camera in the living room.
Three days later, while reviewing the footage, she saw her former mother-in-law entering the house with a lock pick.
Olga Evgenyevna sat down in an armchair and…
simply sat there.
She stared out the window.
She didn’t touch anything.
She didn’t take anything valuable.
She simply sat there, occasionally crying.
It was creepy and heartbreaking at the same time.
Polina called Maxim’s brother, Denis.
“I need to talk to you,” she said without any introduction. “About your mother.”
They met at a café in the city.
Denis looked uncomfortable.
“I’ve heard about her… visits,” he admitted. “I tried talking to her, but she won’t listen.”
“What is happening to her?” Polina asked directly. “This isn’t normal behavior.”
Denis sighed.
“After you and Maxim divorced, everything started falling apart. Maxim almost completely stopped talking to her, especially after he started seeing Irina. And Irina… well, she thinks Mom interferes too much in their lives.”
“She does interfere,” Polina remarked.
“Yes, but she doesn’t mean any harm,” Denis said defensively. “She’s simply lonely. Dad has been gone for years. I’m busy with my own family. Maxim lives far away and hardly calls. At your country house, she always felt useful. Do you understand?”
Polina did understand.
But that didn’t solve her problem.
“She breaks into my house, Denis. That isn’t normal.”
“I know.” He lowered his eyes. “Let’s arrange a family meeting. All of us together. Maybe we can find a solution.”
The meeting took place in Denis’s apartment.
Polina, Olga Evgenyevna, Denis himself, and Maxim—joining by video call from Novosibirsk—were all present.
“I don’t understand why we need this circus,” Maxim began irritably. “I only have an hour free.”
“Because your mother is harassing your ex-wife,” Denis replied sharply. “And there’s no one else who can help her except us.”
“I’m not harassing anyone!” Olga Evgenyevna protested. “I’m simply visiting a place that means a great deal to me.”

“You enter my house without permission,” Polina replied. “That’s called trespassing.”
“Maxim,” Olga Evgenyevna said, turning toward the computer screen, “tell her that this country house is the result of all our efforts. Your father and I put so much into it!”
“Mom, the country house is registered in Polina’s name,” Maxim replied tiredly. “According to the divorce documents, it belongs to her.”
“Documents!” Olga Evgenyevna threw up her hands. “What about human relationships? We were a family!”
“We were,” Polina said quietly. “But we aren’t anymore. And I have a right to my own space.”
Maxim sighed.
“Mom, enough already. Find something else to do. Sign up for some classes. Travel…”
“With whom?” Olga Evgenyevna asked bitterly. “You’re in Novosibirsk, Denis is always busy, my friends have scattered everywhere… What am I supposed to do? Sit in my apartment staring at the walls?”
A heavy silence followed.
Polina suddenly realized that, to some extent, she understood her former mother-in-law.
Loneliness was a frightening thing, especially for someone who was accustomed to being at the center of the family.
“I have an idea,” Denis suddenly said. “There’s a small property with a little house for sale near Polina’s place. It’s not as nice as hers, but it’s perfectly decent. Maxim and I could buy it for you, Mom.”
“Why would I need another property?” Olga Evgenyevna asked stubbornly.
“So you can be near the place you care about without violating someone else’s boundaries,” Denis explained patiently.
Maxim nodded on the screen.
“I’ll contribute financially. It’s a reasonable solution.”
Olga Evgenyevna pursed her lips.
“So you want to buy me off? Throw me a handout?”
“It isn’t a handout,” Denis objected. “It’s us taking care of you.”
“I don’t need that kind of care!” Olga Evgenyevna jumped to her feet. “I spent my entire life doing everything for all of you, and now you’re simply… writing me off!”
She ran out of the room and slammed the door behind her.
“I’ll talk to her,” Polina said, rising from her chair.
Maxim stared at her in surprise from the screen.
“You? Why you?”
“Because maybe I understand what she’s feeling better than either of you does.”
Polina headed toward the door.
“I’ll call you later.”
She found Olga Evgenyevna sitting on a bench outside the apartment building.
Her former mother-in-law sat perfectly straight, staring into the distance.
“May I sit down?” Polina asked.
Olga Evgenyevna merely shrugged without turning her head.
Polina sat beside her.
For several minutes they remained silent, watching children playing in the courtyard.
“You know, I often feel lonely too,” Polina finally said. “Especially after the divorce. The country house became my refuge.”
“I remember when you and Maxim chose it,” Olga Evgenyevna said unexpectedly, her voice softer now. “You immediately fell in love with that old apple orchard. You said you’d never seen trees with branches that spread so widely.”
Polina smiled despite herself.
“Yes, those apple trees… They’re still my favorite. When you sit beneath them in summer, it feels as though nothing bad could ever happen.”
“I planted the roses along the fence that same year,” Olga Evgenyevna added. “Remember? You said they were too delicate and wouldn’t survive.”
“And they grew so much they practically take up half the garden now.” Polina nodded. “You were right.”
Silence fell between them again, but this time it wasn’t quite as tense.
“Olga Evgenyevna,” Polina said quietly, “I understand how much that place means to you. But please try to understand me too. It’s my sanctuary. The place where I can be myself, where no one reminds me about the past… about my past with Maxim.”
Olga Evgenyevna finally turned toward her.
“So what am I supposed to do? Throw away all my memories? Pretend those happy years never happened?”
“No, of course not.” Polina shook her head. “But can’t you keep those memories in your heart without invading someone else’s life?”
Olga Evgenyevna sighed.
“You sound just like Denis. He thinks I’m imposing myself on everyone too.”
“That’s not the point. But when you come without an invitation, use spare keys, or climb over the fence… you violate my boundaries. And I stop feeling comfortable in my own home.”
A look of genuine confusion appeared on Olga Evgenyevna’s face.
“I never thought of it that way. To me, it felt like I was simply… coming home.”
“But it isn’t your home anymore,” Polina said as gently as she could. “You have your own home in the city.”
“A home where nobody is waiting for me,” Olga Evgenyevna said bitterly.
Polina thought for a moment and then spoke decisively.
“What if we found a compromise? Not the one the boys suggested. Something between the two of us.”
Olga Evgenyevna raised an eyebrow.
“What kind of compromise?”
“You won’t come without an invitation, and you won’t sneak into the house. And I… I’ll invite you for a weekend once a month. Maybe more often if I feel like it. We can work in the garden together, and you can even bring your rare seeds.”
Polina smiled.
“But they’ll be real visits, arranged in advance. Like normal people.”
Olga Evgenyevna looked at her suspiciously.
“You’d really invite me? After everything I’ve done?”
“Only if you stop invading my life without permission,” Polina said firmly. “And if you promise not to keep talking about Maxim. He and I are finished. That subject is closed.”
Olga Evgenyevna remained silent for a long time, staring at her hands.
“You know,” she finally said, “my husband—Maxim and Denis’s father—always said I was too stubborn. That I never knew how to give in. Maybe he was right.”
She looked up at Polina.
“All right. I accept your conditions. No more visits without an invitation. And… forgive me for all of this.”
Polina held out her hand.
“Deal?”
Olga Evgenyevna cautiously shook it.
“Deal. But I’m still going to take a look at that property Denis suggested. Maybe it isn’t so bad after all.”
Three months passed.
Autumn had already painted the apple orchard in golden colors.
Polina sat on the veranda with Sergey, whom she had now begun dating seriously.
“Here comes your neighbor,” Sergey said, nodding toward the gate.
Olga Evgenyevna was walking up the path with a large basket in her hands.
“Polinochka! I bought your favorite cookies!” she called. “Oh, hello, young man!”
“Hello, Olga Evgenyevna.” Sergey stood up to greet her. “Let me help you with the basket.”
“You’re earlier than we agreed,” Polina remarked, though there was no reproach in her voice.
“I know, darling.” Olga Evgenyevna smiled. “But I do have permission! You said yourself that I could stop by whenever I wanted if you were home. Yesterday on the phone, remember?”
“I remember.” Polina nodded. “Come in. The kettle is already boiling.”
Olga Evgenyevna stepped onto the veranda and looked around with satisfaction.
“It’s so lovely here! Everything is different on my property, but it’s becoming cozy too. I’ll have to invite you and Sergey over for a housewarming party. You should see the gazebo I built!”
Behind Olga Evgenyevna’s back, Sergey winked at Polina.
She answered with the faintest smile.
They never became close friends.
Olga Evgenyevna could still be intrusive, while Polina could still be overly blunt.
But they found a way to coexist while respecting one another’s boundaries.
Later, after Olga Evgenyevna left, Sergey put an arm around Polina’s shoulders.
“You did well finding a way to get along with her.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to change the way you look at a situation than to change the situation itself,” Polina said thoughtfully. “Besides, she really is my neighbor now. She bought the property Denis suggested.”
“And she doesn’t break into your house anymore?”
“No.” Polina smiled. “Although sometimes she still comes without warning. But she always knocks now, and she never stays if I’m not home.”
“Progress!” Sergey laughed.
“Exactly.”
Polina looked toward the small, neat house visible beyond the fence.
“You know, in some ways I understand her. She was afraid of losing her connection with the past—with the time when she felt needed and loved.”
“And now?”
“And now she’s simply my neighbor. Sometimes annoying, sometimes pleasant. Just like neighbors are supposed to be.”
Polina took Sergey’s hand.
“The most important thing is that I can finally feel like the owner of my own home. And I get to decide when I open the door.”
Twilight slowly descended over the garden.
A warm light came on in the windows of the neighboring property.
Polina looked at it without irritation, feeling only a faint nostalgia for the days when everything had seemed simpler.
But the past belonged to the past.
And she had finally learned how to let it go without allowing it to enter the present without permission.