Little Artemka was sleeping peacefully in his crib, his tiny fist tucked under his rosy cheek, and I watched him, thinking how sometimes so little is enough to completely change the course of life. A single phrase can destroy a seemingly strong relationship and reveal a person’s true nature.
Who could have thought that a baby crib would become the last straw, overflowing the cup of patience? Yet sometimes the most ordinary things turn into symbols of betrayal, and love turns out to be not as unconditional as it seemed.
In my psychological practice, I encounter many remarkable cases that I believe are important to share. This particular story happened to one of my clients a few weeks ago and seemed worthy of attention.
Svetlana and Denis had known each other since school. In seventh grade, a curly-haired mischievous boy with brown eyes was transferred to their class and seated next to her. He carried her backpack, shared his pies and juice in the cafeteria, and did everything possible to get her attention. By high school, it was clear that their childhood fondness could grow into something serious.
After finishing school, Svetlana mastered the profession of a hairdresser in six months. Her mother insisted on university, but her father supported her.
— People always get haircuts and dye their hair. You won’t be without work! Go for it, my daughter!
Svetlana was grateful to her father for understanding.
Denis didn’t go on to study anywhere. He was always fascinated by cars. He started working in an auto repair shop and quickly proved himself to be a capable specialist despite having no formal education. As soon as Svetlana received her hairdressing diploma, they got married.
Denis was his mother’s only child. Galina Petrovna had lost her husband early, as fate would have it. She poured all her love, energy, and care into her son. She worked hard to give him the best – fed him well, educated him, dressed him. Naturally, Denis was the meaning of her life. At their wedding, Galina Petrovna cried. Later, Svetlana’s mother admitted that the matchmaker had told her: “I can’t bear to let him go!”
Of course, a mother-in-law wasn’t obliged to let her son go. Svetlana never interfered with their bond; on the contrary, she even reminded Denis to call his mother and not forget to visit. Galina Petrovna herself sometimes stopped by on weekends. She still worked, but her salary at the city library was meager, and she constantly complained about financial difficulties. Denis, of course, helped. He understood that his mother wanted both good food and decent clothing. Moreover, he and his wife both earned well.
The auto repair shop where Denis worked belonged to an experienced man who had been in the business for over twenty years. The client base was solid, and they were never short of orders. Svetlana, meanwhile, was accepted into a fairly prestigious beauty salon, which was extremely fortunate since buying all the tools herself and renting a space would have been unaffordable at first. So she worked calmly, and soon she had many clients who specifically wanted her for haircuts and coloring.
In the second month of their marriage, Svetlana discovered she was pregnant. Her parents gave them money for a down payment on their own apartment, on the condition that the property would be registered in their daughter’s name.
Galina Petrovna tried to protest:
— How can that be, Sveta! You need to register the apartment in both names. What if something happens? My son would be left without a roof over his head.
Svetlana’s father responded:
— What have you invested in this property for your son to register it under Denis’s name? Let them live, we’ll help. Later, if they want to expand, they can sell it and buy something together.
Her mother-in-law pursed her lips but didn’t argue further.
The pregnancy was a surprise for the young couple; they had planned to wait and were even using contraception. But fate decided otherwise. Now they were practically parents, which meant preparing for the baby’s arrival. They quickly put up wallpaper in the nursery and changed the flooring. Fortunately, the apartment they bought came partially furnished with decent furniture. The previous owners were in a hurry to sell since their eldest son had moved to Germany. The parents wanted to move closer to their child and help with the grandchildren. That’s why they lowered the price and gave away the furniture practically for free — just to complete the sale quickly.
So Svetlana and Denis did minimal renovations and began selecting other necessary items for the baby. She looked for a stroller, a crib, gradually bought onesies and sleepers, toys, and teething rings. She found charming soft crib bumpers and a mobile with butterflies. Her husband wasn’t particularly involved in the selection, only concerned with the bed and stroller since they were the most expensive items.
There were many expenses — she was prescribed a huge number of vitamins, and baby clothes were not cheap. Moreover, even despite her pregnancy, the salon owner insisted that Svetlana take courses in new coloring techniques. This took almost a month — she would leave at ten in the morning and return home at ten at night. Her husband grumbled that she was overworking.
But she was also paid extra for it, so she didn’t complain. In general, she planned to work until seven and a half months. Fortunately, the pregnancy was progressing easily. At first, she sometimes felt nauseous and constantly sleepy, but that passed. Then came a period of constant hunger. She even got up at night to eat. Her weight didn’t increase much, apparently because the baby needed her to eat well and sufficiently for development.
When her mother-in-law found out about the pregnancy, she was openly upset:
— Now I’ll never see my Deniska! You’ll be all wrapped up with the baby — she told Svetlana.
— Not at all, he will definitely visit you! — Svetlana tried to reassure Galina Petrovna. — And you come over too, spend time with the little one.
The last remark was purely out of politeness. In reality, as soon as the pregnancy became known, Galina Petrovna began behaving quite arrogantly. She constantly called her son, even late at night, demanding attention like a spoiled child. On top of that, she constantly asked her son-in-law for money. This was completely inappropriate now, as the young couple were saving for the crib.
The crib itself was expensive, and it required soft bumpers, hanging toys, a mobile, a quality mattress, bedding, and a good pillow. Svetlana’s mother agreed with her that the baby’s sleeping space should be excellent.
— Newborns sleep a lot, everything must be of the highest standard! But your father and I are ready to help financially. The stroller is definitely on us. Can you manage the crib?
— Mom, you and Dad have already helped us so much. We’ll manage the crib ourselves somehow — Svetlana replied.
She really felt awkward asking her mother for anything else. After all, they were the parents; they should plan for how and with what to raise the child. She continued working until the very last moment, trying to take as many clients as possible each day. The baby was growing, and she now waddled like a little duck, finding it increasingly difficult to stand at the salon chair where clients sat. She tried not to complain — her husband and parents were worried enough.
She kept her spirits up because, honestly, she loved her work. Fortunately, the salon owner immediately reassured her that once the baby started kindergarten, she would be gladly welcomed back.
At seven and a half months, she decided she had had enough! Her belly was already huge, and standing for long hours at work was unbearable. Even in a normal pregnancy, at this stage it was time to reduce physical strain.
Now she spent a lot of time walking, trying to move and breathe fresh air, but never just standing in one place. She gradually started tidying the house. A strong desire for cleanliness overtook her, and she spent entire days dusting, sorting clothes in closets, scrubbing the bathroom and floors. They say this is normal when a woman is about to become a mother. This busy preparation of the home is hardwired by nature, known as the “nesting syndrome.” And so she set up the nest diligently, trying to delight her husband with appetizing breakfasts and dinners.
When Denis said he would visit his mother after work, Svetlana was genuinely upset. They had planned to go to the store to look at cribs. They already had enough money, so all that remained was to buy one, set it up in the nursery, and calmly read books on newborn care in the evenings.
— Sveta, I’ll stop by my mom’s after work, don’t be upset — her husband said.
— But we planned to look at baby cribs — she replied hesitantly. — Well, okay, it’s not critical, we’ll have time.
Denis kissed her on the cheek and hurried out, throwing on his jacket, into the dark hallway.
But she pushed away her sad thoughts. Today was Friday, after all — let him go to Galina Petrovna after work, and tomorrow, Saturday, they would go buy the crib. Resolving to act this way, she went to clean the stove and wash the kitchen towels…
In the evening, her husband looked very tired and went to bed almost immediately. He skipped dinner, saying he had eaten at his mother’s. In the morning, they slept until half past ten. Svetlana prepared a fragrant scrambled egg with herbs and tomatoes, crispy whole-grain toast, and coffee. They ate breakfast, and she described the crib she wanted.
— And the bedding absolutely must have little bunnies. And a couple of plain sets too, since we’ll need to wash them often. Mom already bought flannel for the diapers a long time ago, so we don’t have to worry about that — there’s enough for ten babies. Denis, why are you so quiet? — she suddenly realized he hadn’t said a word and was looking away.
— Darling, we’ll postpone buying the crib for the baby. I sent my mom to the seaside with the money we’d saved — declared her husband.
— Postpone? What seaside? I’m almost eight months pregnant! The baby is coming soon. We need the crib urgently, we’ve been saving for it — she asked, bewildered.
— Mom hasn’t had a vacation in many years. Doesn’t she deserve a trip? — Denis said calmly.
— And now, of all times?
— When else? When this parasite is born and all the money starts flowing into it like a bottomless pit?
— Parasite? Pit? — she whispered, barely audible, her throat tightening with rage and tears welling up.
— Yes. You do realize that once this baby arrives, all plans and spending on yourself come to an end…
— You know what, Denis, pack your things and go to your mother. You’ve crossed the line this time! — she shouted, standing up from the table.
There she stood in front of her husband, her huge belly pressed between both hands. Denis rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, going to pack his things.
He left, slamming the door demonstratively, and she sat down and cried. Just then, her mother called. Upon hearing what had happened, she came over immediately.
— Now, let’s not be sad. You can’t be upset — think about the baby. The grandson senses everything. Pull yourself together, get ready, and we’ll go buy the crib.
It was useless to argue with her mother. When she spoke in that tone, even her father backed down. Svetlana smiled through her tears, washed up, and got ready. They spent half a day wandering through a huge baby store. There was everything imaginable! They immediately chose a convenient blue stroller-transformer — suitable both for newborns in a horizontal position and for older children sitting upright.
They found a crib they both liked. Her mother immediately dissuaded her from getting a rocking crib:
— That’s fine when he’s tiny, but once he grows a bit, he’ll grab the railing and fall. Don’t even think about it. Take a regular, stationary one. You slept in one like this until you were five — when he’s older, we’ll just remove a few bars from the front panel, that’s all.
They picked out eight complete bedding sets — with bunnies, as Svetlana wanted, and plain ones. They found them in excellent poplin and satin. The butterfly mobile was expensive, but her father said it would be his personal gift to his grandson.
She returned home utterly happy with her purchases. Now everything was truly ready for the baby’s arrival.
Denis remained silent for two weeks, then appeared with flowers and chocolate, begging for forgiveness. She was still very upset and angry, especially after he revealed that his mother was still on vacation. Because of his mother’s whims, her child would have had to sleep almost on the floor!
For the hospital discharge, only her parents came with little Artemka. Neither her husband nor her mother-in-law appeared. She returned home with her son, and a month and a half later, she filed for divorce. That marked the definitive end of her relationship with Denis.
Her mother and father were very supportive with the little one. Artemka grew healthy, ate well, and mostly slept, causing little trouble. Her father didn’t call or write, as if they had been erased from his life. He didn’t understand how it had come to this. After all, they had known each other since middle school, and in the end… In the end, Denis turned out to be a stranger, completely alien to her. The only truly valuable thing left from her former husband was Artemka. Her son gave her strength to live, smile, and move forward. Both she and her parents adored their sweet little boy. Everything was good, and once her mother asked if she found loneliness difficult.
— When you have a child, loneliness is impossible, Mom — she replied.
Her mother smiled knowingly and hugged her tightly. Artemka slept in his crib, his tiny fist under his plump cheek, snoring adorably.
My client and I are still working through what happened; she retains many psychological blocks and complexes that will require serious attention. She continues to attend therapy sessions.
