Georgia looked at me, her expression still cold. “Well, I’m not convinced this is the real test. You could have paid someone off or something.” I couldn’t believe my ears. How could she still be so stubborn?
Hans stood up, his face flushed with anger. “Mom, this is enough! I can’t believe you’re still acting like this. You’ve caused so much pain, not just to Barbara but to all of us. We’ve done everything you asked, and you still won’t let it go.”
Manny stood up and put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “Hans, calm down. Your mother is just having a hard time accepting this. But we’ll work it out.” He then turned to Georgia. “Dear, we need to give this a chance. Let’s get to know the baby, and maybe you’ll see that he is truly our grandson.”
Slowly, Georgia walked over to the crib and peeked in. Hans Jr. was awake, and he looked up at her with his big, innocent eyes.
For a moment, I thought I saw a softening in her expression, but then she quickly stepped back. “I’m still not sure,” she muttered.
Over the next few weeks, we tried to include Georgia and Manny in our lives as much as possible.
We invited them to family dinners and outings, but Georgia always seemed to find something to complain about.
One day, while we were at a park having a picnic, Georgia made a comment about how I was dressing Hans Jr. all wrong.
“Barbara, you should really dress him in more traditional clothes. This modern stuff is just not right for a child,” she said, looking at me disapprovingly.
I bit my tongue, trying to keep my cool. “Georgia, I dress him in what I think is comfortable and cute for him. And he seems to like it.”
Hans jumped in. “Mom, please. Can we just enjoy this day without you criticizing everything Barbara does?”
Georgia huffed and sat back, crossing her arms. Manny tried to lighten the mood by playing with Hans Jr., but it was clear that the tension was still there.
One evening, I was alone at home with Hans Jr. when the doorbell rang. It was Georgia. I was surprised to see her, especially since she usually never came without Manny. “Can I come in?” she asked, looking a bit nervous.
I let her in, and she sat down on the couch. She was quiet for a long time, and then she finally spoke.
“Barbara, I… I wanted to apologize. I know I’ve been difficult, and I was wrong about you cheating. I just… I guess I was scared of losing Hans. He’s my only son, and when I saw the baby, I just panicked.”I was shocked.
I never thought I’d hear her say those words.
“Georgia, I appreciate the apology. And I want you to know that I love Hans, and I would never do anything to hurt him or our family.”She nodded. “Can I see the baby?” she asked softly.
I took her to the nursery, and she stood over the crib, looking at Hans Jr. with a new expression on her face. “He’s so beautiful,” she said, and I could see tears in her eyes.
From that day on, things slowly started to change. Georgia was still a bit opinionated, but she made an effort to be nicer. She even started helping me with the baby sometimes. Manny was happy to see the change in his wife, and our family started to feel more like a real family. We knew there would still be bumps in the road, but we were all willing to work through them for the sake of Hans Jr. and our family bond.
