No one warns you that the downside to polyamory is the sheer number of in-laws that needed to be satisfied. Heather contemplated the complexity of this new reality one afternoon as she sipped her tea, making notes about everyone’s schedules for the month on the large family calendar, spread out on the dining room table.
Katherine’s parents were thrilled to have grandchildren to spoil suddenly, and so, they threw themselves into this new arrangement with a lustful vigour that rivalled those of the adults in the household. This was excellent for Katherine, however, Heather – as the children’s biological mother – still had to contend with the needs of Allan’s family (who were not as welcoming of the new addition to their family) and her mother (who thought Heather had lost her mind.)
“Christmas is almost here,” Heather announced in bed later that night, as she and Katherine lay snuggled under their old patchwork quilt. “And we haven’t even discussed how this will all work.”
“How what will work?” Allan slipped on a fresh pair of boxers from his drawer and ambled to the edge of the bed.
“This. The kids. The adults.” Heather swung her hand through the air. “Your family still wants us to come over Christmas morning, and my parents want Christmas Eve, but Howard and Sylvia are now a part of the kids’ lives and they want to be included too.”
The quiet truth of the matter was that Heather was fonder of Sylvia as a mother-in-law than she ever was of Allan’s mother, Matilda, and, if anything, she silently wished they could ditch their own families in favour of Katherine’s this year.
“Why don’t we just do one big party here?” offered Katherine in her enthusiastic way that Heather both loved and hated at times. “We can all cook – the kids can see all their grandparents. It’ll be fun.”
“I dunno – that’s a lot of mother-in-laws to deal with at once,” Allan muttered, sliding into bed beside Heather.
“I think that Kate’s mother would get along great with my mother.” Heather rolled on her back, letting Allan wrap his hands around her thick waist, passing Katherine’s arms along the way. “No one gets along with your mother anyway.”
“Heather, sweetheart, you worry too much.” Katherine giggled, resting her head in the crook of Heather’s outstretched arm. “You worried what the kids would say, and they were fine. You worried about what the neighbours would say, and they ignore us. Even the school didn’t seem to bat an eye when I showed up to pick up the kids.”
“I still call bullshit on that one, but fine, yes, things are working out great.” Letting out a deep sigh, Heather stared at the stucco ceiling, the evening light catching the old glittery spikes. “There’s just so many freaking people to make happy.”
“I’m happy.” Tightening her arm around Heather, Katherine sighed. “Are you happy, Allen?”
“I’m happy. How about you, Heather?” He asked, kissing her on the cheek.
“I’m happy.” She sighed, closing her eyes.
“Then that’s all that matters,” Katherine whispered near her ear, planting a small peck on her cheek.
Letting out a deep breath, Heather relaxed into the soft flesh surrounding her. Still too many mother-in-laws.
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