Lydia Sergeevna flipped through a glossy brochure from the “Golden Fish” restaurant, admiring the pictures of exquisite dishes and elegant surroundings. Turning seventy is no trivial matter, and such a milestone deserved a celebration that reflected a life well-lived with grandeur.
“Andrew, look at this wonderful place!” she called her son. “I want to celebrate my jubilee there. Can you imagine? Live music, a special festive menu, and the hall looks so beautiful!”
Sitting in his office, Andrew rubbed his tired nose bridge. Overwhelmed with work, and now his mother with her ambitious plans.
“Mom, how much will this cost?” he asked cautiously.
“Don’t worry about the money!” Lydia Sergeevna waved off the concern. “You only turn seventy once. I’ve already called my friends, and everyone is thrilled. Galina Petrovna said her son threw a banquet for his fifty-fifth at the same place.”
Andrew sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with his mother when she had already made up her mind.
“Alright, Mom. Go ahead and arrange it.”
That evening, when Andrew shared his mother’s plans with his wife Marina, he noticed her furrowed brow.
“Do you realize how expensive this could get?” Marina whispered as they put their five-year-old to bed. “That place isn’t cheap, and your mother likes to spare no expense.”
“Well, what can we do? It’s a milestone,” Andrew shrugged. “Once in a lifetime.”
Marina didn’t reply but her worried expression remained. She understood her mother-in-law well — Lydia never skimped on celebrations and indulged herself freely.
Over the next two weeks, Lydia enthusiastically organized the event. She booked the most expensive banquet hall, ordered a handcrafted cake, fresh flowers, and even hired a photographer. The guest list kept expanding daily — coworkers, neighbors, and distant relatives.
“Mom, how many people will come?” Andrew asked when she called with updates once more.
“Not too many — about twenty-five, maybe thirty, depending if my cousin from Ryazan can make it.”
A growing anxiety gripped Andrew. Thirty guests at a pricey restaurant meant a potentially staggering bill.
Key Insight: Planning celebrations at upscale venues can lead to unforeseen financial challenges when guest lists increase unpredictably.
“Mom, perhaps we should consider something simpler? Maybe celebrate at home or at a smaller café?” Andrew suggested.
“Andrew!” Lydia exclaimed indignantly. “Am I supposed to act like a pauper? Seventy is a serious milestone! All my friends know where the party will be. Galina Petrovna even said she’s jealous — such a fancy restaurant!”
The day of the anniversary arrived swiftly. Marina was anxious from morning, counting the family budget multiple times, wondering if they could cover the banquet costs. Andrew also looked tense.
“Should we talk to Mom about it beforehand?” Marina proposed while tying Andrew’s tie.
“What is there to discuss?” he replied wearily. “She organized everything herself; she must know the bill will come.”
“Your mom can understand a lot,” Marina said skeptically. “Remember when she ‘understood’ we’d pay for her Sochi vacation?”
At the “Golden Fish” restaurant, they were welcomed with grandeur. Lydia, radiant and elegantly dressed, received guests’ congratulations. The hall truly was magnificent — soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers, fresh flowers adorning each table.
“So beautiful!” admired the birthday lady’s friends. “Lydia, you truly look like a queen!”
Lydia blossomed with compliments. She ordered the costliest dishes, didn’t spare on drinks, and repeatedly asked the waiters for more champagne.
“Mom, maybe that’s enough?” Andrew quietly suggested when she ordered champagne for the third time.
“What do you mean ‘enough’?” Lydia wondered. “It’s a celebration! You can splurge once in a lifetime!”
Marina silently calculated the approximate cost of the orders. Numbers were frightening. She kept trying to meet her husband’s eyes, but Andrew avoided her gaze.
The party was genuinely successful. Guests were delighted, Lydia received congratulations, danced, and laughed. The photographer captured every joyful moment.
As the evening wound down and attendees began leaving, a waiter approached the table with a leather folder.
“Excuse me, may I bring the bill?” he politely asked, placing the folder on the table.
Lydia didn’t even glance at the folder, continuing conversations with the remaining guests.
“Mom,” Andrew called delicately, “the bill is here.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” she replied absentmindedly, not turning.
Marina and Andrew exchanged looks. Andrew cleared his throat nervously.
“Mom, maybe you should look at it?”
“Look at what?” Lydia finally noticed him, puzzled.
“At the bill,” Andrew repeated patiently.
“Why would I look at it?” Lydia genuinely asked. “You pay.”
An awkward silence fell. The waiter stood nearby, waiting politely. Andrew could feel his face flush.
“Mom, but… it’s your birthday,” he stammered.
“So?” Lydia looked at her son with bewilderment. “We agreed. Who else is supposed to pay?”
Marina felt anger rise within her. She grabbed the leather folder and opened it. The final amount made her shudder.
“One hundred and twenty-eight thousand rubles,” she read aloud.
“What?” Andrew turned pale.
“One hundred twenty-eight thousand,” Marina repeated, showing him the bill.
Lydia waved it off.
“Money! What does it matter? The main thing is the celebration succeeded. All my friends are thrilled!”
“Mom,” Andrew sighed heavily, “we don’t have that kind of money.”
“How come you don’t?” Lydia protested. “You work, Marina works. What do you mean ‘no money’? Didn’t I show you the restaurant brochure? You said ‘okay.’”
“That’s our salary for three months,” Marina quietly explained. “We have a child, a mortgage, and loans.”
“And we gave you a present,” she added, nodding to a box of French perfume and a gold bracelet case on a nearby chair. “A very expensive gift.”
“So?” Lydia didn’t comprehend. “A gift is a gift, and a celebration is a celebration.”
Marina felt her patience snapping.
“And did you think we would pay for your jubilee? On what grounds?” she said sharply, pushing the bill toward her mother-in-law.
Lydia was caught off guard by such audacity.
“What did you say?” she hissed.
“I told the truth,” Marina stood firm. “You chose the restaurant, invited the guests, and ordered all these delicacies yourselves. We didn’t object, but that doesn’t mean we have to pay for everything.”
“Andrew!” Lydia called to her son. “Do you hear what your wife is saying? You promised to pay everything. Explain this to her!”
Andrew hesitated painfully, torn between his mother who had sacrificed much for him and his wife, whose reasoning made sense.
“Mom,” he finally spoke, “Marina is right. We can’t afford such expenses. I never said I would cover everything. We have our financial obligations. You asked if I liked the restaurant. I said ‘yes’. That was it! I thought you were just consulting me.”
“Obligations?” Lydia shouted, drawing attention from the staff. “I’m your mother! I gave birth to you, raised you, got you on your feet! And now you refuse me this small favor? Why would I consult you if I planned to pay myself?”
“Small favor?” Marina pointed at the bill. “One hundred twenty-eight thousand rubles — do you call that small?”
“For good children — yes!” Lydia replied.
The waiter cleared his throat delicately.
“Excuse me, but we need to close the hall…”
With rage, Lydia pulled out a credit card from her purse.
“Here, take it!” she threw it at the waiter. “I’ll pay myself! Apparently, I raised ungrateful children!”
While the waiter dealt with the terminal, Lydia collected gifts and flowers, deliberately avoiding looking at her son and daughter-in-law.
“Mom, don’t do this,” Andrew tried to mediate.
“Don’t?” Lydia sneered bitterly. “Too late. First you say ‘yes,’ then hide! I thought my children were good, but it turns out they are stingy and heartless.”
“Mom, we just can’t afford it…”
“Be quiet!” Lydia cut him off. “I don’t want to hear anything more. Live as you wish, but without me. I’m no longer your mother.”
She signed the receipt as if it was a death sentence, grabbed her bag, and headed toward the exit.
“Mom, wait!” Andrew called after her but she didn’t turn back.
The next three months were difficult. Lydia didn’t answer calls or open the door when they came by. Andrew felt guilty, while Marina resented her mother-in-law but saw her husband’s suffering.
“Maybe we should apologize?” he once suggested.
“For what?” Marina was surprised. “For not spending crazy money on her whims? For her making up things?”
“She’s my mom… Maybe I led her to believe I’d pay for the restaurant.”
“And that gives her the right to ruin us financially? You told her ‘I’ll handle the restaurant’? No!”
Andrew had no answer. He cared for his mother but acknowledged his wife’s logic.
Then, the long-awaited news came — Marina was pregnant. The joy was tinged with sorrow, as there was no one close to share it with.
“We should tell Mom,” Andrew decided.
“She isn’t speaking to us.”
“It’s her grandchild — or granddaughter.”
Marina sighed.
“Try.”
Andrew dialed his mother’s number, expecting the call to be ignored as usual. To his surprise, Lydia answered.
“Mom,” he said, excited, “I have news for you.”
“What news?” she asked coldly.
“You’re going to be a grandmother. Marina is pregnant.”
Silence dominated the other end.
“Mom, can you hear me?”
“I hear,” she replied softly. “How far along?”
“Twelve weeks.”
A pause again.
“How’s she feeling?”
“Good. The morning sickness has passed.”
“Is she taking vitamins?”
“She is, Mom.”
Lydia was silent long enough for Andrew to wonder if she’d hung up.
“Mom?”
“I’m here. It’s just… unexpected.”
“Unexpected, but in a good way?”
“Yes,” she agreed. “In a good way.”
Another pause.
“Come for lunch tomorrow,” Lydia finally said. “I need to talk to Marina about pregnancy nutrition.”
“Mom, but what about…”
“Forget it,” she interrupted. “Grandchildren are more important than money.”
The next day, they gathered in the familiar kitchen, drinking tea with homemade pies. Lydia asked Marina how she felt, offered advice, and shared her experience.
“I was too hasty,” Lydia confessed. “The celebration went to my head. My friends’ praise made me want to outshine everyone else.”
“Mom, we’re not against celebrations,” Andrew said gently. “We just need to discuss these things in advance.”
“You’re right,” Lydia admitted. “Money isn’t just paper. It’s your life, your plans, your grandchild’s future.”
Marina smiled gently.
“We’re not greedy,” she said softly. “We just have limits.”
“I know,” Lydia nodded. “I understand everything now. When the baby is born, I’ll throw a celebration — but with my own money.”
They laughed together, warmth returning to the home. Half a year later, Lydia hosted a grand party to honor her grandchild’s birth. This time, she confirmed the budget beforehand, avoiding any awkward situations.
“Life is a constant lesson,” she mused, cradling the baby. “Family is what matters most. Money comes and goes.”
Exchanging smiles, Andrew and Marina finally felt peace restored within their family.
In summary, this story highlights the critical importance of open communication and financial transparency within families, especially when celebrating significant occasions. Respecting boundaries and mutual understanding ensure harmony and deepen family bonds even through conflicts.