The Mother-in-Law

About a year after the baby monitor incident, the estranged family gathers at Tom and Diana’s home. Lucy is eight months pregnant with her second child. Tom informs Diana that Ollie is starting a new business with his childhood friend Eamon. This choice worries Diana as she confesses, “I’d never liked that smarmy boy” (128). As the family chats, Diana notices a bruise on Nettie’s stomach. Also doubtful of Eamon’s intentions, Nettie questions Ollie about Eamon’s role in the business.

Diana visits Ghezala, who is pregnant with her second child. After questioning Hakem about his job search, Diana argues with him about his lack of effort. Angry, Hakem accuses Diana of being privileged and not understanding the struggles of refugees who abandoned successful careers in Afghanistan to work menial jobs in Australia. Ghezala interrupts the argument. As Hakem storms off, Diana wonders what Hakem might do to her out of his bitterness.

In the past, Lucy and Ollie discuss Lucy’s misgivings regarding Ollie’s new business venture with Eamon. Ollie attempts to assuage Lucy’s doubts and even offers not to proceed with the business plan if Lucy disapproves. Despite her doubts, Lucy remembers her deceased mother’s unrelenting support for her father and gives Ollie her blessing.

Back in the present, Lucy and Ollie arrive at the police station. Upon discovering that he and Lucy will be talked to separately, Ollie grows upset while Lucy attempts to calm him down. Separated, Lucy speaks with one of the detectives who questions her about her whereabouts on the day of Diana’s death. Lucy states that she was home with her children and reveals that Ollie returned home from work early because he was not feeling well. The detective also questions Lucy about an incident years ago where Lucy “slammed [her] mother-in-law into the wall,” and Diana fell unconscious (140). Lucy was never charged for the incident. Slowly, the detective unveils details of Diana’s death as he questions Lucy. Diana was found with a bottle of Latuben, “a popular drug people take to bring about a fast, painless death” (143). The autopsy found no traces of the drug in Diana’s bloodstream. The detective hints at the possibility of Diana being smothered to death with a pillow. Lucy and Ollie exit their respective examination rooms at the same time. Noting that Ollie appears distressed, Lucy attempts to process all the disturbing information they have received.

Early in the morning, Diana receives a call from Ollie informing her Lucy has gone into labor with their second child. Diana leaves to take care of Archie as Ollie and Lucy head to the hospital. Upon her arrival, Ollie chastises Diana for taking so long to arrive. Diana remarks on the double standard for her and Tom, who is still home sleeping, and ponders the differences between her and Lucy’s experiences as mothers. When Tom arrives later that day, she announces that they have a granddaughter. As they prepare to take Archie to meet his sister, Diana convinces Tom to hire Hakem as an engineer in his residential development firm.

Newly postpartum, Lucy struggles as her newborn daughter Harriet has colic. Diana cares for Archie once a week to help. Lucy comments on Harriet’s stubborn nature and how she does not like anyone except Lucy to hold her. Upon returning from the park with Diana, rambunctious Archie destroys the fresh laundry Lucy has completed. As Lucy and Archie cry, Diana offers unhelpful advice that Lucy should “‘try multitasking’” (151). At first, Lucy holds back her frustration at Diana’s suggestions. The two then engage in a sarcastic exchange of words that hides their true feelings.

In the past, Lucy and Ollie host a lunch at their home with Ollie’s business partner Eamon and his new girlfriend. Lucy attempts to ask Eamon how the business is going, but Eamon avoids the conversation and suggests the couples play a game of Truth or Dare. Eamon jokingly dares Ollie to borrow a million dollars from his father. During the game, Eamon reveals that the hardest thing he has gone through is his divorce, which has ruined him financially.

The day before Diana’s funeral, Lucy, Ollie, Nettie, and Patrick attend a meeting at Diana’s lawyer’s office. The lawyer reveals that, two weeks before her death, Diana requested that her will be changed to leave her estate entirely to her charity. This revelation leaves the family in shock.

In the past, Lucy drives Archie and Harriet to their weekly playdate at Diana’s home. She notices an unusual car parked in the driveway and discovers Diana speaking with Hakem. He is apologizing to Diana for his rudeness and thanking her for her kindness in securing a job for him at Tom’s company. After Hakem leaves, Lucy gently prods Diana for more information about how she helped Hakem. Diana reluctantly shares. As Diana explains her philosophy for raising her children to be independent, the women share a moment of mutual respect.

In this flashback, Nettie has taken a day off work to help Lucy with the children. Lucy notices that Nettie seems downtrodden and not like her usual self. Nettie confesses that she recently suffered her fourth miscarriage and reveals her plans to try IVF. Although her father has loaned her money for other fertility treatments, her parents will not help her financially with IVF.

In the past, the family had celebrated Christmas together at Lucy and Ollie’s home. Lucy insists on hosting Christmas for the first time at their home. Nettie has finished an unsuccessful round of IVF and is saving up for another round. After Ollie innocently jokes with Nettie about when she will have a baby, Nettie drunkenly vents about the cost of IVF and declares that she would love to be a stay-at-home mother like Lucy. Diana confronts Nettie and derides Lucy’s reliance on Ollie. Nettie and Diana argue over her lack of support.

At Diana’s lawyer’s office, Patrick laughs inappropriately at the revelation that Nettie and Ollie have inherited nothing from their parents. The lawyer details the small personal belongings left for Nettie, Ollie, and Lucy. Tom and Diana’s vast wealth will be given to Diana’s charity. Ollie asks the lawyer whether they can contest the will. He informs them that it will not be an easy process. Ollie, Nettie, and Patrick agree to contest. When asked her opinion, Lucy states, “It has nothing to do with me” (179).

Two weeks after the disastrous Christmas, Tom and Diana relax at home. Diana is estranged from the children. Diana confesses that she has not told Tom the true reason for her outburst at Christmas. Two days before Christmas, a friend of hers asked her to lunch and revealed that she had spotted Patrick out with another woman. Diana’s outburst was a reaction to the news and not meant to be an attack on Lucy. Alienated from the family due to the fight, Diana admits that she is lonely. She asks Tom about a visit from Eamon and Ollie earlier in the day. Tom admits to investing money into Eamon and Ollie’s business. He attempts to encourage Diana to show support for Nettie’s fertility struggles by funding the procedures. Diana refuses. Fourteen days after Christmas, Nettie visits Diana in her home to make amends. The mother and daughter reconcile. Diana asks Nettie about her relationship with Patrick but decides not to reveal the information she knows about Patrick’s affair.

Ghezala visits Diana in her home with her two young children. She asks Diana why she chooses to help pregnant women. Diana shares with Ghezala about her past as an unwed mother. The story flashes back to the moments following Diana’s escape from the home for unwed mothers. She runs away to the home of her father’s cousin Meredith, a divorced single mother who was exiled from their Catholic family. Meredith allows Diana to stay until she gives birth to her baby and gets settled. Diana writes to her mother to inform her of her location and her decision to keep the baby. Her mother does not answer.

Two weeks after arriving at Meredith’s home, Diana gives birth to Ollie. In the months following Ollie’s birth, Diana completes tasks upon request from Meredith, who instills within her a confidence in her own abilities. One day, Diana oversleeps and misses one of her tasks: buying a raw chicken from the grocery store. She awakens to find Meredith has allowed Diana to sleep and purchased the chicken herself. Meredith shares with Diana her pride in creating an independent life for herself after her divorce. When Ollie is three months old, Meredith instructs Diana to find employment while refusing to help Diana with Ollie.

Diana attempts to reach out to her family repeatedly and even drives to her childhood home. Her mother ignores her and passes away four years later. Diana confides in Ghezala about her internal struggles regarding supporting Nettie’s fertility journey and outing Patrick’s possible infidelity.

Lucy and Ollie return home after the will reading. Noticing that Ollie has not returned to work since Diana died, Lucy contemplates her doubts regarding Eamon and Ollie’s struggling business and how the news of Ollie’s disinheritance will affect the business. After noticing Ollie screening his phone calls, Lucy greets an anxious Eamon at the front door. He and Ollie retreat suspiciously into Ollie’s office. Shortly after, Lucy hears yelling coming from the room and a fist slamming on a desk. Suddenly, Eamon and Ollie tumble out of the room as Ollie chokes Eamon.