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"Hi, I'm Bertha. How are you?" She shook her head. It sounded flat. She tried again. Five times and each time, she was unsatisfied. Either her smile looked faked or her voice was shaky. Bertha sighed heavily. She wasn't sure she could go through with it. She thought of running away. However, there was no way she could run away.

Jenny once told her that her parents-in-law called out rudely to the passing waiter for 2 glasses of water. Joan said her parents-in-law laughed loudly at their own jokes and expected the rest to laugh with them. Peter had to shrink in his seat when his mother-in-law got drunk and danced wildly in a high-class restaurant while his father-in-law had to restrain her.

Sharon wasn't so lucky either. Her mother-in-law kept comparing her to her own daughter. Her dress wasn't modern, her shoes too plain, her makeup too little, her lipstick was of an ugly shade and many other comparisons. All of her friends had horrible encounters with their first meeting with their parents-in-law.

Matthew had reassured her that his parents would love her just fine. However, she was still nervous about it. They had been dating for nearly 1 year and his parents were often overseas overseeing their business. Bertha wasn't comfortable with talking to strangers. Much less the elders whom she could never find a topic to talk about besides the weather. Even talking about the weather sounded lame.

She practised her opening speech again. At that moment, there was a knock on her door. It was her mother. "Bertha?"

"Mom? Yes?"

"You look lovely today. I'm sure you'll be just fine," she smiled. The smile brought some warmth into Bertha's heart. Her mother was always there to support her. She felt somewhat calmer. Her heart rate slowed down towards her normal rate.

Matthew arrived at 3pm to pick her up. Her meeting with her future in-laws was now nearer. Upon reaching the restaurant, Bertha had the irrational urge to flag the first taxi she saw. Matthew squeezed her hand, assuring her that he would be there with her.

Taking a deep breathe, she thought of her mother's words. They entered the restaurant. When she saw them smiling at them warmly, the butterflies in her stomach disappeared. With her heart rate slowing down again, Bertha knew they weren't as horrible as her friends had narrated their in-laws stories.

Learn more about this author, Kalli Silver.
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