The day my mother-in-law, Diane, called in a panic asking where the entrance to our “new luxury house” was, I had to mute my phone just to stop myself from laughing. For years, she had treated every improvement in my husband’s life as if it automatically included her. Promotions, purchases, even our move—she never asked, she assumed.
At first, we responded with our usual polite silence and exchanged glances, but her comments soon turned into plans. She spoke about “our fresh start,” complained about her own home, and hinted that she wouldn’t be staying there much longer. Then, without asking, she listed her house for sale and told us as if it were a done deal.....