I feel uneasy having my husband’s cousin around, and it’s putting me in a tough spot. When he first showed up with his bags, I brushed off my hesitation as simple nerves about sharing space with someone new. I figured it would just take a few days to adjust. But it’s been over a week, and that feeling hasn’t faded; it’s grown stronger.

There’s something about him I can’t put my finger on. He’s polite enough, never outright rude, but he has this unsettling habit of appearing silently in the room without a sound, catching me off guard. I’ll be going about my day, folding laundry or making a cup of tea, and suddenly he’ll be there, watching me, his eyes almost too intent. He never says much, just gives a quick nod before disappearing, but it’s enough to send a shiver down my spine every time.

My husband doesn’t see it. To him, his cousin is just “a little eccentric,” someone who’s had a rough patch and needs some support. And I want to be understanding; I know family matters. But I’m starting to feel like a stranger in my own home, like I’m constantly on guard. It’s exhausting.

Talking to my husband about it has been difficult. I don’t want to seem unsupportive, and I don’t have anything concrete to point to—no obvious fault, just a feeling that something isn’t right. But each day, I feel the strain of holding it in, of pretending everything’s fine when it isn’t. I don’t know how long I can keep this up, but I also don’t know how to make it stop.