I’m not comfortable with my husband’s cousin staying here, and I’m unsure how to address it. I was all for helping him out when my husband first suggested it. Family is family, and he needed a place to land while he got back on his feet. But now, having him here day after day, that initial goodwill is fading, replaced by a growing sense of discomfort.

The thing is, he doesn’t do anything outright disrespectful. He keeps to himself mostly, but he has this way of just… appearing. I’ll be working at the kitchen counter or tidying up the living room, and out of nowhere, there he is, standing silently in the doorway, watching me with this strange intensity. I’ve tried to laugh it off, telling myself he’s just quiet, maybe even shy, but the way he observes me—like he’s watching rather than engaging—makes me uneasy.

My husband doesn’t seem to notice. He assures me his cousin just needs time to adjust, that he’s dealing with a lot and may not even realize he’s being intrusive. “He’ll be gone soon,” he tells me every time I bring it up. But each day that passes, I feel more tense in my own home. I’ve started to alter my routine, lingering at work a little longer or taking a second trip to the store, just so I can avoid the awkwardness.

I know I should talk to his cousin directly, but I feel stuck. How do you tell someone you don’t feel comfortable around them when they haven’t technically done anything wrong? It’s a delicate situation, and I don’t want to create unnecessary friction. But if something doesn’t change soon, I worry this tension will spill over, affecting my marriage and my sense of peace in the place that’s supposed to feel safest.