My husband’s cousin, someone I’ve only met a handful of times, is staying with us for a while, and I can’t shake the unease I feel around him. I try to brush it off as nerves or simply a matter of adjusting to having a guest in our space, but there’s something about him that feels off. I can’t quite put my finger on it—just a sense that he’s always watching me, his eyes lingering a bit too long, or his questions veering a bit too personal. I know he’s family, and I want to make him feel welcome, but the tension this is creating in my own home is making me very uncomfortable.

From the moment he arrived, it was like a shift in the energy of the house. I told myself I was being paranoid, but then I started noticing things that seemed to validate my discomfort. He seems to appear around every corner, often at the most unexpected times. I’ll be in the kitchen, or sitting quietly with a book, and suddenly, he’ll be there, watching me with an intensity that feels intrusive. He asks me questions about my day, but there’s something about the way he waits for my answers, the way he studies my face, that feels off.

At night, I find myself locking our bedroom door, something I’ve never felt the need to do in my own home. I keep telling myself I’m being silly, that he’s family and I shouldn’t feel this way, but that doesn’t change the knot in my stomach whenever I sense his presence. My husband doesn’t seem to notice anything strange, and I feel caught between wanting to speak up and not wanting to make waves or appear rude. But as the days go on, the discomfort only grows, and I start to wonder how much longer I can keep pretending that everything is fine.

I’ve been trying to avoid being alone in a room with him, subtly finding ways to excuse myself or stay busy, but it’s exhausting. My home is supposed to be a place where I feel safe, and right now, I don’t. I haven’t told my husband the full extent of my discomfort, because I don’t want to cause a rift over something that could be a misunderstanding. But as each day passes, I’m feeling increasingly trapped in a situation I can’t control.

Part of me wonders if I should just trust my instincts and talk to my husband about how I’m feeling. I know it might be awkward, but maybe he’ll understand or at least keep a closer eye on things. I need some peace of mind, and more than that, I need my home to feel like my own again.