The In-Laws

Today is father-in-law Richard's birthday, so many happy returns to him.
If you would have asked me 10 years ago if having in laws would be a normal part of having a relationship, I would have raised an eyebrow, but with a serious relationship in your thirties comes a ton of baggage,two sets of pans and the obligatory set of In -laws.
I am lucky, I actually get on with Chris' Mum and Dad. Sorrel is a youthful affable despot with a life busier than ours combined and Richard is an easy going Southern geezer not long starting his retirement. They are divorced, so we get the chance to see them individually throughout the year, (even though they live in Kent).
Today I got to wondering how Chris would have got on with my parents if they had lived.
My opinionated, aggressive and sometimes terribly behaved mother would , I think have enjoyed Chris' company. I am sure they would have sparred continually and fought occasionally but I am pretty sure they would have got on famously.
I am still am not too sure of how my father would have reacted to me coming out.......certainly my mother would have reacted like any theatrical Jewish Momma would have done ( in screaming self blame I suspect), but in retrospect,I am sure she would ultimately have been rather gay-friendly to her son in law.
I am not so sure of my father's reaction......having a gay son, I suspect would have been somewhat of a terrible ordeal for him, but I would like of think he would have come round to the idea in time.....I think that he would have been at least friendly with Chris, enjoying Chris' abilities to small talk with ease, but I suspect they would never have become friends.
Who knows? the middle class attitudes of the 1980s seem such an age away now.....