FIL is dying in a hospital bed as we speak. DH is with him now. I am glad he got to see him again as DH and MIL fell out a year ago and we have only seen FIL once since.
When DH fell out with his mum, the in laws decided to move halfway across the country. It was pretty extreme and the main reason why DH hasn't really spoken to them since - they would rather relocate than try to sort their problems out.
We had our third child this year. The whole pregnancy they never contacted, but when she arrived they did want to meet her. They insisted they came by train as he is too old to drive now but they didn't want a lift as they wanted to come 'under their own steam'. It seemed like a stubbornness and pride thing rather than what was practical. It took 3 trains and as many hours journey to get here. The visit was mostly awkward and uncomfortable as they hadn't resolved anything they fell out about with DH. They wouldn't eat or drink anything, saying they would get something on the train. They held our daughter briefly, but I didn't get a photo of them, neither did my husband. And then they left.
I felt sad and missed the relationship with my FIL. I assumed we would fix it one day, and that things would get easier in time. He seemed healthy and solid. The illness has been short and we are in shock about it. I can't believe that will be my last memory of him - and I feel bad that my husband didn't have a quality relationship with him for the last year of his life - when I believe they would have sorted something out if he had longer.
I just had to write this somewhere. Feeling heartbroken today.