Chapter 1

It was early on Sunday morning; my son and his wife were coming to dinner. It was a bit of a routine. Neither of them really cooks, and a roast dinner is a bit beyond them. Sunday morning is my meal prep time. I peel potatoes, floret the cauliflower, slice the cabbage, top and tail the carrots, So, they come to us, we all have a lovely lunch, and then, when they go, they leave their baby in my loving care until Tuesday.

My grandbaby, John, oh he is such a love. Six months old, already we are weaning him, and he is beginning to crawl. Mostly backwards it has to be said, but the idea is there. No words or teeth yet, but that will come soon, he is more alert and advanced each time we see him, every day he seems to progress.

We had finished Sunday Dinner, Sarah, my daughter in Law, was sat in the garden with my husband Paul, and Mik my son was in the kitchen with me as I cleared up. He doesn’t help as such, but at least he doesn’t abandon me.

“At least you and Sarah will get a bit of alone time this afternoon, that will be good. It must be difficult having some time for yourselves with John needing you still so much.”

“Well you would think so mum, but no.”

“No? Why no?”

“She says she is not healed properly yet mum.”

“Ridiculous, I was healed in a few weeks.”

“That is what she says.”

“Well, she can help you out in other ways surely.”

“No, that’s not on either.”

“Have you spoken to her, does she need to see the GP? There must be something wrong somewhere. I mean you didn’t have problems before did you?”

“Well, no, not when we were trying for a baby, but then when we were expecting it kind of dried up, so we didn’t damage the baby.”

“So pretty much a year without?”

“That’s cruelty, in my opinion.”

He just nodded. “Oh, do you remember Annette that I used to go out with, before Sarah?”

“Yes, blonde, big boobs, long legs, why?”

“She sent me a text the other day, just asking how I was, how things were, and we should catch up.”

“That is dangerous.”

“What have I got to lose?”

“Your marriage, my grandson.”

“Doesn’t feel much like a marriage to me at the moment.”

Not really very much I could say, I don’t think I have gone twelve days without, never mind twelve months. It is not my place to advise him, he is grown up, left home, married, and has a baby. My duties as a mum should be done.

When John stays with us, we have a crib in our room, soon though he will be going into the nursery next door, but for now he sleeps with us, and if we want to be intimate, then we are, we get on with our life.

Mik came to pick John up on Tuesday evening after work had finished. We had fed John and changed him and put him in clean clothes ready.

“Hello baby,” I greeted him, “how was work?”

“Hello mum,” he answered, hugging me tight, perhaps a little too tight. “Work is fine, a bit of a refuge if I am honest.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, things are a bit tense at home. I tried talking to her, but she just says I am being insensitive.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes, she ended up crying, and then every time I entered a room she was in, she left.”

“Oh dear baby.”

“Oh, and Annette texted again, saying she would love to catch up, perhaps we could catch up on lunch time near my office.”

“She knows where you work then?”

“Er, yes.”

I wasn’t going to press him on that, I guessed that it had been more than just a text, I ought to keep out of that side of things.