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Authors: Julia Williams
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differences with Mary, Amy recognised she had lost a useful support system, and Harry was doing a good job of plugging the gap.
She opened the door, and nearly passed out.
‘Mary! What a surprise!’ She hoped the shock in her face wasn’t too obvious. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Mary, but it would have been nice to have had some prior warning.
‘Well, I was coming to visit my sister in Romford,’ said Mary, in rather stiff tones, ‘so I thought I’d pop in to see how you were both doing. I hope you don’t mind.’Romford to Nevermorewell was a good hour and a half. Something told Amy this wasn’t a spontaneous visit.
‘Mind? Of course I don’t mind,’ lied Amy, hoping the house wasn’t too untidy. ‘It’s lovely to see you. Josh, look who’s here!’
Josh, who had been playing with his train set in the front room, came diving out when he heard Mary’s voice.
‘Granneeee!’ he shrieked in delight, and flung himself at her.
Amy was relieved to see the pleasure in Mary’s face when she hugged her grandson. After all, it wasn’t really Amy she had come to see. And whether or not Amy cared to admit it, by moving away from Mary, she had taken away from her mother-in-law all that was left of Jamie. Josh, too, seemed ecstatic to see his grandmother. Amy had been fretting that he had seemed very quiet since the move. Now, seeing him so natural with Mary, she realised he hadn’t been his normal self. The old guilt welled up inside her, threatening to engulf the good feelings and bring her right back to square one. Mary’s next comment didn’t help much either.
‘Oh, I have missed you both!’ she said. ‘The house seems so quiet without you. No chance that you’ll change your mind, I suppose?’
‘We’ve only just got here,’ said Amy, trying to laugh it off and ignore the feelings of resentment the remark engendered.
‘Granny could come and live here,’ suggested Josh.
‘I don’t think that’s going to be possible, Josh,’ said Mary. She glanced at Amy, as if to say, is it?
Amy tried to ignore that comment too. The last thing she wanted right now was to have Mary round the corner again, even if she wanted to move out this way. And as they sat politely sipping their tea, Amy was suddenly struck by the gulf that had grown between them. It had only been a few weeks, but already she and Mary were strangers in this new environment; and yet, after Jamie’s death they had seemed so close. Irritated as she was by Mary, Amy couldn’t bear to lose that, and for Josh’s sake it wasn’t fair. So she asked suitable questions about Mary’s life and filled her in on their own doings. And then Josh mentioned Ben.
‘And who’s Ben?’ asked Mary. ‘One of your little play-mates?’
‘Oh no,’ said Josh in disgusted tones. ‘Ben’s well old. As old as Mummy.’
‘And?’ Mary looked askance at Amy.
‘And what?’ said Amy. ‘Ben’s someone I met on the allotments.’
‘Yes, and Mummy borrowed his clothes and he lent me his Spiderman DVD when we were at his house. He’s really cool.’
‘I see,’ said Mary testily.
No, you don’t , Amy wanted to reply, but restrained herself.
‘Yes, it was a bit embarrassing really,’ said Amy, wondering why she felt the need to justify herself. ‘I had a problem with the plumbing and then I got a bit mucky on the allotments so he lent me some clothes.I barely know him.’ She was aware she was gabbling. She was further aware that the more she gabbled, the more sceptically Mary looked at her.
‘Well, I suppose it was inevitable that you would find a new man one day,’ said Mary, ‘but I have to say I’m surprised that you’re rushing things.’
Amy blushed, immediately furious with herself for doing so. She had nothing to be embarrassed about or apologise for.
‘Mary, I don’t have a new man,’ she said. ‘He’s just someone who helped me out.’
‘If you say so,’ said Mary.
‘No, really,’ said Amy. ‘There
She opened the door, and nearly passed out.
‘Mary! What a surprise!’ She hoped the shock in her face wasn’t too obvious. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see Mary, but it would have been nice to have had some prior warning.
‘Well, I was coming to visit my sister in Romford,’ said Mary, in rather stiff tones, ‘so I thought I’d pop in to see how you were both doing. I hope you don’t mind.’Romford to Nevermorewell was a good hour and a half. Something told Amy this wasn’t a spontaneous visit.
‘Mind? Of course I don’t mind,’ lied Amy, hoping the house wasn’t too untidy. ‘It’s lovely to see you. Josh, look who’s here!’
Josh, who had been playing with his train set in the front room, came diving out when he heard Mary’s voice.
‘Granneeee!’ he shrieked in delight, and flung himself at her.
Amy was relieved to see the pleasure in Mary’s face when she hugged her grandson. After all, it wasn’t really Amy she had come to see. And whether or not Amy cared to admit it, by moving away from Mary, she had taken away from her mother-in-law all that was left of Jamie. Josh, too, seemed ecstatic to see his grandmother. Amy had been fretting that he had seemed very quiet since the move. Now, seeing him so natural with Mary, she realised he hadn’t been his normal self. The old guilt welled up inside her, threatening to engulf the good feelings and bring her right back to square one. Mary’s next comment didn’t help much either.
‘Oh, I have missed you both!’ she said. ‘The house seems so quiet without you. No chance that you’ll change your mind, I suppose?’
‘We’ve only just got here,’ said Amy, trying to laugh it off and ignore the feelings of resentment the remark engendered.
‘Granny could come and live here,’ suggested Josh.
‘I don’t think that’s going to be possible, Josh,’ said Mary. She glanced at Amy, as if to say, is it?
Amy tried to ignore that comment too. The last thing she wanted right now was to have Mary round the corner again, even if she wanted to move out this way. And as they sat politely sipping their tea, Amy was suddenly struck by the gulf that had grown between them. It had only been a few weeks, but already she and Mary were strangers in this new environment; and yet, after Jamie’s death they had seemed so close. Irritated as she was by Mary, Amy couldn’t bear to lose that, and for Josh’s sake it wasn’t fair. So she asked suitable questions about Mary’s life and filled her in on their own doings. And then Josh mentioned Ben.
‘And who’s Ben?’ asked Mary. ‘One of your little play-mates?’
‘Oh no,’ said Josh in disgusted tones. ‘Ben’s well old. As old as Mummy.’
‘And?’ Mary looked askance at Amy.
‘And what?’ said Amy. ‘Ben’s someone I met on the allotments.’
‘Yes, and Mummy borrowed his clothes and he lent me his Spiderman DVD when we were at his house. He’s really cool.’
‘I see,’ said Mary testily.
No, you don’t , Amy wanted to reply, but restrained herself.
‘Yes, it was a bit embarrassing really,’ said Amy, wondering why she felt the need to justify herself. ‘I had a problem with the plumbing and then I got a bit mucky on the allotments so he lent me some clothes.I barely know him.’ She was aware she was gabbling. She was further aware that the more she gabbled, the more sceptically Mary looked at her.
‘Well, I suppose it was inevitable that you would find a new man one day,’ said Mary, ‘but I have to say I’m surprised that you’re rushing things.’
Amy blushed, immediately furious with herself for doing so. She had nothing to be embarrassed about or apologise for.
‘Mary, I don’t have a new man,’ she said. ‘He’s just someone who helped me out.’
‘If you say so,’ said Mary.
‘No, really,’ said Amy. ‘There
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