The bigger PICTURE

Emma was dreading Jessica's visit - after all, they had nothing in common

- Phoebe Gibson

That would be wonderful, love!' Emma lied, flipping the Countryfile wall calendar (her Christmas present) forward to what she knew would be a blank page.

'Let me see now...' she waited an appropriate moment. 'Yes, I think I can move things around.

It would be lovely to see you!" She hoped her enthusiasm didn't sound false. Intonation was amplified in a phone call.

'Great! Hang on a mo, Mum,' replied Christopher. 'Jess wants a word...' Emma's stomach lurched. She imagined the silently mouthed exchange between her only son and his long-term girlfriend.

'Hi, Mum!' a breathless gush finally oozed down the phone.

How Emma hated the girl's overfamiliarity! Jessica had a mother of her own. Why claim another? She waited for whatever was to be the bad news. Was it too much to hope they were splitting up? No. Why book a visit two months in advance if that was the case? 'How are you? We're psyched about the trip!' Emma prepared to reply but Jessica was on a roll. 'Just an FYI.

Kale needs his own room now.' Emma rolled her eyes. It was bad enough that her grandson had such a ridiculous name - she could barely utter it without a grimace - but the implication of this demand was that the one-year-old would be in the box room next to hers. Grandma would cop for his famous 4am starts.

*No problem. Is the blue room OK?' Emma didn't know why she asked the question as there was nowhere else for him to sleep. But after the hoo-ha over the stereotypical colour of his first sleepsuit - an honest mistake on Emma's part - she thought it prudent to enquire.

'Sick!' Jessica exclaimed.

'We'll bring blackout curtains!'

An apathetic unease dogged Emma over the following days.

She tried hard to convince herself not to be unreasonable.