Expecting the unexpected

They loved each other, but somehow everything had soured between mother and daughter

- Christine Pinfold

‘Believe me, my mum won’t welcome the news of a second grandchild! Not yet anyway.’

Becky could barely believe she had said that aloud. And was ashamed to admit that she’d harboured these thoughts about her own mother for longer than she cared to remember. Of course she loved her mother dearly, but the truth was that since Becky had announced her first pregnancy with Joey, their mother-daughter relationship had been more than strained. And yet she knew, from the minute he was born, just under a year ago, her baby couldn’t have asked for a more doting grandmother.

‘You’re being too harsh on her. She adores Joey and she’ll adore the next one,’ Sam said, trying to nappy change the wriggling, chuckling baby on his knee.

‘So much easier to use the changing mat,’ Becky replied, her brow furrowed, as she watched father and son’s playful battle with the process of nappy-change time. ‘You know very well, it’s me she has the problem with, not Joey. I can hear her now... “Oh, Becky, another baby, so soon after Joey? What about your career?’’’

‘Look, I know she gave you a hard time, first time round, but I think she’s mellowed since Joey arrived. Trouble is, living so far away doesn’t help. Things would probably be better if we saw more of her. And let’s face it, neither of you picks up the phone very often.’