Oh, you wont believe what happened with my daughter the other day. So, I was all ready to pop over to hers, like I always do, to look after little Olivia while she went to her yoga class. I had my coat on, my bag in handsame routine as always. But then, just as she was tying her trainers by the door, she said, “Mum, you dont need to come today, honestly. Thanks for everything, but Ive got it sorted. Just stay home, relax.”
I froze. Like, properly frozelike someone had just unplugged me. What did I do wrong? Did I put Olivia down for her nap too late? Use the wrong nappy? Or was it just me?
Turns out, it wasnt about me at all. It was her in-laws. Proper posh, they arethe kind who bring fancy Fortnum & Mason hampers and act like they own the place. Which, to be fair, they basically do. They bought the house for her and her husband, furnished it all, even brought over some posh tea blend they insist on drinking. And now, its like Olivias theirs too. And me? Well, Im just there.
Me, a railway worker with 30 years on the jobno fancy degrees, no designer handbags, just a simple woman in a sensible coat.
“Mum, look at you,” she said, ever so gently. “Youve put on weight. Your hairs gone grey. You look tired. And that coatits just so frumpy. And you smell like the Tube. You get it, dont you?”
What could I even say?
After she left, I caught my reflection in the mirror. And yeah, there I wasa woman with tired eyes, wrinkles round her mouth, cheeks flushed with shame. I felt this wave of sadness hit me like a sudden downpour on a sunny day. I went outside just to breathe, and before I knew it, I was cryingproper ugly crying, right there on the pavement.
So I went back to my little flatmy cosy studio in a quiet part of town. Sat on the sofa and scrolled through my old phone, all these photos of my daughter: her first day of school with that big ribbon, her graduation, her wedding, then little Olivia grinning in her cot.
My whole life, right there in those pictures. Everything Id lived for. And now? Well, if Im not needed anymore, then fine. My times passed. Ive done my bit. The last thing I want is to be a burden. If they need me, theyll call. Maybe.
Then, not long after, my phone rang.
“Mum” Her voice was tight. “Can you come? The nanny quit, the in-laws well, theyve been awful. And Andrews gone off with his mates somewhere, and Im just Im alone.”
I took a breath. Then, calmly, I said, “Sorry, love. I cant right now. Ive got to sort myself out. Get presentable, like you said. Maybe another time.”
I hung up. And for the first time in ages, I smiled. A sad smile, but a proud one.
