You’ll Have to Sit with the Little One, After All—You’re the Granny!

Grandma, youll have to look after the baby, youre the only one, Laura snapped, eyes flashing with a mix of defiance and desperation.

Anna Brown set her tea cup down and met her daughters stare, the one that always seemed to know a harsh reply was coming.

Are you sure nows the right time for a child? Laura asked, a thin smile playing on her lips as if rehearsing the inevitable.

Mom, weve been over this before. Anna said, voice steady. Exactly why were talking again. You and Simon have only been married a year. Hes just starting to climb the corporate ladder, and youre still waiting for a promotion at the firm. Youre barely making ends meet, and now you want a baby

Laura rolled her eyes, a gesture Anna recognized from her teenage yearsa silent leave me alone that now felt more like what do you know?

Were fine, Mum. Simon earns well enough. Well manage. And theres that old saying about the rabbit and the meadow, remember? Laura tried to defuse the tension.

Yes, Ive heard the meadow story, but a baby isnt a plush rabbit you can put on a shelf when you tire of it. Wellearning only matters if you have a safety net. Wellearning doesnt help when you have to wonder where the money for nappies and formula will come from if the company decides to cut staff.

Anna shrugged and turned toward the window, the gesture saying the conversation was over. Laura knew her mothers silence was a silent victory. She sighed. At twentyfive, a grown woman still took every piece of advice as a personal slight.

Laura, Im not trying to forbid anythingyoure an adult. Just think about it. A year or two wont change much, but a little stability could buy you peace of mind.

I know exactly when I want to have a child, Laura replied, her tone hardened enough to make Annas head shake. Pressing further would be pointless. Sometimes people have to learn the hard way, especially when theyre your own children.

Exactly nine months later, Laura called from the hospital.

Mum, its a girl! Threetwentytwo centimetres! Shes beautiful, you wont believe it! Her voice rang with pure joy, and Anna didnt mention the argument from a year ago. Why? The baby was alive, healthy, and wanted. Everything else would sort itself out or so she hoped.

Anna began visiting every week, bringing fresh fruit and the occasional readymade meal. In the early months Laura could hardly find time to shower, let alone stand at the stove. Anna helped, but she kept her distanceno unsolicited advice, no judgment when Laura put Poppy to bed at seven or at ten, no frown when Laura splurged on organic formula instead of the supermarket brand.

A daughters family feels like a foreign land, even when its your own.

Poppy grew, cooing, learning to grab her rattles with chubby fingers. Watching her, Anna felt the strange sensation of loving someone fiercely while knowing she was merely a guestwelcome, cherished, but still a guest.

Laura blossomed in motherhood. She lost weight, a tired sort of lean, dark circles under her eyes, but she smiled with a brightness that hadnt been seen since school days. Anna was genuinely happy for her.

Half a year after Poppys birth, Laura arrived at Annas kitchen with a look that promised no pleasant conversation.

Mom, weve got problems, she said, sliding into a chair, hands clenched around the table.

Moneys tight. Completely, Laura admitted.

For what?

For everythingbills, nappies, formula, groceries. You know how pricey everything is now!

Anna knew all too well. Shed tried to teach Laura the basics of budgeting a year ago, to no avail.

Did Simon get the promotion? Anna asked.

He did, but it isnt enough. I need to work, Mum. We cant stretch this any further.

Right.

Theres nowhere to put Poppy. The nursery only takes children up to eighteen months, and Ive called every daycare centre in the town. A nanny a nanny costs more than I earn.

Anna stayed silent, the weight of the conversation pressing on her throat.

Could you look after Poppy while Im at work? Laura asked, hope flickering in her voice.

Laura, I work, Anna replied.

But you could quit, or take leave. Youve got some untaken holidays, right?

Annas head shook slowly. Lauras eyes begged for a miracle, and for a fleeting second Anna felt a pang of pity.

No, Laura. I wont quit my job just to watch your child.

But why? Shes my daughter, Mum!

The tone in Lauras voice turned sharp, almost childlike, like a fiveyearold demanding a doll when payday is still a week away.

Because I have my own life. My own job. My own plans.

What plans, Mum? Youre fiftyfive!

Anna felt no sting from the bluntness; shed long since accepted that to Laura she was simply Mum a role that didnt permit personal ambitions.

Thats why Im not going to spend my remaining years changing nappies.

Laura shoved her teacup so hard the tea splashed onto the tablecloth.

Youre selfish.

Perhaps.

Youre a terrible mother!

And thats possible too.

Anna watched Lauras eyes fill with tearsanger, hurt, something else entirely. Laura never lost at games; shed smash the chess pieces as a child if she lost.

The weeks turned into a relentless loop of the same accusations: Youre a bad mother. Youre a bad grandmother. How could you? Im your daughter. Poppy is your granddaughter.

One evening Anna could bear no more.

Tell me exactly what Ive done wrong. Why am I suddenly bad?

Laura flinched, caught off guard.

You refuse to help!

Its not a fault, its a choice. And what about when you were a child? Were I a bad mother then?

…You you always at work! Laura choked.

I was at work because I fed you, clothed you. Remember the best nursery in the district? The dresses from Childrens World while other girls wore handmedowns?

Laura fell silent.

Remember university? The tuition I paid out of my own pocket for five years so you could get a proper degree.

Mom

The flat I gave you for your wedding? Two bedrooms in a decent area. The car?

Laura flushed, unsure if it was shame or fury.

Thats different.

No, it isnt. As a mother I did everything I could, maybe even more than was required. And now when I truly need help, you turn away!

Anna inhaled deeply.

Laura, I warned you a year ago. I said wait until youre on your feet. You said you knew when you wanted a child. That was your decision.

So what now? Youre punishing me for it?

No. I just wont waste my life paying for it.

Laura sprang from her seat, tears streaming, lips trembling.

Ill never forget how you acted!

Maybe one day youll understand when youre a grandmother yourself.

Laura left without a goodbye.

Two months of silence followed. Annas calls went unanswered, texts left unread. She only saw Poppy in photos on social mediaLaura hadnt blocked her, but the gap was palpable.

Anna scrolled through the pictures each night. Little Poppy learning to sit, then to crawl, smiling at the camera, reaching for toys. Growing without her.

It hurt, yes. But Anna regretted nothing.

She thought about how quickly people grow accustomed to convenience, how pleas turn into demands.

Laura had always taken, received, demanded. While Anna gave, everything was fine. The moment she said no, her daughter turned into a monster.

Time may smooth the edges. Maybe Laura will one day own her choices, finally mature past her thirties.

Meanwhile Anna kept livinggoing to work, meeting friends, planning a summer holiday, waiting. Patiently, without bitterness, without a desire for revenge.

She simply waited for her daughter to outgrow this selfishness.

She had always been patient.