“You wont see your granddaughter again,” declared the daughter-in-law before blocking my number.
“Margaret, may I wash the dishes? My hands itch for something to do,” offered Emily, peering into the kitchen where her mother-in-law sat.
Margaret lowered her newspaper, studying her daughter-in-law with a wary gaze. Emily stood in the doorway in her usual dressing gown, hair piled carelessly atop her headbut her eyes were strange, glistening, feverish.
“Dont trouble yourself, love. You worked late on that presentation yesterday. Ill manage,” Margaret replied, folding the paper.
“No, really, let me. You do so much around here, and I just feel in the way,” Emily insisted, already moving toward the sink.
Margaret frowned. Something in Emilys manner unsettled hershe was normally reserved, tense in her presence, yet now she fidgeted like a schoolgirl before an exam.
“Wheres Lily?” Margaret asked, referring to her four-year-old granddaughter.
“Still asleep. She stayed up late watching cartoons,” Emily answered, scrubbing a plate with unnatural vigor.
Margaret stepped closer. Emily smelled of her usual perfumethe one William had bought her for her birthdaybut beneath it, something else lingered, something sharp, like dread.
“Emily, dear, whats the matter? You seem on edge today,” Margaret said softly.
Emily froze, the wet plate clutched in her hands. Her shoulders stiffened, her knuckles whitening.
“Its nothing. Just tired, I suppose.”
“And William? He promised to take Lily to the park today,” Margaret pressed, the air in the kitchen growing heavier.
“William wont be coming,” Emily snapped, slamming the plate into the drying rack with a clatter that made Margaret flinch.
“What do you mean? He said just yesterday”
“Margaret,” Emily turned slowly, and her mother-in-law saw that her eyes were red-rimmed, as if shed been crying. “We need to talk.”
Margarets pulse quickened. She sank into a chair, her legs suddenly weak.
“Sit down, love. Tell me whats happened.”
Emily remained standing, drying her hands so fiercely it seemed she meant to rub the skin clean off.
“William and I are divorcing.”
The words fell like stones into the silence. Margarets insides twisted as though every thread holding her together had been severed at once.
“How… how can that be? Just yesterday, everything was fine! You had dinner together, Lily recited her nursery rhymes”
“Margaret, weve been strangers for six months. We only pretended for Lilys sake. But we cant anymore.”
Margaret tried to stand, but her legs refused. She gripped the edge of the table instead.
“But why? What happened? Cant it be fixed? Should I speak to William?”
Emily gave a bitter laugh.
“Talking wont change anything. He packed his things last night and left. For her.”
“Her?” Margaret whispered, though in her heart, she already knew.
“His new fling. Claire, from the office. The one hes spent months gushing abouthow clever she is, how understanding.”
Emily sat opposite her mother-in-law, hands trembling on the table.
“Margaret, I know you love him. Hes your only son. But hes betrayed our family.”
“Emily, darling,” Margaret reached for her hands, but Emily pulled away. “Men sometimes lose their heads. Itll pass. William will come to his senses. He loves Lily”
“Loves her,” Emily nodded. “Which is why hell see her on weekends. Convenient, isnt it? No responsibility, just the fun bits.”
“And you? You loved him too, once…”
Emily shut her eyes, dragging a hand down her face.
“I did. For five years. Had his child. Gave up my career at a good firm because he wanted a housewife. Cooked, cleaned, washed. While he flirted with secretaries.”
A lump rose in Margarets throat. Shed always suspected something was amisshis late nights, the sudden business trips.
“Emily, couldnt this just be a rough patch? All marriages go through them.”
“Margaret,” Emilys voice turned brittle. “He told me outrighthe loves someone else. Stayed with me only for Lily. Romantic, dont you think?”
Tears streaked Emilys cheeks, yet her voice held steady.
“What happens now?” Margaret whispered.
“Im filing for divorce. Lily stays with me. Were moving to my mums in Birmingham.”
“Birmingham?” Margaret gasped. “Why so far?”
“Because here, everything reminds me of him. And because Mums offered me work at her firm.”
Margaret stood, drifting to the window. Children played outside, among them Lilys little friend from next door. Her heart ached.
“And Lily? Shes settled hereher nursery, her friends. Shes used to me…”
“Shell adjust. Children do.”
“Emily, I understand youre angry with William. Rightly so. But why punish me? What have I done?”
Emily whirled around.
“Done? Who spent years telling William he was special, that rules didnt apply? Who excused every tantrum, starting from school?”
“I loved him”
“Loved? Or spoiled?” Emilys voice hardened. “Remember when he abandoned his first girlfriend after she got pregnant? You said, Good lad, dodged that one.”
Margarets face burned.
“That was years ago”
“And when he skipped child support? Shouldve thought before having a baby, you said. Now youre shocked hes left us too?”
“Emily, please”
“How should I say it?” Emily stepped closer. “You raised a selfish man, Margaret. Now Im supposed to stay quiet and endure?”
Lily appeared in her princess pajamas, rubbing sleep from her eyes.
“Mummy, why are you shouting?”
Emilys face softened instantly. She knelt before her daughter.
“We werent shouting, sweetheart. Just talking. Go wash up, Ill make breakfast.”
“Wheres Daddy? He promised the park.”
Margaret and Emily exchanged glances. Lilys trusting eyes tore at Margarets heart.
“Daddy… cant today,” Emily said softly. “Hes busy.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I dont know, Lily. I dont know.”
The girl frowned but shuffled off to the bathroom. Once the door shut, Emily straightened, meeting Margarets gaze.
“Now I get to explain why her father left.”
“Emily, darling,” Margaret grasped her hands. “I know youre angry. At William, at me. But think of Lily. She loves me. Why take her away?”
“Because youd teach her to forgive men anything. That women should suffer in silence. I wont let her live my life.”
“Im not like that”
“You are.” Emilys voice was steel. “When William hit me after Lily was born, I came to you in tears. You said, Men get frazzled with babies. Be wiser.”
Margaret paled. She rememberedand at the time, shed believed it sound advice.
“But he never did it again”
“Because I warned him Id leave. Not because he changed.”
From the bathroom came Lilys off-key singing as she washed. A sound so ordinary, yet now it felt like farewell.
“When do you leave?” Margaret asked, voice trembling.
“Tomorrow. The tickets are booked.”
“Tomorrow? So sooncouldnt you wait till the weekend?”
“The longer we stay, the harder for Lily.”
“And me?” Margaret whispered. “What about my pain?”
Emily turned to the window.
“You shouldve thought of that sooner. When you were raising your son.”
Lily burst in, cheeks rosy from scrubbing.
“Mummy, can we go to the park with Granny today? Theyve got new swings!”
Margarets eyes pleaded with Emily.
“Yes, sweetheart,” Emily said after a pause. “Go with Granny.”
Lily clapped and dashed off to dress. Margaret watched her go, then faced Emily.
“Is this the last time?”
“Yes.”
“Emily, I beg youdont cut me out completely. We could call, I could visit”
“No,” Emily said firmly. “You wont see Lily again. Ill block your number. Were starting freshwithout any of you.”
Margarets world crumbled. She dropped into a chair, covering her face.
“You know Ill wither without her.”
“And I nearly died living with your son. Now its my turn to live.”
Lily bounded back, ready.
“Granny, lets go! I want the slide!”
Margaret wiped her eyes, took Lilys hand.
“Come along, poppet.”
At the park, Lily swung high, laughing, babbling about a new cartoon. Margaret memorized every giggle, every wordknowing tomorrow, theyd exist only in memory.
“Granny, why are you crying?” Lily asked, hopping off the swing.
“Just the wind, darling. Just the wind.”
At home, Emily packed suitcases. Lily frowned.
“Mummy, are we going somewhere?”
“Yes, love. To Grandma Louises. Itll be fun.”
“Is Daddy coming?”
“No. Daddys staying here.”
“And Granny Maggie?”
Emily glanced at Margaretjust for a second, something like regret flickered.
“Granny Maggies staying too.”
“But I dont want to go without Granny!” Lily wailed. “She does the voices in stories!”
“Ill do the voices,” Emily said gently.
“Yours arent as good!”
Margaret knelt, pulling Lily close.
“My sweet girl. Youll go with Mummy, and Ill love you every day from here.”
“Will we come back?”
“I dont know, poppet. I dont know.”
Lily cried harder, clinging to Margaret, who stroked her hair, feeling something inside her tear apart.
“Mummy, do we have to?” Margaret whispered.
“Better she adjusts now than suffers later,” Emily saidbut her voice wavered.
That night, after Lily slept, Margaret tried once more.
“Emily, I know I failed. But give me a chance.”
“Too late, Margaret.”
“What if I speak to William? Make him come home?”
Emily scoffed.
“You cant. Hes besotted with his new life. And I wont beg a man to love his family.”
At dawn, Margaret saw them off to the taxi. Lily wept, refusing to let go.
“Granny, come with us!” she sobbed.
“I cant, my love. I cant.”
Emily buckled Lily in, then met Margarets eyes one last time.
“Goodbye, Margaret.”
“Goodbye, Emily.”
The taxi vanished. Margaret stood frozen on the step until Mrs. Thompson from next door approached.
“Margaret, whats happened? Whereve they gone?”
“Gone,” Margaret murmured. “For good.”
Inside, the empty house echoed. A half-eaten breakfast sat on the tableand Lilys forgotten stuffed bunny.
Margaret clutched it to her chest, weeping.
Her life was over.
