My name is Victor Hart, thirtyseven, and for all the success Id builta respectable engineering degree, a solid job at a Manchester firmI was still missing one thing: a family of my own. Six years ago my father died, and I moved back into the cramped twobedroom flat Id shared with my mother, Eleanor, ever since. Id never wanted to disappoint her, so I earned good marks, landed a stable position, and kept her expectations alive, hoping someday shed hear me say Id found the woman to start a life with, the one who could spoil her future grandchildren.
That woman turned out to be Poppy Greene, a shy girl from a small village in Cumbria who was still studying at university when we met. Her family didnt have much, but that mattered little to me. Eleanor, however, frowned on the match, insisting Poppy wasnt suitable. Still, I chose my heart for the first time and began dating her.
A few months later I brought Poppy home, announcing that we were moving in together and that she was pregnant with my child. My mother recoiled, convinced Poppy had somehow tricked her into staying in the city. Despite Eleanors objections, Poppy moved in. At first Eleanors hospitality was thinskinned, but over time she grew tolerant, even admiring Poppys knack for keeping the flat tidy and the kitchen warm. Still, a quiet tension lingered, as if Eleanor were waiting for a spark to ignite a feud.
When our daughter arrivedbrighteyed and christened PippaEleanor demanded a paternity test. We complied, though Id never doubted the blood that ran through Pippas veins was mine. The results confirmed I was her father, yet Eleanor refused to accept Poppy as part of our family, even suggesting I break up with Poppy and hand the child over to her.
Rage boiled through me. I packed a bag, took Poppy and little Pippa, and walked out of my mothers flat, never looking back. Since that night Ive spoken to Eleanor only when forced, convinced shes selfish and indifferent to my feelings. Its a shame she cant see Poppy as a member of our family, but I wont compromise my own truth for her disapproval.
