All good, Mum, and Lilys doing fine. We just got a little trim. Yeah, love?
Mum what are you? Marys voice tightened, she squeezed the phone.
Weve tidied her up. Come over and youll see, Vera said cheerfully, and a few beeps crackled on the line.
Sensing something off, Mary grabbed her car keys and sped off to her mothers house.
Lilys always been a special little one. From the moment she was born, it was clear she was a little angel. Soft, honeyblonde curls framed her pretty face and huge blue eyes. Shed been born with those ringlets the sonographer even spotted them on the scan. Mary laughed at the idea of curls, but when the midwife showed her the baby, the little curls were already neatly tucked into a tiny hairstyle.
From day one Lily was lowmaintenance. She slept soundly through the night, didnt need any nightfeeds and let Mum get her own rest. Mary was amazed when a friend ranted about how exhausted she was with her newborn son, who couldnt tell day from night and slept only when held and rocked in the bedroom. If the baby was ever set down, hed wake up crying and have to be rocked again, over and over, all day and night. The parents ate little, slept little
With Lily, Mary got a full nights sleep, and Andrew went to work feeling rested. There was plenty of milk, and Lily had a hearty appetite. They grew together for the first year eating, sleeping, repeating. Then Lily started crawling. Things got trickier but also more interesting. All the cupboards had to be childproofed, handles bolted on, corners padded, so she wouldnt bang into anything. Mary handled it all on her own; no extra help was needed. Grandparents from both sides would pop over, play with Lily, bring presents, but Vera kept asking Mary to bring Lily over to her flat. Mary finally agreed when Lily turned eighteen months.
Vera Richardson, Marys mum, was retired after a long career in a preschool first as a nanny, then as the kitchen lady. She knew kids inside out, but Mary still worried and didnt trust anyone else with her daughter.
Vera frowned. Whats that? You dont trust your own mother! Am I some stranger? Lilys a healthy little thing no allergies, no ailments, nothing at all. Why dont you bring her over for a day? You could pop to the shops yourself.
Mum, Im not tired. I can push Lilys pram and do the shopping just fine.
Thats for the supermarket, love. And you wanted a new coat! You cant try it on with a pram in tow. Let me have her for a bit and you can go out.
The coat was the real reason. Mary had been eyeing a nice leather jacket and wanted to try it on in the fitting rooms impossible with Lily in the car. So she packed a mountain of babygear she thought might be needed for half a day, scribbled a list of notes, and drove Lily to Veras.
Heres the list, Mary said, handing over a sheet tucked in her bag. It says what time to put her down, which puree to give the purees in the fridge. And look, when she loses her favourite stuffed horse she cries a lot and wont settle. Give her a spoon, pretend the horses eating too, and shell gobble everything up. Theres also a picture book we read together; she loves tapping the pages when the music plays
Vera stopped her. Mary, dear, I know how to look after babies. Shes a yearandahalf now, not a newborn. Everything will be fine.
She cradled Lily, set her on the sofa and sang, Clap, clap off we go, up to the sky! Lily giggled, flashing her tiny, ricegrainlike teeth.
Mary forgot how good it felt to just get behind the wheel and head out. She wandered through the town centre, a bit of a rare treat, bought a few pieces of clothing, then ducked into a café for a coffee and a slice of cake, lingered a while, and finally drove to a shop where she finally tried on the coat shed been dreaming about. It fit perfectly.
She kept texting Vera about Lilys wellbeing. Vera replied with photos of Lily playing or munching happily, reassuring Mary that everything was okay.
The day passed smoothly. Andrew gave his stamp of approval when Mary said shed taken a day off: Good on you! Your mums not a stranger, she knows kids. Let her spend time with her granddaughter shes the only one shes got. My mum has five grandkids, so one more or one less doesnt change a thing, he joked. Shell have plenty of little ones to look after. My brothers have gotten a bit cheeky, never minding their mum. And yours? If shes asking, why fight it?
Before heading to pick Lily up, Mary called Vera to check how things were going. Vera said shed decided to give Lily a haircut.
Its about time for her first trim. Her hairs getting in the way, even her necks a bit sweaty. After a cut shell look even better.
Mum! Mary whined, almost in tears. She already has lovely hair. Why now?
Wise folks say you should cut a childs hair after the first year. Look at Leonoras boy, Egor they shaved his head and its perfect. When I was a girl in the village
Mum, hes a boy, not Lily! At least you didnt shave her completely bald Could you have asked me first?
Vera pouted, Whats the fuss? I just gave a little trim.
Lily started to cry, and Mary lifted her, slipped a new hat over the freshly cut head, trying not to stare at the uneven bangs that made her eyes water. She tucked her into the car seat, grabbed her bag, and left Veras quietly.
Andrew blinked when he saw Lily. Hed gotten used to seeing her like a cherub from a Christmas card, but now she looked a bit scruffy, more like a child from a childrens home. He shrugged, scratched his head and said, Molly, why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? Her hair will grow back.
Im not giving her back to Lily, Mary muttered, arms crossed, staring at the floor.
Did you two have a row? Andrew asked gently.
How could I not? She could have at least asked me! She started spouting all those old wives tales growing moons, clear days I didnt know you were so superstitious.
Meanwhile, Vera was on the phone with her mates, venting about how unfairly Mary had treated her. I only wanted whats best for my granddaughter. Should we argue over a few strands? Theyll grow back in no time! But being snubbed by my own daughter
One friend, a solicitor, suggested, If she wont bring the grandchild over, you could even take legal action. Family Law Act, Section 67 grandparents have a right to see their grandchildren.
Vera sighed, Were family, were not strangers.
The friend replied, Then just endure it. Kids nowadays we raised them, gave everything, and they.
