A Model Mother

Chapter 7

Miles paced up and down the drawing room in Helen’s house, he had a face like thunder and ran his fingers back and forth through his hair.

Helen sat patiently. She looked a little strained but the jut of her chin would have warned anyone who knew her that she might be in the middle of a battle but she had every intention of winning it. Besides, she was Miles’s mother, she had spent the last 35 years dealing with all of his moods and emotions.

“I can’t believe you went to visit her without speaking to me first.” Miles continued pacing.

“I told you darling, it just happened really suddenly. I called her on spec, just to say hello and to test the waters. As soon as I saw that picture of my grandson, I just couldn’t think of anything except seeing him. Rose invited me over and I just wanted to see her and Lloyd as soon as possible before she changed her mind.” She paused.

“Of course I was going to tell you, but when you phoned and said you were flying over, I decided to wait until you were here.”

“Anyway”, Helen continued, “if you came to see me to ask me to accompany you when you visit them, then surely it’s a case of all’s well that ends well. I’ll call Rose today and suggest some dates, times and locations. How long will you be here for?”

Miles remained sunk in thought. He felt terribly betrayed by his mother but knew that wasn’t fair; after all, she did not know what Rose had been up to. Probably it was best just to roll with it and let her set up the meeting.

“OK. Go ahead, set up a meeting ASAP, preferably in the next 48 hours.  I’ll meet anywhere she chooses. If she wants to talk to me directly then she can call me on my mobile.”

He sat down facing Helen and exhaled deeply. “I want to talk to her about access to Lloyd but obviously I don’t want to get into a fight at the first meeting and I don’t want to upset the baby. I just want to meet her to break the ice and to see Lloyd.”

Miles massaged his neck and exhaled again. He felt tense and nervous now he was getting closer to seeing his son. He thought he had better warn his mother that things could get nasty.

“If I can do it, I will pursue full parental rights to Lloyd. I understand that Rose may fight tooth and nail, but I believe he will have a better life with me than with Rose and…….” he tailed off.

“There’s no “may” about it,” Helen retorted dryly, “Rose will fight you every inch of the way, and if I was in her position I would too.”

Helen was taken aback, Miles was not normally one for vindictiveness. Was he hinting, too, that Rose had someone else? This was totally at odds with what Rose had led Helen to believe.

Miles grimaced. “I’m afraid I have some information about Rose that will make her very uncomfortable. I think that when she and I have a 1-2-1 she may become very reasonable about access to Lloyd.”

Helen was intrigued but also concerned. If Miles had got his facts wrong he may damage any chance of a relationship with his son, forever.

“Well my advice, for what its worth, is to keep a cool head and not to unnecessarily antagonise her. She and Lloyd are close and she’s doing a great job with him; whatever you feel about Rose, if you rip that baby from her then you may find that both of them may never forgive you. And if I end up losing contact with my grandson I won’t be best pleased either.”

Miles got up, “Let me know once you’ve arranged a time and place, will you, I’ve got to go into the office now.”

He briefly kissed Helen and hugged her and then left.

As soon as the door closed, Helen wasted no time. She checked Rose’s number and called.