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after all and to get his nephew to give me a call.  Then I drive past my own house and feel a little peeved I haven’t got time to go in, as I carry on my way to Nottingham.
     
    I get to mom’s house half an hour late.  She is waiting on guard in the veranda as I pull up.  She comes out, yanking the passenger door open none too gently.  ‘You’re late, Lola.  Where have you been, the dinner is going to be frazzled to death.’
    ‘Hi, Mom.’   I try to keep it bright and breezy, but it already looks as if it is going to be one of those weekends, I’m in trouble already.
    She glance s into the back of the car at the flower Armageddon and her lips purse up like a cat’s backside. ‘Are they for me?’
    Well I c an’t say no now she has spotted them can I?  If I tell her they are from James she will think I have mangled them up on purpose in some sort of spiteful act.  And I really don’t want to get into the whole James situation with her, so I just nod my head, smile and say, ‘happy birthday, mom.’ 
    ‘Really , Lola, when are you going to start trying a bit harder?’ she tuts to herself, and gathers up the flowers.  She pulls out the now empty water bag and examines it, her face wrinkling in disgust.  ‘I suppose I’ll have to see if I can rescue any of them, it looks as if you’ve been sitting on them.’
    I don’t bother explaining.  I can never win with her so I just follow her into the house, like a scolded puppy.  I’m in the doghouse already and I’ve hardly opened my mouth yet.  I drop my bag at the foot of the stairs, and go into the kitchen where I can smell my favourite lamb casserole cooking and feel my stomach rumble in response.  There are only two places set at the table for dinner. 
    ‘Where’s Malcolm?  And I thought Alexander was coming over too?’  Malcolm is my poor suffering step dad, usually my ally when my mom starts nagging at me, which is often.  Alexander is my younger brother who, according to mom, has the sun shining out of his backside.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my little brother, but he can’t put a foot wrong in my mom’s eyes and it gets a little bit wearing after the twenty-six years or so he has been on this earth, and I have been in his shadow.
    ‘Malcolm will be a lit tle late, and Alexander is so busy at work he couldn’t make it, poor thing, but he sent me these beautiful flowers today.’  She points to the flowers on the countertop, her face beaming with pride and I just smile.  It’s typical of Alex to find a way out of visiting and yet he still manages to be the perfect son.  Yet here I am, I’d nearly broken my neck to get here and I feel like the world’s worst daughter.
    We s it down to dinner and I shovel a few forkfuls of casserole into my mouth, I am so hungry I feel like I haven’t eaten in a month.  ‘So have you had a nice birthday, mom?’
    ‘Yes , dear, I’ve been out today with your Aunt Sheila.  We went to a beauty salon and I had a facial and a manicure and pedicure.’  She holds out her long pink fingernails for me to inspect.  ‘How have you been, dear? I haven’t seen you in quite a while.’
    ‘It’s only been three weeks , mom - you called in and saw me at the shop remember?’
    ‘Yes I do remember, I’m not senile yet, Lola.  I meant saw you properly, like we’re doing now, for the weekend.’
    Damn, I had been hoping I could slope off tomorrow, but it looks as if she is going to guilt me into staying for the whole weekend.  I look at my watch - hopefully Malcolm will be back soon.
    ‘So how is the shop doing, it seemed a bit quiet when we came to visit?’ She carefully put s her knife and fork down on the side of her plate between mouthfuls.
    ‘It’s doing great,’ I lie, ‘we’re about to introduce a new designer, so that should boost sales a bit.’
    ‘Well, if you need me to come over and help you in any way you only need to ask, dear.  I’m always willing to help out my