“Because once they’re adults you have no control. You have to let them make their own decisions and mistakes, and all you can do is watch and support. Also, when the same thing happened to you, you were too busy holding everything together to spend too much time worrying. You just got on with things.”

Connie frowned. “I’m still busy.”

“You spend your time supporting Milly and Zoe and helping out at Forest Nest. It’s time to think about yourself, Connie. Do something that distracts you. Something that needs your full attention. Switch your phone off! You need to detach yourself from their problems for a while. Rediscover you. That way perhaps you won’t spend your whole time worrying about Milly and Zoe. And I’ll worry a little less about you.”

Connie couldn’t imagine switching her phone off. What if Milly or Zoe needed her in an emergency? “Is this a good time to say I’m sorry for all the worry I ever caused you?”

“All part of life.” Her mother waved a hand dismissively. “And look at you. You came through it. You can’t get rid of all the bumps. All you can do is hope for good people around you who will be there for you while you crawl over those bumps. And if you think you have it bad, you should put yourself in my position. I’m worried about you, my daughter and my granddaughter, so that makes my burden twice as heavy as yours and gives me the right to ask about her date.”

Connie wondered how it was that her mother always managed to make her smile. “Maybe, but I still think we need to be careful when we ask her about last night.”

“You have to be careful, but I get a pass because of my mature years.” Peggy spooned sugar into her coffee. “My role is to interfere and give her the benefit of my many decades of wisdom. How did she meet him?”

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about him. And we’re not going to know unless she chooses to tell us. Should you be using that much sugar?”

“I’m eighty-two,” her mother said. “I’ll eat as much sugar as I like. And just because you’ve been kind enough to let me stay with you while they fix my roof doesn’t give you the right to nag me.”

“I like having you here. You’re an easy guest, apart from your sugar habit. And your tendency to speak your mind. And talking of your roof, how is it coming along? Are they making progress?”

“We had all that rain last month so they think it will take another few weeks. I’m going over to take a look later.”

Connie frowned. “You’re worried they’re not doing a good job?”