“That’s not true and you know it. Of course I don’t regret it. How could I possibly regret having you? I love you. You’re the best thing I’ve ever done with my life.”

“It is true. You want to live your life through me. You want me to do all the things you failed to do when you were younger. You want me to have all the same ambitions you used to have, just because you never got to fulfill them. And that’s just not fair.”

Jess drove as though her body had taken control of the car with no input from her brain. This was one of those rare moments when she dared to imagine how different her life might have been were she not always having these parental conversations alone.

As she pulled into the mid-stay car park at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, Jess let Mia’s words settle in her head. She could sense her mum staring at her but was too angry to turn and meet her gaze. “Mia, I know you’re passionate about art, but that doesn’t mean I should stand by and let you make mistakes I think you’ll regret for the rest of your life. It’s my job, as your mum, to protect you as much as I can, sometimes even from your own decisions.”

“But I don’t want your protection. If I’m going to have regrets, I want them to be mine, not yours. I’ve spent my whole life trying to be what you want me to be. I’ve never got into trouble, I’ve always got straight As, I’ve never set a foot wrong because it felt like you only loved me when I was doing everything right—”

“Come on, Mia, that’s not fair. I’m sorry if—”

“Yes, it is, Mum. That’s what it’s always felt like. Can’t you just let me do this one thing I want to do without making me feel as though somehow I’m letting you down?”

In the seconds that followed it seemed to Jess that every possible response ran through her mind. As she wended her way up the narrow ramps of the car park in search of a free space, it struck her that this was one of those moments when the stitches of her relationship with Mia eased loose and there was no way of knowing what pattern they would form when they finally knitted back together. She knew, deep down, that it was only a matter of time: that she would, in the end, give her blessing, grant Mia the autonomy she craved if only so as not to lose her. But now, without understanding why, she couldn’t seem to find the words to communicate any of that to Mia.

“I only want what’s best for you.”

“Fine. So stop going on about Cambridge and let me go to art college. I’m going anyway, whether you want me to or not.”

As Jess nudged the car into a parking space she imagined getting out, folding her arms around Mia, holding her close, and blanketing their conflict in an embrace. She imagined reassuring Mia that she could never disappoint her, not really, because even the greatest maternal disappointments were shrouded in love.