“Can you send me some pictures to show to my golf guys?” Alek asks Liam and as soon as the words come through the phone Liam bursts into laughter, confusing me.

“You’re playing golf? You always said it was an old man sport.” His parents roll their eyes at him. Seeing how much love is between the three of them makes me smile.

“It is an old man sport, I am an old man. I’m a grandpa now, remember.” Alek deadpans, clearly bored with his son’s antics, which just makes Liam laugh more. “Anyway, there isn’t much else I can do around here and if I’m at home your mom finds jobs for me.” I join in their laughter then as Tracy glares at her husband.

“We will send some over for both of you.” That makes Liam’s mum’s face split into a smile again and we both have to hold back our laughter at their antics.

When Liam and I grow old I want us to be like his parents. They obviously love each other but they are also their own people. I don’t want to be like my mum, throwing myself so deep into a relationship that it drowns me. I don’t want to be Liam’s housewife, barefoot and pregnant. I want to be his partner. His confidant. I want us to be there for each other and our family the way his parents are. The type of love that spans time zones and generations.

“So, I have had an idea but if you hate it then we can pretend I never mentioned it.” Tracy is biting her lip now. I side-eye Liam to find him looking back at me just as confused.

“What is it, Mom?” he asks finally, apprehension is clear as he tightens his arm around my shoulders.

“Well, I think it might do good for your dad and I to come up for a few weeks, be there for anything you need.” She takes a deep breath giving us a second to process before she speaks again, “We can do the housework and take Jack to school so Ellis can heal and you can both bond with Charlotte.”

“Oh. Well, I…” I stumble over my words. I feel like I have to say yes. She is their granddaughter after all but I haven’t seen them in person in over ten years. Spending real time with them might be terrible, we might clash about everything. I don’t know if I can cope with that post-partum.

“Look don’t answer me now, talk it through and get back to me.” She takes the heat off. “Either way, I want to come up for a visit so it’s just if I am coming for a few days or a few weeks to take a load off, okay? Now go get some sleep Ellis, you deserve to rest.”