Scrambling for my phone, it would have been impossible to have dialled my mum’s number any faster. It was May 2017 and after eight months of trying with my partner, Paul, then 34, a pregnancy test had come back positive. ‘We’re having a baby,’ I gushed the moment Mum, Elizabeth, then 70, answered, and we burst into excited chatter about me becoming a mummy and she a grandma.
I grew up in a tight-knit family, sharing some of the happiest times with my brother, James, Mum, and my dad, Graham. Sadly, Mum and Dad split when I was 18, but Mum and I propped each other up as we adjusted to life without him around as much.
Even when I left home at 28, I only moved around the corner, and Mum and I would take turns to host daily chats over a pot of tea. I didn’t think we could get any closer, yet my pregnancy proved me wrong, as Mum was there for every scan, twinge and strange pregnancy symptom. When the hormones overwhelmed me, or I panicked about being a good mum, she dried my tears and reassured me that I would be. And when I needed advice, she mentored me.
Everything was perfect
Mum helped Paul and me paint the nursery pink when we found out we were expecting a girl, before finishing off a beautiful knitted cardigan.
‘I don’t know how you fit it all in,’ I told her, admiring her creation – she worked full-time as a check-in assistant for British Airways and fundraised for multiple charities. And she did it all while continuing her five-year battle with bowel cancer.
In early 2018, just days before my due date, we received the most incredible news: Mum had been given the all-clear.
It felt like a new beginning, and with no illness to hold her back, Mum was more excited than ever to savour every moment of her granddaughter’s life.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'SEEING MY NAME ON TV IS SURREAL'
Loose Women newbie Olivia Attwood Dack on joining the hit show, marriage and career goals
THE MISSING PIECE
My earliest memory of my older sister Priya wasn’t one where she was present, but rather, the realisation of her absence.
WEEKNIGHT WINNERS
Rustle up these tasty family dinners with just five easy ingredients
SMILING THROUGH CANCER
Like most mums, when my kids are upset I’ll do almost anything to turn their frowns upside down, whether it’s making Max, 11, his favourite chocolate cake or putting on silly voices for Georgia, eight, when she’s had a bad day at school.
BRAVERY AMIDST SUCH HORROR
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on dinner time, posh grub and wet summers
RELAX & RESET
For farm-to-table food and a game-changing spa, head for the dramatic Dolomites
HELP! I'M TURNING INTO MY MUM
As the years pass, Heather Main, 39, realises she’s inheriting more and more of her mother’s traits
I WAS MISTAKEN FOR MY HUSBAND'S MISTRESS!
When Gemma Loveden, 38, lost l6st, a family member was convinced she was someone else...
Denise confesses I'MA MORNING SEX PERSON'
Never one to mince her words, Denise Welch is much-loved by fans for her refreshing honesty.
Cat & Ben SNUBBED!
Are the This Morning hosts feeling disgruntled after missing out on an NTA nomination in favour of Alison?
