My son rang and  told me that he wasn’t coming over to stay tonight.  He had been planning to go out for a night out with colleagues and staying at ours, then coming back from work for tea with us tomorrow.  I had secretly been planning to make a birthday Pavlova, with strawberries from our allotment.  I have to say I am disappointed: I enjoy his company almost always, obviously we all are going to have our difficulties, but I like him immensely.

He sounded very down.  He needs to sell his old house, but needs to  do work on it before he can, and I think he feels that it is a huge task.  Large tasks can be so demoralising.  I worry about him, but that is my job as a mother apparently.

I wish I could just say, forget the cash, come over anyway, but I can’t.

OH has done a strawberry and rhubarb pie instead.