The Daughter-in-Law

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Everything turned into a combination made in hell, and one that had almost brought all three adults to the point of regretting coming at all. Why were they putting themselves through this?Then, they’d finally arrived.A modest, white-washed villa was tucked away off the main road out of Loggos, the small port where they’d arrived. Surrounded by gnarled olive trees, it boasted a glinting blue pool, a terrace dappled with sunlight and a deliciously cool interior.‘Now, which room shall we put Granny in?’ Edie sounded as if she was balancing on a tight wire. She adjusted six-month-old Hazel on her hip. The baby had barely slept since they’d set off, and tempers were beyond frayed. Hope had tried to help but Hazel had only wanted her mother.What could a grandmother do?Betty – the 22-month-old – toddled in and out of the four bedrooms. ‘Gwanny,’ she said firmly, pointing towards the prettiest space.‘No, darling. I don’t think so.’ Edie had followed her into each room to check. ‘This big bed’s for Mummy and Daddy. Granny Hope can go here.’‘Here’ was a more modest room containing two simple wooden beds with thin mattresses, each with a single pillow. Basic. A plug-in mosquito killer flashed quietly in a socket on one side of the room. White-and-blue-striped curtains hung limp in the heat at a small window. The walls were uneven and white-washed, decorated only by a couple of large scenic photos: boxy white houses flanking steps leading down to a harbour; a line of crowded tavernas at the edge of a small port lit up at night, with the moon shining out of a starry sky. Quintessential Greece!‘Does that suit you, Mum?’ Paul came in from the hire car. He carried her suitcase and dumped it at the foot of a bed. He straightened up and pushed the hair off his face, shiny with sweat.‘Anywhere suits me, darling.’ At that moment, Hope could have lain on a bed of nails and slept.Already, Edie and the girls had gone off to find their own rooms.‘No, this one has the cot in!’ Edie sounded at the end of her tether.The two of them listened, and Paul gave his mum a sympathetic smile. ‘Why don’t you have a rest? It’ll all be shipshape by the time you wake up.’Hope had never been so grateful. The early start was beginning to take its toll, and she could feel a sharp headache drilling in above her right eye. Once Paul had left, she took a swig from the bottle of water she’d bought at the port in Corfu, now unpleasantly lukewarm, and lay down on the bed nearest the window. High above it, a small green lizard was poised motionless. She gazed at it, charmed. Outside, she could hear Paul and Edie arguing.‘But I need her to help with Hazel.’‘Give her a break. Let her rest first.’‘For God’s sake, Paul! Do I have to do everything?’‘Shhh!’Hope closed her eyes. This was going to be a test for all of them. Hearing them talk about her behind her back like that hurt. Nothing she did seemed to narrow the distance between her and Edie. The harder she tried, the worse their relationship got. Perhaps she should have refused their invitation, but she could use ten days in Greece. She’d been working hard and needed a break. And what could be better than holidaying with her son and family? In theory. She breathed deeply and tried to rationalize. What she’d overheard was simply the result of a tiring journey, nothing more. This holiday was a chance to strengthen if not build bridges. She’d hold on to that thought.When she woke up it was to a scream from Betty, somewhere in the villa. ‘Swimming!’Hope checked her phone. She’d been asleep for an hour and a half!‘You have to wait till Daddy gets back.’ Edie still sounded as if she was about to snap.Betty’s scream of protest echoed through the villa.Hope heaved herself off the bed, hot and sweaty. Her hair stuck to her temple and her headache was still there, but no worse. She opened her door and followed the sound of voices to the large open living room, feeling more sleep-deprived than ever. ‘I’d love a swim. I’ll take Betty.’‘Would you? Really?’ Edie gave her a grateful smile of relief. She stood at the kitchen end of the room, drinking from a bottle of Orangina. She’d changed out of her jeans into a cool, floaty dress. Betty was sulking on the sofa, naked apart from her nappy, with one leg in her swimming costume, deflated armbands on the floor. Hazel was nowhere to be seen, presumably in bed.‘Unless you’d like to go. I can look after Hazel.’ This feeling of having to tread on eggshells when dealing with her daughter-in-law was constant. Hope didn’t want to say the wrong thing but seemed to fall into that trap more often than not.‘She’s asleep at last, so