‘Mum, why is Granny so nasty to me?’

Kate looked at her daughter, detecting tears beginning to form. The super long eyelashes just held them back. She gave her a hug.

‘Jo, she’s not really nasty …’

‘She is, Mum. She’s awful. It’s her birthday, but she won’t accept the present I gave her. She didn’t even unwrap it. She just said, “Take it away. I don’t have birthdays”. I don’t get it. She’s weird – especially today. Everybody likes birthdays – don’t they?’

How do I explain to a 16-year-old what it must be like to be 60 and recently divorced? thought Kate. ‘Granny’s not very happy living on her own,’ she said discreetly.

‘Well it’s sad. I know Grandad’s left her. I’ll miss him, but I think it’s a bit much him going off to London with his secretary. Don’t think I’ll ever understand grown-ups.’

‘You will one day.’

‘You can have this.’ Jo thrust the still-wrapped present at her mother. ‘It’s Clarins. Julie at the salon said I could have it half price when I finished work on Saturday.’

Reluctantly Kate took the gift, glad that her daughter was making a success of her Saturday job. ‘Thanks, love. Don’t worry about Granny. Haven’t you got homework to do?’

Kate busied herself in the kitchen, glancing occasionally across the farmyard to the converted barn where John’s mother now lived. It had been a holiday let till Meg had moved in.

‘What are you going to do about Meg?’ she asked before John was hardly through the back door. It wasn’t a new question, and John had no new answers. His mother’s arrival was overshadowing his usually peaceful existence at the farm.

‘I don’t know. Don’t keep asking me. I don’t know.’ He could see from his wife’s face that today had not been a good day. At least he’d been able to escape to the other side of the farm and busy himself planting hedges and clearing ditches.

‘It’s her 60th birthday, and she’s in a foul mood, and she was really rotten to Jo just now.’ It wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

‘So…’

‘So…she’s 60. Over the hill, she thinks. Ditched by your father after 40 years of marriage. Not much to be cheerful about today, I’d say.’

‘There was a letter for her this morning. I met the postman. It looked official. I guess it was from her solicitor – the decree absolute must be due.’

‘No wonder she’s in a mood. You’d better go and see her.’

John sighed. ‘I’ll go after dinner.’

‘Well?’

‘Well, to cut a long story short – I said, “Mother you may be 60, but you’re fit and healthy, you’re not hard up, stop feeling sorry for yourself, pull yourself together,”’ (Kate winced), ‘“you can start looking after yourself, drive into town, go to Waitrose, get out more”. Oh, and I told her I expect some rent from her next month.’

‘Blimey!’

‘Tough love! But I did say we would still welcome her for Sunday lunch as usual.

‘How did she take all that then?’

‘A few tears – but she promised she would try.’

The next morning Kate saw Meg’s car drive off and later saw her return with supermarket bags. Tough love must be working, she thought. She also saw a horse box draw up and watched as John helped a woman unload four small donkeys and put them in the field opposite. John introduced the woman when he brought her into the kitchen.

‘Kate, this is Sandra. She’s renting the field for her donkeys.’

‘I take them into care homes to visit the residents – sort of therapy I suppose. It certainly cheers them up – and the donkeys love being made a fuss of.’

Every morning, Kate saw Meg walk across to the donkeys’ field to take them carrots. She would stay for a long time, stroking them and talking to them.

Sandra could see how fond Meg was of ‘her boys’.

‘I’m taking ‘the boys’ to Merrydown Care Home this afternoon – why don’t you come with me Meg?’ A broad smile lit up Meg’s face.

Meg thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon at the care home. She met people there who had far more problems than she had. Everyone loved seeing the donkeys for the short visit. Over lunch the next day, she told the family all about it. Even Jo could see that Granny was much happier.

‘Tough love works!’ whispered John to Kate.