The Cat And Pyjamas

It’s best not to speak your thoughts. But this one thought escaped me. The words simply dropped out of the mess in my head. I was being a really good mother, you see. My son was staying over at a friend’s house. His dad informed me of this during which my ribs tightened.

“They have a cat.”

“Oh, he’ll be fine.”

My son and I had given our own cat away after discovering he was allergic to cats. And even though he’d be fine if need be, I couldn’t resist. I was at my boyfriend’s, borrowed his car, drove home to pick up my son’s anti-allergy pills and drove to where he was staying. At which point I discovered I’d left the pills on my kitchen table.

This is when the words fell out: oh christ, I’m such a bad mother.

My son’s friend was hugging their cat. She and my son were already in their pyjamas. She looked at me and said: but you write really good TV series.