Free Trouble by Fay Weldon

Jason. He does tend to keep himself to himself rather, I’ve noticed. Not the most sociable little chap.’
    ‘He has a new friend, Tommy by name. They shut themselves in his room and play video games.’
    ‘Tommy? What sort of boy?’
    ‘Really nice,’ said Annette. ‘Peaceful.’
    ‘It all sounds a little convenient, Annette. It isn’t good to let these intense one-to-one relations develop between children.’
    ‘I don’t think it’s all that intense,’ said Annette.
    ‘How do you know?’ asked her mother. ‘If the pair of them shut themselves into his room? And do you check the games? They can be really unpleasant, I hear. But it’s the fashionable way to bring up children, I suppose. The hands-off method. How’s dear Spicer? He did seem a little stressed last time I saw him—you shouldn’t let him be so rude to you. But he did ring me up in the afternoon, and was sweet to me. Really affectionate. He’s a good man, Annette. I hope you value him properly. A good husband’s hard to find.’
    ‘I know that, Mum.’
    ‘Because men can get a little stressed when their wives are pregnant. When I was carrying you your father had an affair.’
    ‘Yes, I know that too, Mum.’
    ‘Our marriage limped along after that: we managed but things were never really the same. Of course you children never got to know. Your father and myself were careful to present a united front. And I wouldn’t bring any of this up, Annette, except I do worry for you and Spicer, and I wouldn’t want to happen to you what happened to me.’
    ‘Honestly, Mum, Monday lunch was just a fluke,’ said Annette.
    ‘You can’t expect Spicer to be the life and soul of the party all the time. It was really stupid of me to forget he doesn’t drink coffee any more.’
    ‘You shouldn’t drink coffee either, Annette,’ said her mother. ‘It’s bad for the baby. It isn’t good of you. Sometimes you surprise me by your selfishness. But you were like that even as a child: what Annette wants, Annette has to have. If Spicer’s stopped drinking coffee, it’s probably to set you an example.’
    ‘I expect that’s what it is, Mum,’ agreed Annette. ‘Honestly, we’re just fine. Don’t worry.’
    ‘Annette, why haven’t you called me?’
    ‘Oh hello, Gilda. I’ve been busy, I expect.’
    ‘Because you weren’t at the Clinic,’ said Gilda.
    ‘I know,’ said Annette. ‘I felt kind of depleted. I didn’t want to be somehow examined and found wanting.’
    ‘You sound really low.’
    ‘I’m just fine.’
    ‘No, you’re not,’ said Gilda. ‘I can tell from your voice.’
    ‘Gilda, you won’t tell anyone what I told you last time? You do understand it’s confidential?’
    ‘Of course I fucking understand it’s fucking confidential. What’s the matter with you?’
    ‘Don’t be so emotional,’ said Annette.
    ‘You are so English,’ said Gilda.
    ‘You’re English too.’
    ‘But I don’t feel it,’ said Gilda. ‘I was born an outsider. You always want to be an insider. You like to be accepted.’
    ‘Gilda, I don’t know why I didn’t ring you before. It’s a great relief talking to you. You make me laugh. I just kind of get muddled in my head all the time.’
    ‘That’s being pregnant,’ said Gilda. ‘It will get better.’
    ‘Dr Herman Marks says I’m very English. I always thought it was a compliment, but apparently in a woman it means cut off, repressed. I had the oddest dream about him: we were waiting for a whole lot of vague people to leave his consulting room so we could make love. But we never quite got there. You know how these dreams are. I’m not really in therapy, either: I’ve only been to see him once. All the touching and hugging somehow got him into my head: but he’s disgusting, really.’
    ‘When are you going again?’ asked Gilda.
    ‘This afternoon. Gilda, I shouldn’t tell you. I meant not to. Everything gets so gossipy.’
    ‘Thanks a million, Annette.’
    ‘I don’t mean