franceslievens | A Zadie Smith Novel

They are seemingly unrelated, the African lady with the Hello Kitty bag and the elderly woman sitting next to her on the underground train. The elderly woman, face painted, long grey hair tied in a loose bun, yammers on, seemingly ignored by the woman sitting next to her. Until the younger of the two turns, braces the other with the words: "I love you Mummy."
"You should," the elderly woman replies.
Whatever happened between them before, the embrace didn't melt the ice. They seem to yearn for each other's approval, but both too stubborn to give it to the other first.