Bianca's New Best Friend

My youngest daughter Bianca has her first best friend.  It's not that she's spent the last four years in solitary confinement, just that up until now I have always chosen her friends for her.  (My husband points out this trait of mine is not solely directed at the children). 

When your babies are tiny they play with the off-spring of your own friends.   At toddler groups and music classes you instinctively gravitate towards mothers with whom you feel you have a common bond. Regardless of how your children interact, if you become firm friends then by Jove your children will too. 

"Isn't it sweet how they play together?"  you exclaim, as little Bianca totally ignores little Maggie.
"So very sweet.  I wonder if they'll be friends forever...  More cake?"

Bianca has spoken of little other than her new best friend since term started, so I was determined to encourage this fledgling friendship. I set off the other day to collect her from nursery school, and with thoughts of inviting Bianca's new friend to a play date.  I stood for a while at the window, watching the children play, and identified some possible contenders.  Perhaps the small shy looking child with the pretty pink dress and the attractive father?  Or the pretty curly-haired girl whose mother runs the childrens clothing store? 

As I got to the door Bianca bounced up to me and introduced me to her "bestest friend", a snub-nosed stocky child twice her size.  Widthways.  I knelt down and flashed her a winning smile, only to be rewarded with stony silence. 

I stood up to greet her mother, thinking perhaps we should arrange a play-date for half term.  She was a carbon copy of her daughter, with a face that could curdle milk. 

"Hello!"  I said, brightly.  "I gather our children have become good friends." 

She gave a sort of grunt and looked me up and down, slowly and without embarrassment.  I had a sneaking suspicion she was not about to suggest a mummy date. Whilst Bianca and her little friend will undoubtedly continue their relationship for at least another fortnight, I fear her mother and I are unlikely to be found chatting over a latte at the shopping mall.