Witness

'But I don't even understand why you had to go there,' Betty said to her eldest child, Anna. 'Mum, I'm a grown woman. I can go where I like.' 'Well, now you're in a bit of a muddle, aren't you?' Anna stared into the space just over her mother's left shoulder. Mum was right. She…

Phrase for Timmy

'So nice to meet you,' I say to Ariella, as she leads me inside her home. I'm picking up my son, who's been at the house for a sleepover with Ariella's son. They've become best buds, inseparable, but I've never met Ariella at school pickups and coffee mornings as she works full-time. Some key position…

Katrina’s Cat

Katrina was sulking. Oliver was yet to notice, so she pushed her lips into a more pronounced pout as she went about her weekend chores. Running the vacuum over the carpet, she noticed scratch marks on the wooden legs of the dining table. 'Bloody cat,' she muttered under her breath and dragged the vacuum nozzle…

Grief

Closing the door behind me as I leave the empty room, a sob catches in my throat. I splutter and cough. 'Mindy? You OK?' asks Charles, calling from the breakfast bar. It's pertinent that he should check on me. Even in my medicated haze, I can tell he's keeping a close watch, in case I…

Following Daisy

I watched as the little girl, probably only three years old, jumped up and down. 'Yes, Mummy. Please!' she cried to the woman standing beside her. She crouched down to her daughter's level. 'Daisy, lovely manners, my girl.' Daisy's chocolate brown eyes glimmered with happiness. She clapped her hands. I felt conspicuous watching them, but…