Susie’s Budget

Susie sits with her head in her hands, sobbing. She sniffs and wipes her eyes with the sodden tissue next to the laptop. The children, thankfully, are still asleep, otherwise they'd be underfoot, asking for breakfast. There's nothing in the pantry but a stale crust of bread and cereal dust. The fridge, half a litre…

The Track

The path ahead beckons. 'This way. It looks well used,' Marta says to Fiona. Fiona waits, unsure. Marta's already walking on, her children scampering beside her. They make a great blended family. Fiona's daughter, two years old, who's right now firmly grasping her hand, and Marta's three sons, aged between ten and five. Marta has…

The Gift

'Oh, thank you!' Beth says. 'This is fantastic, just what I wanted.' She's aware of a gushing tone, making her words seem disingenuous. Looking up at Ronald she feels guilty, wants to say more, but even she knows it will only make her sound sarcastic. She smiles at him. 'Baby, I'm glad.' If he's noticed…

In the morning

The morning light breaks through the slit in the curtains. Stella stirs in her bed; her hand reaches to the opposite side. It's empty. She sits, stretches. Groans as her arms rise above her head and her torso lifts. She hears a pop in her shoulder. 'Dan?' she calls. He's probably in the bathroom. Stella…

Millie’s Trip

The ancient ruins beckon Millie. For years, a trip to Turkey had been the one item on her bucket list, at least since she learned about the decaying cities in Ancient History during her school years. She credits her father with a love of history. He was a font of knowledge; always had his head…