We need a wedding
‘It’s our wedding anniversary,’ Mum phones to tell me. ‘We have cake. Are you calling?’ ‘Of course. I’ll never turn down cake.’ ‘That’s good,’ Mum says. ‘Your sister’s coming too, but don’t let that put…
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Is it stress?
I stand in front of the mirror feeling dizzy and a little sick. At first, I thought it was the light catching on my hair and making it shine. I even thought it was my…
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Dad’s socially distanced 70th
Dad is turning 70. The surprise family holiday to Craster is cancelled. ‘Here’s what you could have won,’ I write in his card, making sure to include a picture of the beautiful Northumberland coast. Then…
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Piling on the pounds
‘My shorts have shrunk.’ I’m standing in front of the mirror, trying to fasten the denim cut-offs that fitted perfectly last summer. I stretch and pull the material and manage to force the button and…
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The world is baking
There is not an ounce of flour to be found anywhere. ‘The shelves are empty,’ Mum phones to tell me. ‘I’ve looked everywhere.’ ‘I think I have some,’ I say, not wanting to get her…
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We’re living in a germ factory.
‘Do you think you’re in news overload?’ Chris asks me on Thursday night as we sit down to watch the 7pm evening news. ‘We have to be informed,’ I tell him. ‘It’s important.’ ‘But you’ve…
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