JANUARY 1. Hazel sat in the quiet cottage. It was one of two, semidetached, on the outskirts of the village, completely surrounded by fields. When she looked out of the window, all she saw was unrelen

RIGHT. I have come to a decision,” Mel said one weekend, as she cleared away the breakfast things. “In that case, I’m off. Bye, Mum, see you later!” “Wait, Seth. Stay exactly where you are! You have n

WHEN Jade’s phone rang and the name “Mum” appeared on screen, her first reaction was to reject the call. Her mum communicated with her frequently, normally by text message, and often for the most mund

WHAT do you think, Zara?” Mum says, pulling her hair above her ears. “Hair up or down?” “Remind me where you’re going.” “To the cinema. And possibly for a drink afterwards.” “The cinema seats have hig

HAVE you seen the latest from Down Under?” Kelly wandered into the kitchen one Tuesday morning, hair all over the place and eyes still full of sleep. Lynne glanced up from her notebook, where she was

MY mum and dad don’t live together. They split up two years ago, when I was eight. I mostly live with Mum, in our cosy semi-detached house where I have my own bedroom. But I also have my own room in D