My husband and I had decided to return with our two teenage children to my country of birth, Australia. There had been problems with my husband’s visa, so he was staying in England to tie up loose ends, such as selling the house. It all started at my leaving party; I met this really nice […]

Suddenly, only a few weeks after my father died, my mother started to receive phone calls from some of his workmates. She confessed she was extremely uncomfortable about it. Most of the people ringing she did not know and a few calls were invitations to go out for a drink — these were from people […]

Sally and I have been best friends since we were in year one together. We were next to each other in roll call as both of our last names begin with “t”. We shared everything — dolls, sandwiches and secrets, the way little girls do. We told each other everything and promised to be best […]

As I grew up, there was little stability in my life and I had little confidence in what the future would bring. My father left my mother and me for another woman when I was just two. My poor mother never came to terms with the devastation of losing the family for which she had […]

Fifteen years ago I married a wonderful man who already had one child. He had lost his wife in an accident a few years earlier. A year after the wedding I gave birth to our son. I don’t know if I was prepared for a ready-made family. Having my own baby made me realise how […]

When I was 18 years old I had an unplanned pregnancy. I had been with my boyfriend for three years and like all girls at that age, I thought he was the one. When I found out I was pregnant, I was devastated. I was shocked by my boyfriend’s response. He was elated and on […]

I am the eldest child of four and a fraternal twin in a loving Italian family. However, it always annoyed me that Anna (my younger twin by three minutes) was deemed the “beautiful” one out of all the children. Anna was definitely Dad’s favourite; spoilt by him and encouraged by him to take modelling, singing, […]

I was feeling down one Monday and decided to take a drive across town to visit my girlfriend Debbie. I wasn’t sure whether she would be home, as I hadn’t rung to find out. I just thought I would lob up on her doorstep for a coffee and chat. To my surprise, when I arrived […]

Five years ago I met a wonderful man who literally swept me off my feet, and in a matter of months we were engaged to be married. It was the most wonderful and busy time of my life. Every waking moment was spent organising the wedding, which was going to be a large “event” with […]

My younger sister Sandy and I had always been close. When she was 18 she ended a relationship with her high school sweetheart and fell straight into the arms of Joe, a 31-year-old man. At first she seemed really happy, but then I noticed her changing for the worse. She told me she had started […]