La vida

When you have your own children, then you can tell them who should marry whom! But right now I’m your mother, and I’m against you marrying this woman.

I remember that Sunday afternoon as if it were yesterday, though decades have passed. Andrew Sinclair

La vida

05

Cat Lay on the Car Bonnet and Refused to Leave: Businessman Left StunnedHe tried everything from coaxing to shooing, but the cat simply blinked, stretched, and settled deeper into the warm spot, leaving the businessman no choice but to wait for its royal dismissal.

**22nd October** I pressed the button on the key fob, and the car flashed its headlights. On the bonnet

La vida

08

But what’s the point of that, Mum?.. Ever since I came back from Italy, that’s all I hear. — But what’s the point of that, Mum? At first I didn’t pay attention. I thought, well, my daughter’s just worried. Maybe she thinks I’m tired from the long journey, or she wants to save me unnecessary trouble. But over time I realised: behind those words there’s no care at all. Something else was hiding there — a strange, silent conviction that my own life was already over, and now I’m supposed to just quietly exist in the background of their family happiness. I worked in Italy for twenty years. I came home rarely. That’s just how life turned out. I was widowed young, raising a child on a small village salary was impossible, so I took the leap. And there, in Italy, after a few years I met a good man, Marcello. We lived together for many years in harmony and respect. I see nothing shameful in that, though some nosy neighbours in the village whispered behind my back. Everyone has their own destiny. When Marcello passed away, the house went to his relatives, and I felt it was over — my mission there was complete. Time to come back home. Over the years I’d earned enough for a big, beautiful house here, in the UK. I helped my daughter Sarah, my son-in-law Steve, and the grandchildren. I bought cars for the kids, and a separate flat in the city for my eldest granddaughter Alice, because she’s getting married soon. I never counted how many thousands of pounds I’d sent over those twenty years. If they needed something — for education, for renovations, for new furniture or a holiday — I never even asked, “What’s the point of that?” They wanted it, I helped. They dreamed, and I made it happen.

“What do you need that for, Mum?” Ever since I got back from Spain, that phrase has been

La vida

02

“So, what’s left after the party? I still need to feed my daughter!” The aunt scanned the table with greedy concern.

**October 15th** Another family party over, and I’m sitting here trying to make sense of it all.

La vida

04

The Wimp and the Super DachshundThe wimp discovered that his dachshund could fly, but only when nobody else was watching.

Life was always giving Alex a sharp, stinging reminder: “Don’t push, you don’

La vida

03

Frost on the HeartThe frost began to thaw as a single warm tear traced down her cheek.

December 31st. New Year’s Eve. A day off. Midday. Outside, it was a proper winter – everything

La vida

02

WallflowerThe wallflower finally stepped into the center of the dance floor, and for the first time, everyone saw her smile.

Hey, so I’ve got to tell you about Valerie Thompson. She lived on the edge of a little market town in

La vida

05

My Ex-Husband Came Running the Moment He Learned I Bought a Flat for Our Son—But Nothing Went According to PlanHe expected to take control, but instead found himself facing my new husband and a locksmith changing the locks.

The doorbell rang. “Mum, it’s Dad!” twelve-year-old Thomas dropped his controller onto the sofa and ran

La vida

07

– She needs an apartment, support – so you’ll be dragging someone else’s burden around your neck! Don’t you dare! You hear me? Her husband left her – that means she’s a woman with a rotten character. – I won’t give my blessing! – The mother screamed.

Andrew came home that evening—to the small cottage on the edge of the village where she had lived alone

La vida

01

My stepson kept making a mess around the house. My husband stayed silent, so one day I decided to change everything…

When I get married, I know our family will never be completely ordinary. My husband David already has