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A Daughter Asks Her Mother to Look After the Baby

Dear Diary, Today began with a frantic request from my little niece, Lily, who begged her mother to mind

Rita Went to Her Best Friend Pauline’s Flat to Water the Plants and Feed Her Pet Turtle While Pauline and Her Husband Were on Holiday—But When Rita Opened the Door with the Spare Key, She Froze in Shock: The Lights Were On, the Christmas Tree Was Glowing, the TV Was Blasting, and Strange Noises Came from the Bathroom. When She Opened the Bathroom Door, She Gasped in Surprise Rita Was Left Alone Over New Year’s, Feeling Sad While Her Best Friend Pauline and Her Husband Went to the Lake District Five Days Before the Holidays—Trusting Rita, Her Most Reliable Friend, to Take Care of the Plants and Turtle Since They Lived in the Same Building, Just Different Entrances. Rita Didn’t Know Fate Had Another Twist in Store for Her. A Week Before New Year’s, Her Boyfriend Nick—Who She’d Thought Was Her Soulmate for Two Years—Dropped a Bombshell Over Dinner: He Was in Love with Someone Else, and His New Partner Was Already Four Months Pregnant! Of Course, He Had to Marry Her; That’s What She, Her Mum, and Grandma Demanded. Nick Didn’t Argue—He Agreed. “And What About Me?” Rita Asked in Disbelief. Nick, Calmly Finishing His Dinner, Wiped His Mouth and Said, “You? Don’t worry about it. Admit it, there’s nothing left between us but the shell. You’re lucky I’m saving you from me. Not a great loss, am I? Might as well help me pack? No? Fine, I’ll do it myself.” And He Just Started Packing… Rita Wept at Home for Four Days, Not Eating—Only Drinking Coffee—Until Their Other Friend, Svetlana, Came By. The Plan Had Been for Rita, Svetlana, and Nick to Celebrate New Year’s Together—Table Booked Months Ago. Now Nick Was Bringing His New Wife. No Way Did Rita Want to Spend New Year’s with Her Parents—They’d Just Pity Her, Especially Since Mum Never Liked Nick… On 31st December, Rita Still Held Out Hope for a Miracle—Old Habits Die Hard. Even Adults Wish for Miracles and Make New Year’s Wishes… The Evening Came. Nothing Happened. She Realised She Hadn’t Given Nick His Christmas Present: a Plush Cornflower-Blue Wool Jumper—Expensive, Bought Just Before He Left. She Tried It On—Too Big, Shoulders Too Wide. “Would’ve Been Big on Nick, Too,” She Thought, Then Put It Back in the Bag. Rita Did Her Makeup, Promised Herself Not to Cry, and Walked Out—Believing the Old Saying: “The Way You Spend New Year’s Eve Is the Way You’ll Spend the Year.” Better to Wander the Festive Streets Than Sit Home Alone. With Just Over an Hour and a Half Until Midnight, She Popped into the Shop and Found Pauline’s List in Her Pocket: After ‘Water the Plants’ Came ‘Feed the Turtle Twice a Week.’ Rita Panicked—With Everything Going On, She’d Forgotten All About the Turtle! If Anything Happened, Pauline Would Never Forgive Her. Forgetting About New Year’s, Rita Rushed to Pauline’s Flat to Feed the Turtle, Unlocked the Door…and Stopped Dead: Every Light Was On, the Christmas Tree Sparkled with Fairy Lights, the TV Blared, and Strange Noises Came from the Bathroom. She Opened the Bathroom Door and Clapped Her Hands in Surprise: There, Shaving and Singing to Himself, Was a Man She Didn’t Know! Her First Thought: Someone Had Broken In—But Who Breaks Into a Flat to Shave? “Who Are You?” Rita Demanded Fiercely. He Quickly Rinsed Off, Smiled, and Said, “Don’t Worry—I’m Not Dangerous. I’m Pauline’s Cousin, I Live and Work Out of Town. I Was Here on Business, Meant to Go Back But Couldn’t. Luckily, I Have My Cousin’s Spare Key, We Called, She Said I Could Stay Here.” “Have You Seen the Turtle?” Rita Asked Out of Nowhere. He Nodded. “Fed It, Too. It Went Over There,” He Pointed Behind the Sofa. Pulling On His Shirt, He Said, “Let’s Introduce Ourselves: I’m Ian.” She Told Him Her Name, and He Held Out His Hand. “Let’s Celebrate Together! Just Ten Minutes Until Midnight.” Suddenly, Rita Ducked Out, Rushed Down the Stairs—Ian, Puzzled, Called After Her, “Wait! Where are you going?” Rita Raced Home, Grabbed the Gift Bag, and Tore Back to Pauline’s Flat—Door Still Open—Just as the Clock Struck Midnight. Ian Handed Her a Glittering Glass of Bubbly, and She Handed Him the Gift Bag. “Happy New Year!” She Said. He Opened It: The Plush Cornflower-Blue Wool Jumper. He Pulled It On—it Fit Perfectly, Even at the Shoulders. “I’ve Had Plenty of New Year Surprises,” Ian Said, “But This Is the Best One Yet.” “I’ve Had Two Surprises—Nick Leaving and Meeting Ian,” Thought Rita, But She Just Smiled. The Next New Year, Rita, Ian, and Their Little Daughter Celebrated Together in Their Own Home…

Many years ago, I found myself caring for my friend Emilys flat over the New Year. Emily and her husband

I’ll Never Forget the Day I Discovered a Crying Baby in a Pram on My Neighbour Lena’s Doorstep – She Was Just as Shocked as I Was!

I will never erase from memory the moment I discovered a crying infant nestled in a stroller right in

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The Evening When Compassion Changed Everything: Vera, Rushing Home with Groceries and Worries, Becomes an Unlikely Bridge Between an Estranged Mother and Daughter After a Medical Emergency Next Door at Christmas

Vera hurried home, lugging heavy shopping bags in both hands, wrestled into a mild sweat and mentally

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“Gran, Who Said You Could Keep a Wolf in the Village?” called Matthew. Agnes burst into tears when she saw her broken fence. She’d propped it up with planks many times, mending the rotten posts herself, hoping to make it last until she’d saved enough from her modest pension. But it was not to be! The fence had collapsed. For ten years, she’d run her cottage alone, ever since her beloved Peter passed away. He’d been a dab hand at everything—there was never a need to call for a tradesman. The whole village had admired Peter’s kindness and hard work. They’d shared a happy forty years together, falling just one day short of their golden anniversary. Their tidy house, the bountiful garden, the well-tended livestock—all spoke of their shared efforts. Agnes and Peter had one son, George, the pride of their lives. From childhood, George had always helped around the house, fetching firewood, hauling water, and caring for the animals before his mother returned from long days on the farm. Evenings found Peter washing up and enjoying a smoke on the porch while Agnes cooked dinner. Mealtimes were spent together, sharing the day’s news; they were truly happy. But time marched on. George grew up, left for London, earned his education, and married a city girl named Lucy. At first, he visited for holidays, but soon Lucy persuaded him to travel abroad instead. Peter was disappointed by his son’s choices. “Where’s George found so much to tire him out? It’s Lucy’s ideas, that’s what. Don’t know why he needs those foreign holidays,” Peter would grumble. After Peter fell ill and passed away, George came home for the funeral, weeping with regret, and then returned to the city. Over the next ten years, he sent only three letters. Agnes was left truly alone. She sold the cow and sheep she’d no longer any strength to tend. Without a man about, the place slowly decayed: the roof leaked, rotten porch planks snapped, and the cellar flooded. She scraped by on her pension, sometimes patching things herself, sometimes hiring dubious local help. Worst of all, her eyesight began to fail. Soon, she could barely read the prices at the village shop or see its sign. The nurse urged her to go for an operation, but Agnes was afraid. Within a year, she was almost totally blind. Still, she managed her routines by memory and made do without television, listening to the news instead. What troubled her most was not having a good dog—thieves prowled abandoned houses, and she missed the security of a loyal bark. She asked Sam, the local huntsman, to find her a pup—maybe a shepherd or a collie. Sam promised, but being unreliable and fond of drink, never came through. When the fence collapsed, she had to hire him for repairs, scraping the last coins together. One day, Sam turned up with tools—and something wriggling in his old backpack. “Look what I’ve brought you,” he grinned. Agnes felt a furry little head. “A puppy? Oh, Sam, I hope I can afford it…” “Don’t send me packing, Gran! You’d never guess what I paid for this purebred shepherd,” Sam insisted. Desperate, Agnes took groceries on credit to pay Sam his due—and soon, a new lodger, named Rex, was part of the cottage. She loved him, though he grew into the size of a calf and never learned to bark. Sam waved off her grumbles—“He’s a special sort!”—as Rex scared off all the neighbouring dogs just by his size. One winter day, as Matthew the huntsman passed by, he stopped dead at the sight of the animal. “Gran, who said you could keep a wolf in the village?” he cried out. Agnes gasped in shock. “Oh heavens, that Sam tricked me! Said he was a purebred shepherd…” Matthew gravely insisted the animal needed returning to the wild before disaster struck. Though her heart broke, Agnes agreed, and the wolf—her trusted Rex—was led into the woods, vanishing among the trees. Agnes mourned him bitterly, cursing Sam for his deceit—though Sam, too, regretted the way things had turned out. That winter, when a strange man knocked, claiming to be the new owner of an old neighbour’s house, Agnes let him in out of kindness. But as she bustled about, the man turned nasty, threatening her for money. Just then, Rex—who’d found his way back—burst in, scaring off the would-be thief and saving Agnes’s life, though not without injury. Rex became the village hero. Folks brought treats, and he came and went freely, always returning to Agnes after his woodland adventures. One day, a black SUV rolled up—her son George had come home, contrite and full of concern, insisting Agnes go for the operation to restore her sight. Agnes squeezed his hand. “Alright, I’ll go. Sam, watch the cottage and see to Rex for me, won’t you?” Sam nodded, and Rex settled by the old hearth, his proper place, faithful as ever. To keep up with more heartwarming stories, follow our page! Leave your thoughts, and show your support with a like.

Gran Alice! Tom shouted, his voice echoing across the lane. Who ever gave you permission to keep a wolf

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A Present for Mum: When Trust, Family, and a New Oven Collide in the Heart of an English Birthday

“Tom, I need your help with a present for Mum.” Sarah put down her phone and turned to her

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I Can’t Understand How This Happened! A Mother Went to Great Lengths to End Her Daughter’s Life.

Dear Diary, I still cant wrap my head around how this all unfolded. My mother seemed determined to push

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How a Father Taught His Son the Art of Eating Well

When my little boy was three, he ate in the most dreadful way. I had to haul him to the kitchen table

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Igor, the Boot’s Open! Stop the Car, the Boot’s Open! – Marina Shouted, But Knew It Was All Lost! Their Gifts and Treats—Red Caviar, Smoked Salmon, Festive Meats—Scattered Across the Busy Motorway as They Drove to Igor’s Grandma’s Village for the Holidays, While Behind Them, Drivers Obliviously Passed by, and the Kids Burst Into Tears Watching Mum’s Disappointment

James, the boot! The boots come open, slow down I shouted, but before the words even left my mouth, I

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Rita Visits Her Best Friend Pauline’s Flat to Water the Plants and Feed Her Pet Tortoise While Pauline and Her Husband Are Away on Holiday—But When Rita Unlocks the Door, She Finds All the Lights On, the Christmas Tree Sparkling, the TV Blasting, and Unexpected Sounds Coming from the Bathroom… She Opens the Door and Is Stunned!

31st December Today, the house felt twice as silent. My closest friend, Alice, had gone to the Lake District