“I need to explain everything to you, my dear…”
“Enjoy your meal!” said Laura, sitting at the table.
Each family member had their favourite spot. Her husband always faced the window, their twelve-year-old Sophie sat opposite him, and Laura, as the lady of the house, took her place between them, her back to the stove and sink.
She adored these evening meals when the family gathered together. Mornings were always rushed—off to work and school, no time for conversation. Laura and her husband ate lunch at their offices, and Sophie either ate at home or at her friend’s house, where the grandmother baked pies and cooked roast dinners. So, dinner was the only time they could sit together, talk properly, and share their day.
Laura had always wanted a close-knit family. She’d had parents, then a stepfather and a younger sister, but she’d often felt like an outsider, separate from them all. That’s just how things were.
Her father was a blur in her memory. He never shouted or scolded her—he was quiet, but his gaze was cold and distant. That was probably why she’d been afraid of him. Her mother wasn’t much of a talker either. Her lips were always pressed tightly together, never smiling.
When Laura married, she built her own family and set their routines—Sunday lunches together and weekday dinners. Not just eating at the same table but actually talking, sharing news, making plans.
After finishing her meal, Laura asked, “Where should we go on holiday? We need to decide, book tickets and a hotel, or we’ll miss our chance.”
“What if we stay at my parents’ countryside cottage?” suggested David. “Dad mentioned needing help with the fence and roof.”
“But I want to go south, to the seaside!” twelve-year-old Sophie whined unhappily.
“A holiday abroad costs money, and we haven’t finished paying off the mortgage yet. The car needs new tyres, too. Staying at the cottage would save us a lot. We could still take a trip somewhere—maybe the Lake District? It’s lovely in summer.”
Sophie and David both looked at Laura, waiting for her answer.
“I agree with Dad. Though I’d love the seaside too.”
“That’s what I said!” Sophie cheered.
Just then, the phone rang.
“Yours,” David said, popping the last bite of his steak-and-kidney pie into his mouth.
Laura set her fork down and went to the living room. It was her mother.
“Mum? Is everything alright?”
“Am I interrupting? Laura, we need to talk. Come over.” Her mother’s voice was clipped.
“Now? Are you ill?” Laura’s pulse quickened.
“I’m fine. Just come.” The line went dead.
“What’s wrong?” David asked when Laura returned to the kitchen.
“Mum called. She wants me to go over—says we need to talk. I bet it’s about Alice again.”
“Need a lift?”
“No, I’ll take the bus. If it runs late, can you pick me up?”
“Of course.”
Laura quickly got ready and left. They didn’t live far, just a few stops away. The whole bus ride, she wondered what urgent matter her mother had—she never consulted Laura about anything. Her gut told her this wasn’t good.
When her mother opened the door, Laura saw immediately how upset she was.
“Come to the kitchen. Fancy a cuppa?”
“I just had dinner,” Laura waved off.
The kitchen was cramped, the table wedged against the fridge so they couldn’t sit opposite each other. They perched at an angle instead. As her mother gathered her thoughts, Laura studied her tense face, the fine wrinkles. Had there always been so many? Her mother twisted a loose thread between her fingers nervously. Laura covered her hands with her own.
“Mum, calm down. What’s this about?” she asked gently.
“Alice rang…” her mother began hesitantly.
“I knew it,” Laura muttered.
Her mother gave her a disapproving look.
“What happened this time? Spit it out,” Laura urged.
“She asked for money.”
“Oh? How much?”
“Fifty thousand pounds.”
Laura choked. “What for? She married that rich Turk, didn’t she? Remember how she bragged about him at this very table?”
“Something’s happened with Emre’s business. He owes a huge sum—either he was swindled or robbed, I didn’t quite follow. The money’s urgent, or they’ll… hurt him.”
“Wouldn’t be much of a loss,” Laura scoffed.
“Laura!” her mother snapped.
“Fine, fine. But where would we get that kind of money? Does she forget how we live? She bragged Emre was rich, that his father owned businesses. Can’t his family help? They must have plenty of relatives over there. I always suspected something shady about him.”
“Alice said Emre sold their house—they’re staying with his parents now. His father covered some of the debt, but they still need fifty thousand.”
“Pounds?! Dollars?” Laura gave a bitter laugh.
“Pounds. I’ve made up my mind. I’ll sell the flat. But I’m afraid I can’t manage it alone. That’s why I called you—to help me arrange the sale.”
“Mum, have you lost your mind? Selling your flat, and in a rush! If Alice were in trouble, sure, but you’re doing this for Emre? Where will you live?”
“I thought… I could stay with you, if you’ll have me,” her mother whispered before breaking into quiet sobs.
Laura sat frozen. Alice had gone completely mad, dumping this burden on their mother. What was she thinking?
“Mum, don’t cry. We’ll figure something out. Maybe Alice should come back here while Emre sorts his mess? I’ll scrape together the plane fare.”
“She can’t. She’s expecting again,” her mother wept.
“Again?! And what perfect timing.” Laura threw her hands up.
“My mind’s made up. There’s no other way. I can’t abandon her. I can’t say no. I’m not asking for advice—just help selling the flat quickly.”
“Mum, do you realise what selling a flat involves? Documents, buyers, moving—it takes time. If we rush, we’ll get far less than it’s worth. We need to think. Maybe there’s another way. Look, I’ll talk to David, and we’ll decide the best course. Don’t work yourself into a state—you’ll make yourself ill.”
On the bus home, Laura seethed, cursing her younger sister. Alice had always got whatever she wanted. Spoiled rotten, she’d grown up selfish, thinking only of herself. Surely, they could’ve scraped together fifty thousand over there—why drag their mother into it?
Of course, she’d take her mother in if needed—no question. Sophie would have to share her room with Grandma, though, and she wouldn’t be thrilled.
Laura had never liked Emre. Handsome, sure. Alice met him in Turkey three years ago on a girls’ holiday. She’d returned glowing, raving about his beautiful house, his wealthy parents. Said he’d come for her soon.
Neither Laura nor their mother could talk her out of marrying him and leaving England. Then Alice announced she was pregnant. Laura had smelled trouble even then—why would a rich Turk want a British girl, pretty or not? There were plenty of beauties there. Alice didn’t speak the language, didn’t know the customs, didn’t share his faith. But no one listened. Mum and Alice decided Laura was just jealous.
And what did Emre even do? You didn’t make that kind of money honestly—not in Turkey, not anywhere. Probably something illegal. Now there was no dissuading their mother. She’d end up homeless, all for her precious Alice.
Laura arrived home wound tight. She and David argued late into the night, scrambling to find a solution.
“We’ll get the money, but how do we send it abroad? Think it’s easy these days? The transfer fees alone…” David rubbed his temples.
They decided to take a loan, sell her mother’s flat later at a decent price, buy her a smaller place, and use the rest to pay off the loan. Their holiday plans? Countryside cottage. No choice. If Mum was set on helping Alice, that was that.
“We’ll manage,” David said, squeezing her hand. “Tell your mum not to worry.”
This was why Laura loved her husband. You wouldn’t find that in Turkey—someone who stood by you, solved your family’s messes, cared about your mother.
That night, Laura lay awake, memories swirling…
***
Her father left before she turned six. She barely remembered him—a stiff, unsmiling man, like a newsreader on telly. Her mother, never chatty to begin with, became even quieter after he left, though she never cried. When Grandma visited, they’d whisper in the kitchen.
Once Laura started school, Grandma would pick her up, feed her, and bring her home in the evenings. Sometimes Laura stayedAfter years of unraveling family secrets, Laura finally understood that love, though flawed and uneven, was still the strongest thread holding them together, and in accepting her mother’s past, she found her own peace.
