womansweekly.com 21SHORT STORYMegan’sAnnielaybackonher
loungerbytheblue
swimmingpooland
smiledat Tom,hernew
husband,ashegotup.
‘Happy,darling?’heasked.
‘I couldn’tbehappier!’
shetoldhim,wishingwith
allherheartthatit wastrue.
Sheshouldbehappy,she’d
justmarriedthemanof her
dreams,afterall.They’dhad
themostbeautifulwedding
surroundedbytheirfamily
andfriendsandnowthey
werehavinga lovelyweek
in thesunat a perfecthotel
in Majorca.Her,Tomand
hisbeautifulseven-year-old
daughter,Megan.
‘Canyoukeepaneyeon
herwhileI go to the bar?’
heasked.
‘Ofcourse!’
Anniesmiled
andhereyes
wandered
backto her
stepdaughter
whowasjust
gettingoutof
thepaddling
pool.Megan
hadseenher
fathergoandstartedto run
afterhim...thenpromptly
trippedover.In aninstant,
Anniewasonherfeet.
‘Areyouallright,darling?’
sheasked,bendingdown.
Megan’sfacecrumpledinto
tears.‘Goaway!I don’twant
you,I wantDaddy!’she
cried, pushing her away.ShewishedwithallherhearttherewasafoolproofguidetobeingastepmotherTomwastherea moment
later.Hepickeduphis
daughterandimmediately
consoledherthewayAnnie
fearedshenevercould.She
wentbackto theloungerand
sat down,feelingdeflated,
andwishedwithallherheart
therewasa foolproofguide
to beinga stepmother.
✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
Megansoonrecoveredand
wentintothebiggerpool,
withTomthistime,thenthey
allwentin fortheirdinner.
Annielookedaroundthe
crowdeddiningroom.To
anoutsider,theyprobably
lookedlikeanyotherhappy
family.If onlytheywere!
‘I don’twantthisholiday
everto beover,’Megansaid
as she ate her omelette.
Annie
smiledat her
andherhopes
rose.Well,
thatwasa
goodsign.
‘Neitherdo
I,’ shesaid.
‘It’sbeen
lovely,hasn’t
it?’Shewent
to smootha hairawayfrom
Megan’sface,butshepulled
awaysharply.Annie’sheart
sank backto her flip-flops.
‘Whatdoyouthinkwas
thebestbit?’askedTom,as
if nothinghadhappened.
‘Easy!’Megangrinned.
‘I lovedthekids’club. That
was so much fun.’Anniesmiledruefully.
She’dknownshewould.
Thatwasoneof thereasons
she’dsuggestedthishotelfor
theirhoneymoon.Hermum
hadn’tbeenableto believe
it whenshetoldher what
theyweredoing.
‘You’retakingTom’slittle
girlonhoneymoonwith
you?’she’dcried. ‘I don’t
believeit.’
‘It’ll be fine,’Anniesaid.
‘She’sbeenthroughsomuch.
She’shadto adaptto her
motherdyingandthenme
comingintoherlifeand
marryingherdad.I really
wantherto feelthatshe
belongsin thisnewfamily,
Mum.Besides,I’msureTom
andI willhaveplenty of time
onourown.’
WhatAnniehadn’ttoldher
mumwasthatshe’dinvited
Meganalongonhoneymoon
withanadditionalulterior
motive.ShesowantedTom’s
daughterto acceptherbut,
tryasshemight,shehadn’t
beenableto breakdownthe
barrierbetweenthem.It was
alwaysTomshewantedto be
with,Tomshetoldabouther
dayat school,Tomwhohad
to tuck her in bed at night...She’dhopedthatspending
thistimeonholidaytogether
wouldbringa new closeness
betweenthem.
‘She’llgetusedto you
in time,’Tomhadtoldher
beforetheygotmarried.
ThatwasbeforeMeganhad
refusedpoint-blankto bea
bridesmaidandthreatenedto
boycottthewholeceremony.
Tomhadmanagedto bring
herround,allowingherto
chooseherowndress.So
Meganhad fulfilledher
bridesmaid’sdutiesin the
end,butshehadglowered
throughouttheceremony.
Andnowtheyhadcome
awaytogether,Anniewas
moreconvincedthanever
they’dmadea mistake.They
shouldhavegivenMegan
moretimeto getusedto the
ideaof themalltogether.
Shesighedheavily.If
anything,Meganseemedto
bepushingherawayeven
morenow.She’dofferedto
teachherto swim,to takeher
ona girlieshoppingtripinto
thetown,butMeganhadn’t
beeninterested.She’donly
wantedto dosomethingif
her dadwastheretoo.© TI MEDIA, 2019. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY
Continued overleafNomatterhowhardAnnietried,itseemedhernewstepdaughterwasset on keeping her at arm’s length...PICTURE