Woman’s Weekly UK – 23 July 2019

22 womansweekly.com

Therestof theholidaywent

byfartoofast.Megandidn’t

softentowardsAnnie,notone

bit,butshewastransformed

fromthesadlittlegirlwho

hadn’tevenbeenableto

raisea smileat theirwedding.

Anniewatchedherplaying

at thekids’club,laughing

andrunningaroundwiththe

otherkids.If onlyshecould

bethishappywhentheygot

home.Andif only,if only,she

couldcometo likeher...

Thedayaftertheygot

home,Tomwasbackat work,

Meganwasbackat school,

andAnniewasdoingallthe

washing,shopping,cooking

andcleaningwhilefittingin

herpart-timejoband doing

theschoolrun.

Megan’sfacefellwhenshe

camerunningoutof school

thatfirstdayafterhalf-term

andsawthatAnnie,notTom,

hadcometo collecther.

‘Where’sDaddy?’ she

askedcrossly.

‘Hetoldyouhewouldn’t

beableto pickyouuptoday,

darling,remember?’asked

Annie.‘I’vebeenbusybaking

thisafternoonandI’vemade

yourfavouritechocolatechip

muffins.Ifwehurryhome,

theymightstillbewarm.’

‘I’mnothungry,’said

Megan,scowling.

‘What’sthat

you’vegot?’

askedAnnie

lookingat the

large,rolled-up

pieceof paper

in herhand.

‘Haveyou

beenworking

onsomething

at school?’

‘Nothingmuch,’Megan

mutteredquietly.

‘CanI see?’askedAnnie.

‘No,’saidMeganholding

it awayfromher.‘When’s

Daddycominghome?’

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

‘Shestilldoesn’tlikeme,’

AnnietoldherfriendLisa,

whenshecalledroundthe

nextday.‘I honestlythought

it would be better once we

Sothat’swhy

Meganhadbeen

pushingher

away.Itwasn’t

thatshehated

heratall

SHORT STORY

weremarried,onceshe

realisedI washerefor

good,butit isn’t.’

‘She’sbeenthroughso

much,’saidLisa. ‘Just give

hertime.’

‘Howmuchtimedoes

sheneed?’askedAnnie,

despairingly.‘I thought

Majorcawouldhelp.’

‘Youwerea saintto

takeher!’Lisasaid.‘How

manybridesarrange

theirweddingssotheir

honeymoonis over

half-termandtheycantake

theirnewstepdaughter away

withthem?’

Annieshookherhead.

‘I couldn’thavelefther,’she

said.‘SheenjoyedMajorca,

andit wasa lovelyhotel,

perfectforkids.Haveyou

gottimeto seeourphotos?’

‘Youbet!’Lisasaid.

‘They’reupin Megan’s

room.I’lljustgetthem for

you,’saidAnnie.

Sherushedupstairs,but

whenshecamedownshe

wascarryinga pieceof paper

andherfacewaswhite.

‘WhatonEarth’sthe

matter?’askedLisa, jumping

to herfeet.

‘This!’saidAnnie.‘This

painting.Meganbroughtit

homefromschoolyesterday

and wouldn’tshowit to me.I

guessit serves

merightfor

beingsonosy

andhavinga

quicklookat

it whileI was

upthere...

Oh,Lisa!’she

putherhead

in herhands.

‘What?’

askedLisa.‘What’sshedone?’

Anniehandedthepicture

to herandLisagasped.For

thedrawingwasclearand

stark.It wasof a greenhillon

a greyday.Andonthetopof

it waswhatlookedlikea

woman,onlydeathlywhite,

hereyesdarkandsoulless,

morezombieorghostthan

livingwoman.Besideit were

the words, ‘Annie Blackstone’.

‘I knewshewasn’ttookeen

onme,butI hadnoideashe

hatedmethatmuch,’said

Annie.‘She’sdrawnmeas

somekindof vampire.’

Hervoicewobbledand

Lisarushedto putherarm

aroundher.‘You’vegotto

rememberwhatshe’sbeen

through,love,’shesaid.‘She

hadTomto herselfforso

long.It’sonlynaturalshe

wantsthatto continue.So

muchhaschangedin her

shortlife,it’sinevitableshe

wantssomestability.’

‘Butthat’swhatI’mtrying

to giveher!’Anniecried.

‘Oh,Lisa,I’manabsolute

failureasa stepmother!’

‘Noyou’renot,’saidLisa.

‘I thinkyouneedto sitdown

andtalkto her.Seeif there’s

anythingin particularyou do

that’s upsettingher.’

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Anniesupposedit wasworth

a try.Sowhentheygothome

fromschoolthatafternoon,

shemadeMegana milkshake

andtheysatdowntogether.

‘Areyougladto bebackat

school?’Annieaskedher.

‘I’dratherbein Majorca

withDaddy,’saidMegan.

‘Andwhatabout me?’

askedAnnie.

Meganlookedat herand

thensheshookherhead.

‘Oh.’Fora moment,

Anniedidn’tknowwhatto

say.Therewasn’tanything

shecoulds ay.

‘Thatpicture,’shebegan,

eventually.‘Theoneyou

broughthomeyesterday.

What was it of?’

‘You,ill,’shesaidquietly.

‘Oh,I see...and...and

whydidyoupaintmelike

that?’Annieaskedhergently.

Meganlookedupat her

andblinked.‘Ourteacher...

shesaidwehadto paintthe

thingwefearedmostin the

wholewideworld.’

Anniestaredat her.‘You’re

scaredof mebeingill?’she

cried.Shecouldn’tbelieve

it.‘But...I’mfine,sweetheart.

WhereonEarth did you get

thatidea?’

‘BecauseDaddyfellin

lovewithMummy,likehefell

in lovewithyou...’Megan

begantearfully.‘Andwewere

happyandthen...andthen

Mummygotsickanddied...’

andsheburstintotears.

Suddenlyeverything

becameclear.Sothat’swhy

Meganhadbeenpushingher

away.It wasn’tthatshehated

herat all.Shewasscaredof

historyrepeatingitself,of

lettingAnniegettooclose

sothatit hurtheragain.

‘Well,I’mcertainlynot

goingto getsickordie!’

Anniesaidvehemently.‘I’m

stickingaroundforever.Or

at leastanothersixtyyears.

I promiseyou!Okay?’

AndasMegannodded,

andas Anniescoopedherup

intoherarmsandheldher

tight,forthefirsttimeever,

herstepdaughterdidn’tpush

heraway.It wasthenthat

Annieknewforsure– they

were goingto beallright.

THEEND

Elizabeth Dale, 2019