Sprawled on the sofa with the evening newspaper wouldn’t be everyone’s idea of an idyllic lifestyle. It wasn’t mine either, but I was tired after a long day on the site, I hadn’t changed my clothes and I was covered in dust from head to toe. The sofa suited me just fine. I had my kids for the midweek evenings while my ex worked the night shift at the local pub. My son, Gary, aged seven, had gone to his first training sess...

John laced up his running shoes and stepped outside into the crisp morning air. He took a deep breath, feeling invigorated as he began his jog through the quiet streets of the suburban neighborhood near where he was staying at a hotel for a work conference. The morning was just beginning, casting a warm glow over the awakening houses. As he ran down the sidewalk, John noticed something glinting on the ground near the edge...

As the older sister in a loving family, I enjoyed a fairly sheltered upbringing. I would have been described as a bookworm. I was an academic high achiever at school. I had friends but no time for boyfriends. That all changed in freshmen's week when I discovered the amazing pleasures of guilt-free sex. With no parents around and a sea of college guys impatient to get acquainted, I was finally free to enjoy those previousl...

Andy’s mum differed from all the other mums we knew growing up. Andy’s mum was always more friendly when we played in his house or garden. She seemed to always have sweets, cake, and fizzy pop on hand. I can’t remember Andy having a dad; I’ve known him since middle school. Andy had a lot of uncles over those early years. I thought he must have come from a huge family. I remember that whenever an uncle was visiting, we had...

My introduction... I'd look out from my bedroom window over to my aunt's house; she lived directly behind us and had a big garden like her neighbours. I concentrated more on her neighbours, watching the washing being hung up, etc. In 1980, we had a fairly good summer. I was sixteen and my holiday job finished at 12 so that left me with an afternoon to myself until everyone else came home later in the day. On a weekday, I...

Day 1 . It was never supposed to be like this, moving into a bachelor flat in my mid-forties. She had the house and the kids. I had the big car, filled with boxes and suitcases stuffed with my possessions. The house had been divided into three flats, one on each floor. I was renting the middle level. It was the home of a prosperous middle-class family a century ago. Spacious rooms with high ceilings and draughty casement...