Woman's Weekly

The MISTAKE

Short story

A convoy of vans, cars and caravans trickled towards the ferry terminal.

Marci clutched the passports, fighting the wave of dread already rising in her stomach. A week in a motorhome with her husband. Could she really do it?

Overhead, a circus of seagulls screamed as if in reply.

Sean screwed up the tinfoil from his egg sandwich and fired it in the not-very-general direction of the birds. He missed, and it ricocheted off the side of the yellow and white camper van in front of them.

A door opened and the driver climbed out. He was wearing orange flip-flops and a pair of pink shorts that didn’t quite cover his bottom.

‘Hey, man!’ called the surf dude. He retrieved the scrunched-up foil and sauntered over to the nearest bin, flicking the silver ball inside.

‘You might want to work on that aim,’ he said.

The corner of Sean’s mouth twitched as he searched for a riposte.

‘You shouldn’t be driving in flip-flops!’ he fired back. ‘It’s dangerous.’

‘So’s littering,’ smiled the man, disappearing inside his van.

‘Bloomin’ nerve!’ Sean seethed, jabbing at the automatic window button.

Marci turned up the radio, and the motorhome crawled forwards until they reached the front of the queue.

At the check-in point, Sean handed over the passports with an air of ‘is this really necessary?’ The officer glanced at the documents.

‘Any animals on

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Woman's Weekly

Woman's Weekly3 min read
Planting PASSION
It started with a fern. Adiantum raddianum ‘Fragrans’, to be precise. Commonly known as a maidenhair fern. It was delicate and pretty, and a thoughtful house-warming gift from my sister, Lily. But, to be honest, I’m not really a plant person. I moved
Woman's Weekly4 min read
Creature COMFORTS
TESTED BY US so they work for you Difficulty level Instructions overleaf Height 10cm/4in tall (excluding antennae). Length 80cm/32in long. 1 x 100g (360m) ball of Emu Funfair Helter Skelter DK (100% acrylic) in Stripe (Kaboom! 005); 1 x 50g (1
Woman's Weekly4 min read
Bonded FOR LIFE
When Lauren Beckett and Kayleigh Taylor first met as office workmates, they’d never have guessed that they’d become best friends – and that one day, one of them would save the life of the other’s only child. ‘It’s amazing how life turns out!’ says 27

Related Books & Audiobooks