Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i Take a Break Fiction Feast

Jess studied the pile of odd socks on the shelf in the airing cupboard. Where had they all come from? ‘It’s one of the mysteries of the universe,’ said Max, her husband, when she asked him that question. ‘Nobody knows anything about odd socks – they’re a law unto themselves. They arrive randomly and without explanation.’ ‘It’s ridiculous,’ Jess muttered, as she sorted through the pile. ‘The odd ones seem to multiply with every wash, yet their other halves aren’t in the drawers or the washing machine.’ ‘Don’t worry about it. Just chuck out all the odd ones and buy some more.’ ‘It doesn’t seem right – their partners must be somewhere. They can’t simply vanish into thin air.’ But it seemed they did just that. ‘I think you’ll have…

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I expect Ben and Clare will be on our doorstep again this year,’ I said to my hubby Jake. ‘They’ll be looking forward to tucking into the usual buffet.’ Jake and I laid on an upmarket buffet (for just us four) for Christmas Eve lunch. We had to remember to buy Ben and Clare’s favourite bits and pieces. If we didn’t, they’d go into a sulk. Three years ago, our parents and in-laws (who were friends) had decided to take cruises together in December, so we’d invited my older brother Ben and Jake’s younger sister Clare to spend the festive season with us. ‘Neither of them lift a finger to help,’ I reminded him. ‘Yes, I know. Well, things are going to change this Christmas,’ he stated grimly. As I…

I was in town when someone called my name. When I turned, I recognised my old school mate. ‘Chloe?’ I gasped. ‘Yes, it’s me. It’s good to see you!’ she gushed. I smiled. ‘You, too!’ Chloe looked amazing. She wore an elegant pink dress, a matching jacket and high heels. Her expert make-up and her sleek chestnut hair were to be envied. I could smell expensive perfume, too. She glanced at her diamond watch. ‘It’s lunchtime. Do you fancy a bite to eat?’ I gulped. ‘Er…’ ‘Come on. It’ll be fun!’ she urged, and before I could object, she took my arm and whisked me away to a nearby restaurant. It was rather swanky, so I hesitated at the door. ‘Look, Chloe, I’m not really dressed for this sort of…

Where’s Daddy?’ asked Rachel. ‘He was here a moment ago.’ It wasn’t a real question. The real question was: Why isn’t Daddy here? Her baby played with rice cereal, painting the tray of his highchair, his face and hair smeared with the gooey mixture. ‘Joe,’ she called. Silence. ‘How am I supposed to get ready for my appointment?’ Rachel muttered, as she offered cereal to young Noah. He seemed as nonchalant about eating as her husband was about helping out. But at seven months, Noah had a good excuse. Where was Joe? He’d promised to give Noah his dinner and then bathe him. She was due at the medical centre in half an hour and hadn’t even showered. It’d been one of those days, with Noah teething. ‘Broom, broom, broom.’…

I’d noticed the tall cardboard box in the new neighbour’s front yard when I’d set off for work this morning. It was propped up by his bins. There was a bright yellow Post-it Note Sellotaped to the box. The yellow Post-it Note said, Artificial Christmas tree. Free to take away Artificial Christmas tree. Free to take away. I wondered why this chap wanted to get rid of his Christmas tree. It seemed quite sad… Last week, I’d seen this new tenant move into the vacant terraced house next door. He was a good-looking, muscly, trim guy around my own age (late 30s) wearing a rugby top, black slim-fitting jeans, trainers and trendy specs. He didn’t seem to have a live-in partner. There were no kids and no pets, either. I’d watched…

What time do you sit down to eat Christmas dinner? One o’clock? Two o’clock? Three? In our house, we pulled up our chairs at 12 noon, donned our party hats and got stuck in. ‘Does it really have to be this way?’ I’d asked my husband Jason, more than once. To eat so early, I had to be up while it was still dark, putting the turkey in the oven and boiling the ham. I’d have loved a bit of a lie-in before hitting the kitchen. And it was hard to be hungry for a big dinner at 12 o’clock – I wasn’t used to three courses, and my stomach really wasn’t ready for it. Jason always squeezed my hand, sighed and reminded me that it was all because of…

Megan stared. She couldn’t believe her eyes. He was back! How many times had she imagined she’d seen him, even run after him, only to find out it was someone else. But this time, there could be no doubt whatsoever. It was him. Her heart thumped, her pulse raced – just as they always had. But then she felt angry. It had been four months and four days since she’d last seen him, since he’d dropped her off at her flat and promised to ring the next day. Four months and four days since he’d disappeared off the face of the earth, clearing out of his flat and out of her life, without even a word of goodbye. And now here he was again, in her high street, wandering around…

‘He even brings work home, something he promised he’d never do’ Not for the first time, Shirley wished Christmas was over. It just wasn’t the same now that her parents lived apart. They’d spent Christmas Eve with her dad, now they were heading to her mum’s house for Christmas Day. Snow had just started to fall, reminding her of the story her mother often told about the day she’d met Shirley’s father. They’d been students at the same college, sharing digs next door to each other. One day, very early in December, a heavy fall of snow had come down during the night. Shirley’s father set about building a snowman in the front garden and invited her mother to join them. Soon they were having a snowball fight which ended…

When I first had my business idea, I just knew it was a winner. I would offer my services to members of the public who wanted someone to write up their life stories, whether for their own satisfaction or to leave something for their kids and grandkids. I’m not the first person to offer such a service, but, given that I’d worked for a few years as a journalist on our small local paper, I reckoned I could bring both a professional and a personal touch to such an enterprise. I did my auntie Jean’s first, at a special rate because she was family and also because she would tell all her friends. When three of them asked me to do the same with their life stories, I was thrilled,…

‘The last time I saw her was at the cocktail party, just before Christmas’ Robert, have you heard about Fiona McAndrews?’ Arlene asked. ‘Heard what?’ I replied quickly. I was terrified Arlene would mention an affair. If my boss Don McAndrews’ personal secretary knew, then the man himself surely must. McAndrews isn’t exactly renowned for a forgiving nature. ‘She left him.’ ‘No!’ Phew. If her husband had made public that Fiona had moved out of their mansion and into a flat, then he’d most likely insist on a quick divorce. McAndrews is practical to the point of ruthlessness. If a business doesn’t make sufficient money he shuts it down, no matter if his grandfather started it, or the services it provided were important to the local economy. He’d even closed…

Howard lay on the ground groaning as a succession of different shoes hurried by – women in heels, teenagers in trainers, businessmen in shiny lace-ups. Not one of them stopped or asked him if he was OK. He couldn’t blame them. His clothes were shabby, his shoes covered in mud and he hadn’t shaved for three days. As he was thinking of giving up, a pair of brown brogues stopped inches from his head. ‘Are you OK, mister?’ the young woman asked as she crouched down beside him. She was dressed in black and had piercings in her nose and lip. ‘Not really. I fell over,’ he answered. She nodded. ‘I’m about to go and grab some lunch. Why don’t you tag along? My treat. My name’s Dotty.’ When she…

Is Santa real, Mum?’ Luckily, I was in the middle of piping green icing on tree-shaped Christmas biscuits and could avoid looking at Emma. I’d always dreaded hearing this question, so I answered the only way I knew how… by not answering. ‘Why would you ask that, Emma?’ I asked. ‘At school yesterday, Isaac said anyone who believes in Santa is a baby.’ ‘Well, you’re seven now, and definitely not a baby, are you?’ I handed her one of the iced biscuits. ‘Because babies can’t be taste testers. Are you up for the job?’ Emma grinned. ‘Sure am!’ She quickly ate the whole thing, then said, ‘This is the best biscuit I’ve ever eaten.’ When she ran off to watch TV, I was relieved her mind had been distracted from…

Sarah glanced up at the clock outside the toy shop as she made her way along the crowded street. Ten to nine. Thank goodness! She pushed her way through the door and made her way down the crowded aisles. It might only be the 4 December, but already the shops were packed with late night Christmas shoppers. Finally, she got to the Barbies. And there on the top shelf was the one Katie had set her heart on. It was the last one, too. She reached up and carried it triumphantly to the till, feeling as exhilarated as an Olympic runner carrying the baton to the finishing line at the end of a relay race. Katie would be so pleased when she unwrapped it on Christmas morning… As she walked…

So here it is, Merry Xmas, everybody’s having fun…’ Emily hummed along to Slade singing one of her favourite Christmas songs, playing over the department store’s loud-speaker system. Her eyes scanned the crowded shop and then, suddenly, she stopped. There he was! She’d followed the shifty-looking man she’d just seen flashing his money around in the jewellers and she knew he was in here somewhere. There was no missing him in his dark pin-striped suit, flashy gold and black tie and hideous deep pink shirt. Once more he was behaving oddly, closely inspecting and fingering the sexy lingerie, and yet she was the only one who seemed to give him more than a second glance. Emily watched as he studied a stunning diamond and emerald ring Most people were probably…

Breadcrumbing?’ I repeated. ‘Sorry, Lydia, but did I miss something? I thought we were talking about me and Greg, not cooking.’ Lydia and I were perched on two high stools at the counter in Luca’s – the only seats we could find in our favourite café, due to the high volume of Christmas shoppers. Lydia was my best friend. We’d known each other since school. Like me, she enjoyed facials, a bit of retail therapy, and Luca’s tiramisu layer cake – all of which we’d indulged in today. Unlike me, she loved Christmas. But then Lydia had Darren, her husband, and their three grown-up kids. And soon she’d have a grandchild, too. Whereas my Christmas Day meant staying with my cousin, June, and her family, who were very kind but…

Gary was over the moon when he finally scored a date with Trish, especially as he’d been trying for the past few weeks since meeting her at the pub where she worked. All she’d said to him before was ‘We’ll see’, as he’d purchased his evening pint and a packet of cheese and onion crisps. She was gorgeous for sure, with dark curly hair and eyes and a perfect body. But it wasn’t just her physical looks, she had a sunny personality and made him laugh – a sure-fire winner with him. After all, anyone who touches the funny bone had to be all right, didn’t they? ‘You going to take me somewhere posh then?’ Trish had asked a few days prior to the date. ‘Be fab to have an…