She watched him go and felt her heart inflate to twice the size. No more chasing his wet ball because he's too blind to see where it dropped in the park. Was it relief or pain that swelled her heart against her ribs, surely relief. Guilt free work days were her future and the thought of it eased the pressure in her chest.  Her dog had gifted her with an inter-species relationship and expanded her idea of love, she knew that now and as tears pushed out, her heart…

'Seeing as we're round the corner we could have lunch at mine - I've loads of food in' she said breezily, panicking slightly until  recall of the fridge contents confirmed that that would probably work out. 'If we get the kids to sleep on the walk back, we can bounce them up to the flat and make ourselves some food in peace', she said, just as airily. Each banging step cracked round the hallways with their backwards stair bashing, dragging accent until the two…

A Dorian Grey of the toddler world dangling permanently from your fat hands, smashed around your feet and the streets. A spangled wretch of a fairy doll ground in with pavement puddles, muddied up pink monster with the stuffing knocked out, pushed back and sewn up. The toy holds together for another day, a touch glitter and twisted. It used to look like you at two. At three, your bloom out dazzles such filthy fairy…