An unusually cold Australian winter morning. The light creeps just so, momentarily tricking me into thinking I’m tucked away in my London apartment, despite the distance in years since I've lived there. The dream I’m leaving lingers. I remember it’s my niece’s birthday in three days. It’s been more than three years since I've been home, for her fourth birthday, a sweet British summer baby. Still sleepy, I make a plan to drop her present to my sister’s house before remembering I cannot. These moments of discombobulation are bittersweet, reminders of the sacrifices I would have preferred not to make.
Elaine Mead is an educator and writer from London, currently based in Tasmania. Her flash and micro-fiction have been published widely in both print and digital media. Find Elaine at www.wordswithelaine.com and on Twitter @_elainemead.