Dear Dave,
Looking back now, it feels like you've been in my life forever. But actually, I was an outspoken, cheeky 14-year-old when you and my mum Carol first got together.
You seemed nice enough and you certainly made Mum happy, but I never thought I needed you, or indeed any father figure, in my life.
Mum and my biological dad had broken up when I was five. He worked a lot, so I don't have too many memories of him, even when he did live with us.
We moved away to Hertfordshire, and although my brother and I visited for weekends at first, eventually our relationship fizzled out.
If I'm being truthful, I didn't really care. Mum was incredible, two parents in one - if not more! She worked two jobs to provide for us but if she was ever stressed about making ends meet, she never let us know anything about it.
Instead, she made life fun, taking us to the beach in the summer, leading us on intrepid adventures through the sand dunes. She was always hands-on too. Ta da!' she announced, as she led me into my bedroom one afternoon when I was nine years old. I gasped in delight she'd decorated it all in a 101 Dalmatians theme, complete with black paw prints on the radiator!
I adored her. Who needed a dad? I certainly didn't. I even told a teacher that once, after I'd been kept behind after class for being naughty. You need to start pulling your socks up,' she'd warned. Although, it probably doesn't matter anyway, what with you coming from a single-parent family.'
I'd never thought of myself as being at a disadvantage because I just had a mum. 'My mum is worth 10 normal parents,' I shouted, voice shaking, before storming off. And I truly believed it. I didn't need anyone else. Mum was everything to me.
Denne historien er fra June 19, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 19, 2023-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
