Gemma Hilton, 34, and her family were off on a once-in-a-lifetime trip – but someone had other ideas…
As she cradled my baby daughter in her arms, my best friend Rebecca Waterfall chatted away about her latest trip abroad. It was the enviable perk of working as a travel agent – she was forever getting discounted holidays.
‘I could get you one, too,’ she said with a grin. I shook my head. It was September 2012 and my husband Michael and I were just getting used to being parents since the arrival of little Lola six months earlier. Going abroad was the last thing on our minds.
Rebecca and I had become friends after we had moved in next door to her in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, in October 2011. She loved popping round for cuddles with Lola, often bringing us gifts from her travels.
So I was gutted when she told us a few months later that she was moving to London for a new job. ‘But I’ll keep in touch on the phone,’ she said.
A great deal
Rebecca was as good as her word and she would ring up for a chat once a week. And when my Grandma Doreen died, aged 84, in November 2015, Rebecca was one of the first people I called. ‘I’m going to miss her so much,’ I sobbed.
I explained how my dad, Philip, 64, wanted to take the family to Walt Disney World, Florida, to cheer us up. Rebecca leapt in. ‘Let me help you get a discounted deal,’ she said. ‘It’s the least I can do.’ By then, she’d moved to Manchester and was working for Virgin Travel.
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin June 05,2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye WOMAN'S OWN dergisinin June 05,2017 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
MIND OF MY OWN
The Woman's Own columnist has her say on the gender gap, cats and timed hugs
Check out CHICAGO
With a spectacular skyline, sandy beaches and great food, the Windy City is calling, says Zoe West
LET'S EMBRACE OUR CHRISTMAS TAT!
Becky Dickinson explains why she'll still be rocking around her tinsel-strewn tree this year
BURIED SECRETS
We look at the shocking cases of celebrities posthumously accused of being sexual predators-and how they got away with it
FESTIVE NO-BAKES
Pop on the Christmas tunes and whip up a batch of these easy sweet treats
PROTECT YOUR SMILE
Are you doing enough to look after your teeth and gums?
'TIS THE SEASON TO SHINE!
At last, Hayley McCrossan, 39, feels fit and healthy
FOR THE LOVE OF TOM
When Deborah Mitchell, 57, lost her son, she vowed to help other families facing the same heartbreak
THE NURSE WHO LEFT MY GRANDAD FOR DEAD belict
Rachael Fealey, 31, had one question for the woman who killed her beloved Grampa - how could you?
Coleen's MONEY WORRIES
What are the reasons behind her financial and marriage fears?