Tasha Was Overjoyed: She Awoke with a Blissful Smile on Her Face, Sensing Vadim Breathing Softly Behind Her, Making Her Smile Again.

Maggie feels joyous. She wakes with a blissful smile spreading across her face. She senses David breathing warm air against the back of her neck, and she smiles again.

The money for the honeymoon is already set aside. Yesterday she tells David about it, and for half an hour he gushes about how brilliant she is and how she couldnt have chosen a better partner.

Just a few weeks ago Maggie doubted her decision. David introduced her to his family, and she felt uneasy among strangers she didnt know.

The turning point is that she is a wealthy bride, bringing a modest legacy a little, battered 1950s Austin Mini left to her by her grandmother. This is the car they share.

One bedroom is locked. Its Grandmothers room. Maggie leaves everything exactly as it was in her grans life: an old wooden chest, a rocking armchair, a writing desk and shelves stacked with colourful yarn skeins. Of course, after the wedding the room will look different but for now it stays the same.

Sometimes Maggie slips into that room in the evenings, settles into the rocker, switches on the antique lamp and drifts off in thought. David dislikes her quiet moments, calling them a whim and melancholy, yet he cant stop her. He never enters, grumbling that the space is being wasted.

In her own family Maggie is the eldest. Her parents quickly realise they can use her as a nanny, and soon all the care for her younger sister and brother falls on Maggies slender shoulders.

That brings constant criticism you didnt tidy properly, you didnt wash right, you didnt dress them well Her siblings soon get used to blaming Maggie for everything and begin to take advantage. So, after finishing school, Maggie gathers her few belongings and moves in with her gran.

Grandma dotes on Maggie, calling her songbird, spoiling her with fresh scones and teaching her to live a godly life.

Maggie crawls out from under the warm blanket and darts to the kitchen to fry cheese scones for breakfast. Soon, yawning and stretching, David shuffles in, sits at the table, pushes a plate of hot scones toward himself and begins to dunk them in thick clotted cream.

Listen, love, he says after the fifth scone, Ive been thinking forget the honeymoon! Lets use that money for a car. We only need a little extra, we can get a loan, theyll sort it out for you!

Maggie stares at Davids creamslicked face, then hears the frontdoor lock click. Before she can react, a small crowd bursts into the hallway: future motherinlaw, her daughter and an 18yearold son, followed by three suitcases and a duffel bag.

Hello, bridetobe, come on in! announces Lydia, the future motherinlaw, from the doorway. We decided right after you and David talked yesterday to come straight over, no point dragging things out

Maggie glances again at David, who is already hauling the suitcases from the hall toward the locked bedroom.

Dad, open the door, David calls. We still have to clear the room, move the rocker onto the balcony, cover it with plastic, nothing will happen to it, and well leave the rest of the furniture for now. Vicky will manage. Just toss those old yarn balls somewhere, or dump them.

What do you mean Vicky will manage? And why should I throw anything away? And how does Lydia have the keys to the flat? Maggie whispers, barely audible, as the purpose of the early family visit becomes clear.

Lydia continues, Youre living well, thank God. The wedding is in two weeks. Youll buy the car, I heard David say. And the spare room? While you have no children yet, Vicky can stay there; its a short fiveminute walk from you, but a long trek to university otherwise.

Enough, Maggie, David chimes in, well stash my brother for a while, get rid of that old junk, weve already planned a kids room in there. He flashes a broad grin, showing off his handy side.

Davids already spotted the car, pipes up Svet, Davids lively sister. A friends selling a great model, well take a loan, skip the honeymoon, hit the road. Cant pass up a deal like that!

Alright, Maggie, find the spare room keys while I treat everyone to more scones, okay? Our scones are fingerlicking good with cream! David says, leaving a pale Maggie in the corridor as he heads back to the kitchen with the family.

Maggie steps into the locked room, plops onto the makeshift sofa David haphazardly assembled, and ponders. Its obvious shell miss breakfast. Her incoming family will sweep the kitchen and fridge clean, and shell have to haul groceries again that evening.

She realises shell have to dip into the wedding stash, because David offers no help when he moved in, he declared theyd live on Maggies salary while he saved for a bigger house.

Do you really plan to spend your whole life in that old council flat on the edge of town? David asks businesslike.

Maggie says nothing, especially since the wedding is only six months away.

Now new surprises appear: David has already made copies of her flats keys for his mother. They decide Vicky will live there. Why should Maggie endure an indefinite stay in a house belonging to a young man she barely knows?

The last straw is the notorious car.

Maggie has dreamed of the sea since childhood. Her parents took her to the coast twice when she was a girl, but never let her stay. She vows her honeymoon will be unforgettable the sea, Greece, a nice hotel, a trip to Sicily, ancient temples, a glass of sharp Greek wine on the terrace, a room with seaview windows.

Tears well up, soft and childlike. In her mind Gran appears, seated in her favourite armchair, kind eyes watching her grieving granddaughter. Dont worry, my songbird, marriage isnt a disaster. Just make sure it doesnt become one! Look for someone who loves you, because love brings care. Seek that care and you wont go wrong.

The decision comes quickly. Laughter from her relatives the ones who never truly were relatives fills the kitchen, as does the man who never truly became her husband.

First she phones her workplace, asking for two weeks leave early. Then she calls Marsha, her university friend, explains the situation and asks her to look after the flat while shes away, so the relatives cant cause any mischief. Marsha lives two houses down and immediately agrees.

Dont worry, Ill sort them out! Look at what theyre planning!

After sorting the flat, Maggie finally rings the travel agency where she had been choosing a honeymoon tour. They promptly book her a hotdeal package. Her suitcase is already packed shes been dreaming of the sea so long she gathered everything well before the wedding.

Fifteen minutes later she slips out of the flat, quietly shuts the door and leaves a note: Wedding cancelled. Hand the keys to Marsha. Buy the car yourself. No longer your Maggie.

Approaching the airport she pulls out her perpetually vibrating phone, flooded with missed calls and frantic messages: Are you losing your mind?! She silences it again.

Yes, Ive gone mad! a distant voice from her childhood sings inside her mind. What a nuisance!

And somewhere deep in her memory Grans gentle smile watches over her.