It began with her putting the kettle in the fridge and calling everybody “darling.” When she bought a white sports convertible and went shopping in her underwear, her daughters put her away. In her garage, they found her collection: No Stopping. No U-turn. Steep Descent. All the signs were there.

Doug Jacquier writes from the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia. His work has been published in Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and India. He blogs at Six Crooked Highways.