{"id":265934,"date":"2026-07-17T18:06:47","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/lipstick-and-lullabies-emma-whittaker\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T18:06:47","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:06:47","slug":"lipstick-and-lullabies-emma-whittaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/lipstick-and-lullabies-emma-whittaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Lipstick And Lullabies – Emma Whittaker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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She blinked in the darkness and burrowed further into her pillow, disgruntled that he was trying his luck in the middle of the night. \u2018I\u2019m off,\u2019 he said softly. \u2018See you later.\u2019 The collar of his shirt pressed against her skin and she forced her eyes open to see him leaning across the bed. \u2018What do you mean?\u2019 \u2018Got to be in London for eight-thirty, remember?\u2019 \u2018No…\u2019 She rolled over to face him.<\/p>\n

\u2018That\u2019s next week, you said.\u2019 \u2018This is next week,\u2019 Eric sniggered. \u2018Time sure flies when you\u2019re having fun.\u2019 \u2018But I thought you meant…\u2019 \u2018Next week as in, the one after this week?\u2019 Leah nodded blearily and turned on the bedside light. \u2018Anyway, you\u2019ll be OK, won\u2019t you? Just don\u2019t forget the whistle, it really helps with his recall.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Seriously?\u2019 She slumped against the headboard, noting the time was only just after six in the morning. \u2018What if he runs off or something? If I lose grip of that pushchair up a hill, Kiki\u2019s going to…\u2019 \u2018Can\u2019t you give her to Nana?\u2019 \u2018No, Eric, I can\u2019t. Mum\u2019s got a church thing on, so that leaves me stuck with the pair of them!\u2019 \u2018Look, I have to run. My train leaves in twenty-five minutes.\u2019 He kissed her forehead and slid guiltily into his suit jacket.<\/p>\n

\u2018You\u2019ve got this. I\u2019ll be back in time to take him out tonight.\u2019 He turned to give her a last encouraging glance, but she wasn\u2019t letting him walk out of there thinking she was fine. The fragility that consumed her at every new challenge was flooding back as she thought of her day ahead.<\/p>\n

While Eric would be kicking back on the train, scrolling through the news with a coffee cup keeping his hands warm, she would probably get stuck in the back of beyond, searching for a lost puppy with a toddler in tow.<\/p>\n

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First published worldwide by SRL Publishing in 2026 Copyright \u00a9 Emma Whittaker, 2026 The moral right by the author has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. ISBN: 978-1915-073-57-0 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.<\/p>\n

No part of this book shall be used in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence (AI) systems or technologies. SRL Publishing and Pen Nib logo are registered trademarks owned by SRL Publishing Ltd. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author\u2019s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, events or locales, is entirely coincidental. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.<\/p>\n

SRL Publishing is a climate positive publisher, offsetting more carbon emissions than it emits. This is for Margaret, the most inspirational and wonderful mother in the world. And in loving memory of Christina, always in our hearts x OceanofPDF.com One In the blink of an eye, mascara was a memory, flushed away with the figure-hugging dresses and glossy red lips of the past.<\/p>\n

These days it was an accomplishment if Leah managed face cream before her daughter\u2019s tantrums reached the pitch that could send social services to the door. She abandoned the dressing table once again, throwing on a tattered hoodie and wiping her tears with the cuffs. \u2018It\u2019s OK…\u2019 she sniffed, reaching for Kiki as she thrashed and howled on the floor. \u2018I\u2019ve got you.\u2019 She fastened her into the car seat, and even that was a chore. Arms and legs smacking into her face and her back arching in protest as she wrestled with the straps.<\/p>\n

\u2018You think I want to go, either?\u2019 Leah shouted, reversing off the drive and eyeing Kiki\u2019s shrivelled face in the rearview mirror. \u2018I can\u2019t do a thing anymore. Can\u2019t take you anywhere because you never stop!\u2019 She slammed on the brakes just in time, as a car slowed in front of her. \u2018See? I can\u2019t even drive properly now.\u2019 She sobbed. \u2018It\u2019s me that needs a healthcare check, not you!\u2019<\/p>\n

Sucking in a slow breath, she moved forward and tried to stay calm, hating herself for being so angry when Kiki was tiny and defenceless. But life was impossibly hard. No struggling mother should suffer in silence. It was the golden rule of every parenting handbook. But the only thing lonelier than being stuck at home with a screaming baby was taking her out in public.<\/p>\n

Routine health checks like this one were the worst, forcing her into a community where she didn\u2019t belong.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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