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“This is the life, isn’t it?” said Doug.

The remains of the Chinese takeaway were strewn over the farmhouse kitchen table.  The villa they’d rented for a song from Thora’s workmate had been a delight. So prettily furnished. Swimming pool on site, sandy beach just five minutes away. And every evening the dramatic sunset over the nearby cornfields.

“You know, that wasn’t bad at all, especially for the price. Even with Euros costing so much,” said Thora.

“No, but as usual we’ve ordered too much,” replied Doug. No more for you, Patti?”

Patti shook her long dark curls. No way. She’d worked hard on her figure for this holiday. She intended still to have it when she got back to the UK. What with that and her tan…. maybe Jack might want to share a bed with her again.

Jack. Just thinking about him made her feel sick. It had been so relaxing here in the sun. She dreaded going back to all that tension and arguing. “It’s a shame we’ve only got three days left,” she said.

“Aren’t we going to eat the fortune cookies?” asked Sam, Patti’s seven year old daughter.

“Go on then. Let’s have a go,” replied Patti. “You give them out.”

She opened the one her daughter had given her. It made her laugh. “How did they know?” she asked.

“What does it say?” asked Thora.

Patti handed her the slip of paper.

“Expect a delay that will have favourable consequences,” read Thora. “Oh, that would be good, wouldn’t it?”

“You’re telling me,” said Patti.

The next day they were the first at the beach as usual. Not that it was crowded this time of year, but they liked to get there early: as they were self-catering, they liked to leave early as well, and being here at this time gave them a full day to enjoy the sea, the sun and the sand. Patti had just come back from her second dip in the sea when she spotted the woman.

“Look, Mum,” she said to Thora. “She looks more as if she’s going to the office than the beach.”

The woman was wearing smart linen trousers and wedged court shoes. It was soon clear, though, that, she knew about beaches. She had a swimsuit under the trousers, and she was soon making herself comfortable on a nearby sun-lounger.

As soon as she was all creamed up, she made her way over to them

“Hello,” she said. “Where do you pay for the sunbeds?”

“Oh, Stavros will be over for your money in a minute, don’t you worry,” said Doug.

“Ah, good,” replied the woman. “Has your flight been delayed as well?”

“What?” asked Thora.

“Because of the volcano,” replied the woman.

“What volcano?” asked Patti.

“Iceland,” said the woman. “The ash has choked our air space. Most of Europe actually.”

“Mummy,” cried Sam, “does this mean I won’t have to go to school on Monday?”

“I don’t know,” said the woman. “First they lose all of our money and then they choke us with ash.”

“Mummy, it’s the fortune cookie coming true,” cried Sam.

“Well, I guess we’ll be all right. We’re retired,” said Thora.

“And I can think of worse places to get stuck,” said the woman.

“It’s just our daughter having to get back to work and the kiddo needing to get to school.”

No it doesn’t matter, thought Patti. It doesn’t matter at all. Thank goodness for fortune cookies.