Emma Thompson was buried under a mountain of urgent work, so much so that she skipped lunch. But then her phone buzzedher mother was calling.
«Mum? Make it quick, Im swamped,» Emma answered, her voice tight with stress.
«Love» Her mother’s voice was faint, as if reaching her from another world. «I dont feel well»
Emma waited, expecting the call to drop, but all she heard was a strained groan.
«Mum? Youre breaking upMum! Im coming!» She grabbed her coat from the rack, barely pausing to tell a colleague, «Cover for me,» before bolting from the office.
Only outside did she realise she was still in her office heels. No time to changeshe dashed to the car park. Her mothers house keys were in the glovebox. The ringing phone startled hershe was in such a rush that she sped through red lights, not caring about the fines. Just let her get there in time.
When she burst into the flat, her mother was curled on the sofa, clutching her chest.
«Mum, is it your heart?»
Her mother cracked her eyes open, wincing.
«Hold on, just hold on.» Emma fumbled for her phone and dialled 999.
It wouldve been faster to drive her to hospital, but could her mother even make it downstairs? No lift in the building, and moving her might be dangerous. And the neighbours? Uselessjust elderly folk home at this hour.
As they waited for the ambulance, Emma stroked her mothers shoulder, murmuring reassurances. She left the door ajar. When the paramedics in blue uniforms arrived, Emma stumbled through an explanation.
The medic checked her mothers pulse, took her blood pressure.
«Were taking her in. Tom, fetch the stretcher. Miss, gather her documents.»
«Whats wrong with her?» Emmas voice shook.
«Heart attack, likely.» He shook his head.
Soon, Tom returned with the stretcher. Emma followed them to the ambulance, desperate to ride along, but the medic refusedshed only be in the way. Call the hospital for updates, he said.
Emma drove back to work. Lunch break had long endedshed be in trouble if anyone noticed her absence. She cut through backstreets to avoid traffic lights. Turning onto the main road, the car lurcheda flat tyre. She pulled over, stepping out in her flimsy heels. Just perfect.
Now what? The spare was heavyimpossible in heels. She fought back tears, staring into the boot, debating whether to call for a tow. Too slow.
A Range Rover pulled up beside her. A man stepped out, took one look at the flat, then at her shoes, and immediately understood.
«You got a spare?»
Emma nodded, relief nearly making her cry. He hauled the spare out, fetched tools from his car, and got to work.
«Get in the caryoull freeze,» he said without looking up.
Her feet were numbautumn chill, and now rain. She called James, but he didnt pick up.
The man seemed to take forever. Finally, he tapped the window. «All set. Just get the tyre patched later.»
«Thank you. How much do I owe you?»
«Where were you rushing off to in those shoes?» he teased.
«My mum calledshe collapsed. I ran out of the office. Here, take these.» She handed him wet wipes.
«How is she?»
«Ambulance took her. Heart problems. Thank youreally.»
«Dont mention it. Hope she recovers.» He walked off, leaving her with the wipes.
Back at the office, she nearly collided with her boss by the lift.
«Emma Thompson, just back from lunch now?» Her boss tapped her wristwatch. «One more stunt like this, and its a formal warning.»
Emma exhaled.
First, she called her friend Sophie, who worked at the hospital, begging her to check on her mother. Sophie called back half an hour latereternity to Emma. The attack had been stabilisedno heart attack confirmed, just observation overnight.
«You okay?» Sophie asked.
«Ran out of work, got a flat, James wont answer»
«Bloody hell. Hang in there.»
James never called back. When she got home, he was glued to his laptop.
«Where were you? I called a hundred times!»
«At work. Meetings all day.»
«All day?»
«Sorry, had my phone on silent. Whats wrong?»
«Couldnt you have called back? Mum was rushed to hospitalheart attack scare! I had a flat, and you were just»
«Shouldve driven carefully. Hows your mum?»
They made up, but unease gnawed at her.
***
Theyd met two years ago in a café. Sophie had nudged her»That blokes staring a hole through you.»
Emma glanced overhandsome, smirking. Hed strolled over. «Mind if I join you?»
Sophie left. They talked for hours, then walked through London. Emma fell hard. Two weeks later, he moved in.
She waited for a proposal. Hinted. But James said living together was one thingmarriage was another. He needed to buy a flat first. Two years passed.
No, she loved everything about himexcept the uncertainty. And her mothers constant nagging: «If he hasnt proposed yet, he wont.» Maybe moving in had been a mistake.
Weekends, James played tennis with mates while Emma cleaned. He had a habit of hiding dirty shirts in the wardrobe. One day, she noticed his jacket pocket bulging. A red velvet box.
Her hands trembled as she opened ita gold ring, a diamond glinting under the light. She slipped it on. Perfect fit. Hed propose on her birthday!
She returned it, giddy.
Next day, the ring was gone. She assumed hed hidden it better.
Her birthday came. James toasted her, then slid a velvet box across the table. She hesitatedwaiting for the question. It never came.
«Open it,» Sophie urged.
Earrings.
Disappointment mustve been written on her faceJames looked away.
After the guests left, she confronted him. «Who was the ring for?»
«A mates girlfriend. He asked me to hide it.»
«Liar.»
«Didnt know you went through my things. You didnt like the earrings? Fine, well get a ring tomorrowwhatever you want.»
«Lets go, then.»
He hadnt expected that.
At the jewellers, the assistant smiled. «Back so soon? Didnt she like the first one?»
Emma froze. «You bought a ring?»
James flushed. The assistant backtrackedwrong customer.
«Ill explain,» he whispered.
«Dont follow me.» Emma fled.
In the car, she shook. So that was ithed been seeing someone else. All that flat nonsensejust excuses.
James called. She turned off her phone.
She didnt realise shed stopped until a knock came at the window. She rolled it down.
«Flat again?» The same man from before smirkedthen saw her tears.
They ended up in a café. She spilled everything.
«Maybe youre wrong? His mate really did lend him the ring?»
«Doesnt matter now. He couldve proposed without one. Why drag me to the shop? He never planned to marry me.»
He bought her ice cream. «Always calmed me down as a kid.»
***
She left James. The strangerDanielkept «bumping» into her. Then came cinema dates, weekends in York, Bath Sometimes he stayed over, but she refused to move in together.
Four months later, he proposed with a modest diamond. She never took it off.
She often wonderedhow long would James have lied if she hadnt found that ring?
Maybe some cupboards are better left unopened. And pockets? Definitely.
