Ive got to tell you whats been happening, and youll understand why Ive finally stopped whining about being single.
Emily Whitaker knew everything, or at least thought she did. She wasnt in her twenties any more, not even thirty, and the endless nights of waiting had worn her thin.
Claire, why is it always me? Whats wrong with me? Am I a bore? Do I smell? Am I just too clingy? Or maybe Im not giving enough love and affection? Emily muttered to herself one night. Everyones got someone the tall, the short, the drunk, the gorgeous and Im just here, alone.
Claire, slouching in her armchair, tried to soothe her. Listen, Em dont laugh, but my gran used to talk about a a crown of spinsterhood.
Emily snorted. Are we living in the Middle Ages now?
Claire jumped up. You dont believe me? My thirdcousins aunt actually took that crown off her head. The old lady who told me was well, youll meet her later.
Which old lady? Emily asked, more out of habit than curiosity.
Just give Nora a ring thats my sister, the one who helped my cousin get rid of the crown. Ill find out everything.
A few minutes later Claire scribbled something on a napkin, tongue flicking. Right, Nora thanks. Hows it going? Getting married again? What about Gene? Oh, shes been kicked out. Anyway, Ill be there. She hung up and stared at the phone.
Whats up? Emily asked.
Nothing oh, actually it is. My sisters third wedding is coming up another gift to sort out. The grandma mustve taken the crown off hard if it keeps happening. Heres the address. Fancy a drive?
Emily shrugged. She went, but the old lady turned her around and sent her back emptyhanded.
No crown for you.
Are you serious? I
The men you chose were all wrong. The first one left with a kid, a scoundrel who was already married. You didnt know? Thought something was off with you? He was a rotten bloke, disappeared into the bushes, and life moved on.
What?
You dont need to know his name. He wasnt your man.
The second? Emily smirked.
Not yours either, the old woman confirmed. The third wasnt yours either.
The third? Ive got no one
Your own will come when you least expect it. Hell be yours, but not entirely. A girl cant change that just trust him. Hell be reliable, and youll find your own kind of happiness. Maybe even have him all to yourself, but you must be patient, dont rush.
Alright, go on.
The friend you have, tell her to see a doctor, drink some herbal tea, and visit a gynaecologist. Tell her the old lady sent you.
That chat had taken place years ago, when a desperate Emily drove out to the cronewitch in the country. Everything the witch said seemed to come true.
She met a fourth man, but by then shed forgotten the old ladys words. He was decent, treated Emilys daughter well, but something always made him vanish without a word.
Then Emily bumped into Mark. At first she didnt even realise who he was. The flat next door had been empty for ages. When Emily moved in with her little girl, Aunt Kate mentioned the landlord was a nightshift worker who stayed with his mother. One day, curiosity got the better of her the neighbours door was ajar, and she peeked in to see a man hanging wallpaper. She slipped out quietly; the landlord had clearly just returned.
Their first encounter in the hallway was a comedy of doors that wouldnt open unless you shut the other one first. Emily rushed to work, tried to pull a door, and it stuck. The neighbour apologized, closed his flat, and Emily heard his light footsteps. Later she blocked his exit, then they met again on the landing, where he let her be the first to go through.
Mark once helped Christina lift a bike, and Emily baked some scones and handed them to him. They later ran into each other in the park; Marks son, about the same age as Christinas, made friends instantly, while Emily and Mark chatted away.
Six months later he asked her out, introduced her to his family, and they moved in together. Before that, Mark laid his cards on the table.
Emily, Im not a twentyyearold lad, nor some clueless oaf. Im a grown man with my own opinions and quirks. I promise if you live with me I wont cheat, Ill do the heavy lifting, Ill earn a decent wage, I dont drink or smoke, no nasty habits. Ill respect you, value you Im sorry, I cant love you the way I should. Ive tried.
Emily was stunned. Youre not a stone, Mark. I do feel something for you, just not the fireworks I imagined.
He went on, I fell for a girl once, felt warm next to her, but it never worked. She saw me as a friend, I tried to push the feeling out for years, no luck. Ive had other women, smarter, prettier, but none fit.
Emily, trying not to sound like an old drama queen, asked, Should I have talked to her?
Mark sighed, I told her I loved her, but she said shed always been just a friend, like a brother. I couldnt stay with someone I didnt love, yet I forced her to stay.
He eventually married someone else. I wasnt a zombie, I lived normally. But thinking about the woman I truly love feels like a curse. I feel broken, unable to give a woman happiness, even if shed love me for what I am.
He concluded, I just want you to decide if you can live without that blazing passion. My wife didnt make it. Take your time, think.
Emily thought it over, and a week later she met his large, lively family. They welcomed her and her daughter with open arms. Shed feared being seen as a replacement, or being pitied, but nothing of the sort happened.
She never regretted marrying Mark. He was reliable, solved her problems, and she stopped chasing the fevered ideas of romance. Occasionally, just a couple of times a year, shed catch his wandering glance, perhaps remembering someone else, but it never harmed their marriage.
One day, that lingering look made her wonder if it hurt her. She placed her hand over her heart and thought, Does any woman not dream of a man changing for her? Shed married not out of a grand love story, but grew to love him as the perfect husband.
The familiar gaze returned, clouded with something she didnt love.
Emily? Mark called as she washed the windows on a bright spring morning, the sun beating down. He stepped into the room, admiring her.
He felt a strange freedom, as if a longlost love had finally resurfaced.
Whats up, love? Something happened?
Yes just everything feels right. He lifted her onto the windowsill, spun her around, and began a little dance.
Emily, you have no idea how wonderful everything is now. He kissed her, finally realizing how much he truly loved his wife.
Emily thought, The old crone wasnt lying. She told me to just wait.
Good morning, dear friend. May the love youre still hunting flutter through your window, and if its already in your life, cherish it. Sending you warm hugs and a splash of sunshine.
