If anyone ever warned Emily that shed end up being the subject of endless chatter and the spark of a rift between a dad and his son, shed have begged them to take it back. Shes a simple, country girl, but she can stand up for herself when she has to. Still, everything unfolded exactly as it did, and even in her worst nightmare Emily never imagined that to be happy shed have to trudge through seven circles of hell.
Emily had just moved to Birmingham, even though shed been begging her mum not to send her to her aunts. At the family meeting they decided it would be Emily who went to Margaret Harper, because there was no one else. David, the father, had been a tractor driver and now the fields were bursting with work. Mum kept the farm going, and the siblings were either in school or at nursery.
With a tiny suitcase packed with the essentials, Emily set off to see the aunt shed only ever met once at a christening. Folks whispered that Margarets sharp tongue meant shed never got on with any of her three husbands. She had no children, no heirs, and Emilys parents secretly hoped shed leave her flat to her niece. Thats exactly what happened, but Margaret wasnt cruel, she was just distant. She never asked about Emilys life and kept her own world tightly shut. So why bother with Emily? Simply because lately shed grown scared that she might die and no one would even notice. She imagined herself lying there until the smell drifted up the stairwell and someone finally called the police.
Margaret had been fighting a terminal illness for years and knew she wouldnt last much longer. For her, Emily was a sort of ticket to a proper funeral and wake. Emily sensed her aunts worries and kept her mouth shut. She washed, cooked, cleaned, ran errands basically did whatever was asked. She had no friends, and after a hard day shed usually sit on the village bench with the other girls, so being alone in the city made her feel bored. She barely left the flat, except for the balcony where she could watch young mums strolling with their tots or old ladies gathering by the lift to gossip. Her life split into two parts: the grueling side, running errands for a demanding aunt, and the pleasant side, which began when Margaret drifted off after a painkiller. Then Emily could brew a strong coffee and enjoy the quiet on the balcony.
Soon enough she bumped into a charming neighbour, Andrew, who was also a regular on that balcony at the same hour. At first they just nodded, pretending not to notice each other, then said hello, and before long it felt like a teenage crush. They both rushed to the balcony, hoping to catch a glimpse of the other. By the time Margaret passed away, Emily and Andrew were already close, even confessing their feelings. So after the funeral Emily didnt go back to the village; she stayed in the city. She told her parents she wanted to study, though they knew there was another reason, and they didnt argue.
Emily was sure of her feelings and of Andrews, so she gladly accepted his courtship and his proposal. Andrew lived alone. His mother had remarried after a divorce and moved to the States. His father was a doctor working in Kenya, only visiting once a year on holiday. Their wedding was modest but lively, and the couple were the happiest, ready to spend the rest of their lives side by side.
Andrew followed in his dads footsteps, trained as a doctor and now worked as a junior surgeon in the city hospital. Emily wanted to keep up, so she signed up for a nursing course and got in without trouble. She imagined the two of them heading to work together, saving patients, but not all dreams come true.
Emily, Dads coming in a week! Get ready.
What does he like? We need groceries, a menu, a proper cleanup
Relax, love. He isnt the king of Kenya, just a regular bloke.
Still, Emily fretted. Shed seen photos of him fit, tanned, looking a bit like a Spaniard or a Turk but looks can be deceiving. What if he was a snob, a perfectionist, finding fault in everything? What if Andrew decided she wasnt good enough and left her? Turns out John Harper, Andrews dad, was nothing like that. He greeted his son and daughterinlaw with kisses, apologized for missing the wedding and arrived loaded with presents. He raved about Emilys stew, saying it was the best hed had in ages, then popped off to catch up with old mates. A month flew by, and John flew back to Kenya, leaving the newlyweds on their own.
Sometimes Emily wondered why her motherinlaw seemed to want to swap John for someone else. John was a cracking cook, even up early to whip up delicate pancakes that most housewives would struggle with, and he often helped Emily with the housework, giving Andrew a peptalk:
Good lad, youve got a topnotch wife look after Emily, help her out, otherwise youll miss out on your own happiness.
Andrew smiled silently, thinking, Where would she go? Emily isnt the type to walk out. Even if she did cheat, shed forgive and act as if nothing happened. Country folk are simple they live for their kids and put up with anything. He figured that was the truth, so when a nurse started flirting with him, Andrew dove into the new affair, not worrying that his wife was battling severe morning sickness and couldnt cook. Hed always come home full, have dinner with Carla, drop her off, and then pretend to be exhausted when he got back. Emily seemed oblivious to the shift, absorbed in her own feelings. She was thrilled to be pregnant soon, but scared she couldnt cope, even though she had such a caring husband.
When Emily gave birth, the workload exploded. Milk ran low, the baby woke up crying all the time. Andrew snapped, demanding Emily calm the child while he retreated to the lounge. When John visited again, he barely recognised Emily the oncecheerful, rosycheeked girl was now pale and gaunt, a shadow of herself, while his son had thinned, stayed out late and looked worried.
Help your wife a bit, will you? John said.
Shes at home all day, maybe she could look after the baby herself.
Got anyone new in your life?
Why do you ask?
I see youre happy when youre out, irritated when youre back.
Just nothing serious, dad.
Make sure it doesnt turn into something terrible.
Emilys to blame, shes not looking like a woman anymore. Look at her hair, her face.
Its your own fault. She barely rests.
Im off, work wont wait!
Andrew seemed to think Emily should juggle everything at home, while John understood her without a word and tried to help as much as he could.
Emily, go get some sleep, Ill watch the little one.
What if she gets hungry?
You think I cant mix a formula and feed her? I raised your daft husband after all.
Thanks to her fatherinlaw, Emily finally got some rest. John took the baby for walks, fed and tucked her in while Emily was busy, giving her a chance to breathe. She prayed every night for a woman who could bring John his own happiness. It was lonely for him, stuck in Kenya, while Emily had Andrew and their daughter. She started seeing John as more than a fatherinlaw he became a dad, brother, friend, confidante. Hed listen to any topic, always there. She worried about what would happen if he left.
Emily, you look down.
Just
Here, take these pounds, get yourself a haircut, colour, makeup, a manipedi. Then hit the shops, buy something nice. Dont worry about the daughter, Ill look after her.
Emily leapt up, planted a quick kiss on Johns cheek and rushed off to follow his orders. By evening she was glowing, feeling beautiful, and thought about surprising Andrew. She turned toward the clinic where he worked.
Hello, Im here to see Dr. Andrew Harper.
Hes in, come on in.
She imagined his grin at the sight of her new look, but what she found made her stomach drop. A young nurse sat on his lap, her coat halfunbuttoned, clearly not for a routine checkup. Emily bolted out of the room, hailed a cab and raced home, breaking down the whole way.
What happened, love?
Andrews cheating
Who told you?
I saw it with my own eyes
John pulled Emily close, stroked her hair.
Cry if you need to, love. Ill talk to him, hell come back.
Im taking the baby and leaving.
Dont be foolish, dear. Think of the child. Life in the countryside isnt easy, work is hard, youve got a toddler.
No one had ever held Emily like that. She and Andrew had been sleeping in separate rooms for months, and the scent of his cologne mixed with his gentle words spun her head around. John, too, felt a strange pull towards her she was fragile, vulnerable, and he wanted to protect her, to kiss her, to whisk her away where no one could hurt her. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bedroom; she didnt resist. They now shared a secret that would have been obvious if Andrew had paid any attention at all. He never even apologized when he came back, pretending nothing had happened, and Emily stayed silent. She felt both ashamed of a fleeting weakness and thrilled by being loved and cherished. Inevitably she started comparing Andrew to John, and to her dismay, John won on every front.
Then Emily discovered she was pregnant again. She didnt know what to do theyd only been intimate for three or four months, and Andrew would surely suspect infidelity.
Whats worrying you? Its wonderful! I never thought Id become a dad at fifty. Its up to you now will you marry me?
And Andrew?
What about Andrew? I know we both did wrong, but hes also at fault. Hell eventually leave you, but I love you and cant live without you.
After they split, Emily and John got married and moved to Kenya. Their families didnt understand, the village gossiped that shed pretended to be modest while she was anything but. Andrew kept telling anyone whod listen how badly his wife and father had treated him. They didnt care; they were happy to have found each other and treasured every moment they spent together.
