Milly!Milly! shouted Oliver from across the road.
Milly exhaled a heavy sigh, set her grocery bags on the curb and lingered. She glanced at the old hatchback of her exhusband parked on the opposite side, pulled her cheeks in as if to hide tiny dimples, and dropped her gaze. How tired she was of all this. Oliver sprinted toward her, nearly tripping, eager to help.
Hello, Milly, he said, reaching for the bags.
Hi.
I was just driving by, saw you with those heavy bags, thought Id lend a hand, he smiled foolishly. Come on.
How could you be just driving by? You live on Glassford Road, and thats a suburb
Oliver already turned toward his car, two bags in his hands.
I was picking up a mate from work, and then he shrugged. I couldnt just pass you.
It’s only a quarter of a mile to my flat.
No problem, Ill take the heavy bags. Hows Harry, mum?
Great, youll pick him up this weekend and get the full story. You two talk every day, dont you? Why do you keep asking about me?
Just curious. Were not strangers, are we? Oliver said, opening the passenger door for his former wife.
Ill sit in the back.
Its a mess back there! No need.
Milly opened the rear hatch, peered insideindeed, the boot was a chaotic abyss.
You still dont believe me
She sighed and finally slipped into the front seat. Oliver stowed the bags in the boot. He settled into the drivers seat, beamed at Milly, who turned away, watching the familiar neighbourhood drift past the window.
You look good, as always.
Oliver, just get me home. I still have to cook dinner, she snapped.
Yes, yes! Oliver revved the engine. Ive just started a new job, sorting paperwork for a shiftwork contract, he blurted, while Milly kept her gaze glued to the passing street. Harry said you moved out of mums place?
Shes been three years without you, Milly replied, unmoving.
Milly, stop playing hideandseek! Why do I only ever see our son when Im with her? Are you hiding your address? Let me drop you off.
No, thank you, Milly tugged at her coats hem. I bought groceries for mum.
Give them back and Ill drive you home, Harry had said
They halted in a quiet courtyard.
What did Harry say? I told him not to. Are you two still seeing each other?
Yes, he muttered.
What the devil do you want from me? Millys voice cracked, finally unrestrained.
Milly, were not strangers we have a son, Oliver tried to take her hand. She shoved her hand back into her pocket with distaste.
Oliver, enough! How many accidental visits can I endure? Stop calling my mother, stop begging for forgiveness it wont help! We moved out because you were a nuisance! Im on the brink of a nervous breakdown, because everyone keeps saying how sorry you are, how you miss us, how you dream of a reunion.
And Harry? Why do you push him? Hes just started getting used to dad on weekends, and you tell him well reconcile, you ask him to pass on greetings, you quiz me about my work hours, about where Im.
Im worried.
I am too about our son! How many times can you feed him lies? Stop using him to pressure me!
Milly slammed the car door, tried to haul the bags from the boot, but the lock jammed. She wrestled with the lid, frantic to rid herself of Oliver. Above, a shadowed figure watched from a window, her gaze filtered through blinds. Oliver finally opened the boot, carried the bags to the stairwell, but Milly stopped him.
No, Ill do it myself.
Milly, when you understand I still love you! Id give up everything for you. Should I quit the shiftwork? Return to my old job? Lets buy you a car! Why walk?
No, she snapped, snatching the bags from his grip. I actually wish youd go far away! Find the woman of your dreams, love her, live happily ever after, and leave me alone.
Forgive me, Milly, it was a oneoff, she meant nothing to me! I still curse myself.
Forgiven, Oliver. Long ago I let go, but you wont let me go.
I cant! Living without you is unbearable, Oliver shouted as Milly climbed the stairs.
Dont stage another drama, a voice answered. Ive forgave you, but I cant love you again.
The secondfloor door slammed, silence settled. Oliver clenched his fists, walked back to his car, staring at the windows of his motherinlaws flat. He felt foolish, having swapped a family for a fleeting flingwell, just one fling, hed claimed, but the record showed only one, so he was clean. After the divorce, a lonely year later, he realized there was no one like his Milly. Hed never love anyone else as he loved her and Harry, his little bear.
Theyd met at school; Milly transferred into their Year10 class and eclipsed every other girl. Oliver, only eyes for her, saw everyone else as pale shadows. Summer holidays cooled his fickle heart; he spent the break at his grandmothers, where another girl stole the sun from his noon sky.
When school resumed in September, Milly no longer stirred his pulse. They drifted into friendship, mingled in the same social circle. Years later, after university, they crossed paths again, older. Milly graduated with honors, landed her first job, returned to her hometown, and took a post at the factory where her mother worked. Oliver, still chasing his own venture, bounced from one halfbaked idea to another, finally settling at a plant in his trade, never quite satisfied.
Everything changed when Milly told him, after a few meetings, that she was pregnant.
Oliver panicked, but then scooped Milly up and drove her to meet his parents. They married, Harry was born, they bought a modest terraced house with a mortgage of £120,000, which his parents helped repay early. Summers were spent at the seaside, birthdays, christenings, weekend trips, grandparents anniversaries. Oliver grew restless. Milly, meanwhile, dissolved into domestic bliss, tending to the baby and the home. Their small world held its share of squabbles and joys, nothing catastrophic. The grandmother adored her grandson and daughterinlaw, and the motherinlaw respected her soninlaw.
Harry grew, Milly returned to work. Oliver suddenly craved recognition, tired of routine, but stumbled on a winding career ladder, finding himself stuck on the fifth or sixth rung, realizing ambition alone would not lift him. New friends came, jobs changed, but satisfaction eluded him. A former colleague from his first job reappeared, offering him a senior role in exchange for minor favours. He left, felt emptier than before.
Milly saw this differently. She suggested Oliver take a break, a holiday without them, perhaps bring Harry along. He resistedhe was used to thembut eventually agreed to visit a friend in Aberdeen for a few days of fishing. The trip never materialised; the friends wife sent a polite email with a few pictures, asking him not to disturb them further.
Milly packed her things, Harry, and headed to her mothers house.
When Oliver called, Where are you?, she sent him nasty photos from his fishing outing. He raced to the door, only to find it shut, his motherinlaws stare scorching him. He tried to give Milly space, but instead received a divorce petition. He fought it, delayed, begged Milly for forgiveness wherever he could find her, but she signed the papers.
A year later, seeing Oliver trying to be a good fatherpaying child support, calling Harry every weekend, even winning back his motherinlaws favourMillys mother begged her to forgive him. Milly eventually did, but the spark was gone. The wounds had scarred, leaving only cold memories.
Their final breakup came one evening.
Mum, why are you tormenting him? her mother asked as she stepped over the threshold.
Whos tormenting who? Milly replied. Has Harry come back from school?
No.
Hes driving me mad, Mum! Let him go to the shiftwork, to another town, another world! He chases me, Im terrified of any relationship, unsure what Oliver might do.
Milly entered the kitchen with grocery bags; her mother had already brewed tea, the house smelling of fresh scones.
Ah, thats the smell of comfort, Milky mused.
Milly, you cant keep treating your son like this. Youve lived together for years
How can I? Mom? How can two people share a bed, a flat, when he feels foreign to me, when my messages get lost between her letters and court summons? How to live with someone you no longer feel anything for?
Then why give him hope, why keep in touch? her mother unpacked the groceries, eyes avoiding hers.
Its him! He wont let me pass, he lunged at our IT guy a month ago, right outside the office I smiled at him, flirted. He wants forgiveness what should I forgive? It wasnt me hugging that old lady.
He wont let you go. You need someone else, her mother said calmly. Men like Oliver cant stand betrayal.
What? What betrayal? Weve been divorced three years, hes nobody to me.
He cant release you.
Exactly, Im fed up!
Oliver didnt stop until his new job paperwork was signed. He lingered at Millys office during lunch, called Harry, asked him to tell his mum theyd still be together. The exmotherinlaw no longer answered. Weeks later, he met Milly and Harry at school bright and early.
Milly, Im leaving
Good luck.
Harry, dads going far, but not for long, Oliver said, glancing at Milly, who turned away. Nothing to say? he asked. Harry tugged his mothers sleeve, his first lesson in Russian, punctuality mattered.
Ive said everything. Glad youre changing scenery, hope it changes your life.
Dont expect me to stay, I wont abandon you!
Oliver sat beside his son, hugged him hard, tried to do the same with Milly, who recoiled. He clenched his teeth, stalked back to the car.
Ill forgive you, Milly, he shouted from the roadside, but Ill never forgive the betrayal.
Milly chuckled at his melodrama. Hed forgiven her wonderful, thank you.
Three months of calm passed. Millys eyes didnt twitch at the sight of a blue hatchback parked down the lane; she roamed the town freely, unafraid of a chance encounter with her ex. She went to cafés with colleagues, finally met an old friend. They talked until divorce proceedings began, the friend urging her to save the marriage, to love Oliver. Milly cut ties, suspecting the friends motives. Turns out the friend was also divorced, knew the strain of raising children alone, often pardoned her own husbands small foolishnesslike finding a hidden lipstick in his boot, or an unexpected visitor.
Can we pop open the champagne? grinned Christina, her new mate. And open our hearts to new loves? she winked.
Oh yes, except for the hundred calls and texts from Oliver daily.
The bloke who asked you after work? Did you answer?
Christina, Oliver will come back and itll all start again, Milly sighed, scanning the café menu.
Make it end! Distract yourself, talk to someone, youre young, you look great, look, the friend leaned over the table, pointing discreetly. Hes only looking at you.
Milly blushed, turned, met his gaze. A bold man stared at her, ignoring that she wasnt alone. Then he stood, introduced himself, offered drinks. The women declined, but the charming stranger wasnt dismissed.
Milly watched Christinas eyes follow him, then Christinas own stare fixed on the stranger. Suddenly she needed to leave. She later ran into Sergey, exchanged numbers, started texting. Milly stopped reading Olivers endless messages, yet her phone buzzed constantly, a smile spreading each time she read a new one. She hurried home from work as if someone awaited her.
Hello, Harry, hows school?
Fine, dad, I got five on the English test! Guess what
Harry, hows mum? the caring father interjected.
Everythings fine, mum changed her hair, we were at Lilas birthday yesterday
Great. She never answers my calls, doesnt read my messages, Oliver said, trying to stay interested. Call her, please.
Mum cant come, we have guests.
Who?
Uncle Sergey.
What the hell, uncle?! Oliver barked. Hand her the phone quick.
Mum! Mum! Harry shouted from his room. In the kitchen laughter rang, something tasty smelled, knocks came from the wall. Uncle Sergey was fiddling with something again. Mum! Harry cried louder, Dads calling.
Milly entered, apron dusted, glanced through the open kitchen door toward the warm light.
Whats up, Milly? Did the husband just turn up, and youre already throwing men at him? Oliver teased.
Dont be ill, Oliver, why are you calling again?
What do you think youre doing? You have a son! How dare you! Ill come over, give you a honeymoon youll never forget, you bastard.
Finally youve lost it, Milly laughed. Ive been waiting for the day the real man who swapped his family for a fling finally appears. When you realise were nothing to each other.
Damn you, you! Oliver shrieked into the receiver, Ill be back in a week, I I
Milly, I did what you asked, a male voice said nearby. Are you coming? Harry wants a snack, the ovens aroma is killing us. Right, Harry?
The boy nodded, reaching for his phone, a scream and a wild howl erupted.
Whos that? Sergey asked, Let me he offered, extending his hand toward the phone.
Milly handed it over, the shrieks stopped as Oliver hung up.
Dad will call later, Milly said, looking at the disappointed boy.
Oliver never called Harry again, but he did ring his exmotherinlaw, hurling abuse at her for raising such a daughter. He even wrote to Christina, threatening to break his own legs if she didnt answer. Oliver never returned from his first deployment, stayed on a second, then vanished somewhere across the country, chasing his potential. He thought of his son twice a yearon birthdays and New Yearsnever writing to him or Milly, both blamed in his mind for the broken family. His son turned into a traitor, siding with a certain Sergey
Milly now lives with Sergey; hes no longer a guest in her flat. Harry, for a while, missed his dads calls, but he found common ground with Sergey, who also had a strict teacher at school, remembered most rules by heart, and happily explained them to Harry.
