What are you doing here? Emma asked warily, eyeing the stranger at her door.
I’m back, as you can see Victor said with a grin, gesturing to the two duffel bags hed slung over his shoulder.
Since when? Emma tilted her head. It had been six months.
Emma, I cant keep pretending this isnt a mess! Victor sighed heavily. The moment I thought Id walked out on you, my heart tore itself to shreds. I cant stand seeing you suffer like this.
Suffer? Emma echoed.
At least you dont have to act all perfect in front of everyone, Victor chuckled. You can tell the world that my leaving meant nothing, that youre doing just fine!
I get that you think its hard for me alone, with a kid
Hmm Emma murmured thoughtfully.
Changed the lock, have you? Victor rattled a bunch of keys in his hand. Probably broke it. Heres proof! I didnt oil it in time, so it gave up on me!
Emma fell silent, unsure how to answer. The sudden whirr of the lift doors opening on their floor broke the tension.
Dad? Sam called, his voice wavering.
Yeah, son! Victor dropped onto the hallway rug and opened his arms. Im moving back in! Come on, hug it out!
Sam hesitated, glanced at his mum, who gave a small nod.
Alright, Emma said, come in, well see how this goes.
Victor entered the flat like a landlord, but he tiptoed to the kitchen as if he were a guest.
A new key shelf now leaned by the front door, a sleek shoe cabinet stood where the old shoe rack had been, and a different lamp cast a warmer glow. The bedroom doors had been replaced, too.
When Emma passed the bathroom, she flicked a switch.
Whats that? Victor asked.
Remember how the bathroom always felt damp? Emma replied. I installed an extractor so the door can stay ajar without the whole flat turning into a steam room.
Its been about twenty minutes, never mind! she waved her hand. Tea or coffee?
Brew me a coffee, Victor said, perching on a new stool.
Emma fetched a capsule from the jar, popped it into the machine and pressed start.
Im just going to change into something a bit nicer, she said, smiling.
No problem, Victor replied with a polite wave.
The kitchen had more than just a fresh stool and coffee maker. New pans gleamed on the stove, a tile backsplash replaced the old adhesive film Victor had once put up, and towel hooks now hung beside the sink.
Emma returned in her old tracksuit shed been lounging in a bathrobe for weeks and Victors mood had shifted dramatically from the one that had brought him back.
Whos this? Victor asked, a hint of accusation in his tone.
Who? Emma asked, puzzled.
Which bloke have you invited into the house? I need to know whos raising my son! And, by the way, were not officially divorced yet!
Have a coffee, Emma said with a twinkle.
Look at her! Victor shouted. I felt sorry, came back, and now shes doing who knows what, while Im still married!
Coffee, now! his voice rose to a command.
Ill pour this coffee over your head if you dont calm down! Victor leapt to his feet. Whats happening here? I demand answers!
***
Six months earlier Emma had decided her life was over. The shock had knocked the wind out of her.
Emma, I think our marriage has run its course, Victor had declared. The sparks gone, the warmth is gone.
There was nothing left that tied us together. Living under the same roof just for Sam felt like a colossal sacrifice.
Are we getting a divorce? Emma asked, her voice trembling.
Lets not rush, Victor replied. I could be wrong, maybe terribly wrong. Lets not divorce yet, just live apart for a while.
I wont be dropping by for tea every day, but if you really need me, you can give me a ring.
Just dont keep calling me, alright? I might already have a new life in the works!
That was another blow. Victor interpreted Emmas silence as something else entirely.
Dont bother filing for child support formally, well avoid the paperwork. Theyll only grant you about fifteen pounds a week.
Ill give you that amount for the next month, then send what I can when my pay comes in. Everyones an adult, we all have to fend for ourselves. Ill still chip in for Sam, so youll manage.
There was no room for resentment. Emma felt lost, caught between the heavens and the floorboards.
Nine years of marriage, which Emma had thought happy, collapsed in an instant.
She couldnt even recall any warning signs. Everything had seemed perfect.
Why did Emma think her life was finished? Because her adult world had boiled down to a marriage.
Her independent adult life had only begun when theyd both waited for her degree, then the wedding.
From then on shed always been with Victor hed driven her to interviews, helped with paperwork, taken her to the doctors appointments, even stood by her at the antenatal clinic. Theyd opted for a joint birth, more out of Victors insistence than necessity.
A father must claim his son in this world! Victor would say, cradling baby Sam in the delivery room.
Victor showered Emma with love and care, even after hed taken the newborn home from the hospital. He also gave the flat a fresh coat of paint and new furniture.
They were lucky not to have a mortgage. Emmas parents had passed a modest flat to a distant aunt, freeing up cash for renovations and furnishings.
In terms of social roles, nothing was out of the ordinary. Victor let Emma handle the household, but he didnt run off to work elsewhere if she asked for help. Their families got along famously: Victor was on good terms with Emmas parents, and Emma got along with Victors mother and sister.
When holidays came, theyd pack everyone around one big table, never letting a single word bruise anyone.
When Sam grew a bit, Emma went back to work, but Victor stopped picking her up. His schedule had changed. Emma learned to get herself to work; Dad lent her his car and even paid for her driving lessons.
If the car broke down, Emma would ask Victor to tow it to the garage, though he later refused, citing how mechanics treat ladies with a patronising air and charge extra for special attention.
Emma never became a hangeron; she handled most chores herself, calling Victor in only when she truly needed a hand. At work she earned a reputation for diligence, climbing two rungs up the career ladder in five years. Shed always rush to Victor with her triumphs, and hed share in the joy.
In short, Victor had been Emmas everything. Every breath seemed to echo his presenceuntil he simply walked out.
Emma felt adrift. She knew what she should do, but subconsciously she kept looking for Victors face. When it wasnt there, everything fell apart.
Her parents saw the gloom. Mom grew anxious, while Dad took charge and sat down with Emma.
Love, life throws all sorts of curveballs, said David, her father, after hearing the cause of her distress. Its not a reason to lose heart. Its messy, its hard to accept, but life doesnt stop.
Dad, everythings slipping through my fingers! Emma sobbed. I have no energy, no desire to do anything!
Emma, well always be here for you, you know that, he said, smiling kindly. Try to use that head of yours.
We raised you to be clever and goodnatured. Dont let us down.
His words were gentle, not scolding. The tears dried, and Emma drifted for a month on autopilot, making no changes to Victors setup. Then something odd happened that pleasantly surprised her.
If you picture a math problem, Emma simply erased Victor from the equation and solved it anew. The answers were completely different.
She discovered she didnt need to vacuum daily; the flat stayed tidy for four to seven days. Laundry dwindled, the detergent bottle barely shrank over three months. She realised she didnt have to use the stove three hours a day; cooking every other day was plenty.
And the money? Emma lost Victors salary from the household budget theyd all built together. Now she only had her own pay and the childsupport cheque of fifteen pounds a week. Yet by months end there was still a surplus of twentyfive pounds.
Did I miss something? she wondered, a little panicked. Did I forget to pay a bill?
Everything added up, and the house was comfortably supplied.
Emma had long wanted to replace the bedroom doors. With the cash on hand, buying them wasnt a problem, but who would fit them? The shop promised inhouse installers.
Two sturdy lads arrived, hauled out the old doors, tossed them in the bins, and fitted the new ones, sweeping up after themselves. Emma imagined Victor wrestling with the job, begging him to do it herself.
Money in the pocket sparks spending. She bought the key shelf, a new hallway lamp, and a shoe cabinet. She stared at the boxes, halfthinking of inviting Victor to assemble them.
Then she remembered hed asked not to be tugged at.
Husband for an hour? she mused to herself. Why not?
It turned out cheap and quick. A friendly tradesman arrived, listened, nodded, and after an hour said,
All set. Ive washed the bathroom tiles, and theres no mould on the walls. Not scared of a bit of damp, are you?
Its a perpetual problem, Emma waved it off. I just keep the door open!
We could fit a proper extractor, the tradesman suggested. You have a ventilation duct; a couple of hours and a few quid, and the bathroom will breathe.
Can you do it? Emma asked.
Tomorrow afternoon work for you?
Easy, simple, no hasslejust pay and its done, the thought brightened Emmas mind, and plans for further upgrades began to churn.
Sam was on school holidays, so Emma decided to take him to his grandmothers. Not her own mum, but Victors mum. Victors departure hadnt soured things with the inlaws. Grandma and grandson got on famously.
They chatted about nothing in particular, avoided any mention of Victor, and even Victors sister was there, gossiping about the latest TV drama. All was well.
Three days later Victor burst back in, brandishing his Im back! principle.
You could demand things while you were my husband, Emma replied. Now just have a coffee and get out!
Im not going anywhere! Victor shouted. Im still your husband! I came back because I felt sorry for you, so you wouldnt disappear without me!
As you can see Emma smiled you didnt disappear, but youre only a husband on paper now. Ill sort that out in a jiffy!
Victor stared at Emma, utterly baffled.
How could he have shown such nobility, not tearing the family apart, and yet be rejected?
If you dont want coffee, just go, Emma waved a hand as if shooing a fly. I still have lessons to do with Sam!
And just like that, the relationship with his former motherinlaw and sisterinlaw soured. No one else would tell Victor that Emma hadnt burned up from the heartbreak when hed left. Theyd sent him off to save her from her own happiness.
