Leave and never return.
Sam, I saw a notice last night, theres a threebedroom flat for sale in the district weve been eyeing. We could afford it, couldnt we? If we sell the house we could help Lucy clear her mortgage. Lets go see it, Kate said, her eyes alight with restless hope. Sam waved her off with a tired sigh.
Not today. I was up until midnight finalising a report yesterday, and tonight Ill be late again, he muttered, gulping the last of his coffee, snatching the car keys and a folder of papers from the shelf, and slipping out the front door.
Kate breathed out a disappointed sigh, unwilling to argue. She disliked how Sam had been absent latelylate returns, weekend work, but his salary was good, and she longed to move closer to her daughter in the city. They had been saving for years; every pound Sam earned was stashed in a bank account, while they survived on his mothers pension and Kates salary as the manager of the village community centre, where she also ran a dance class. It was a hard life, but living in the city near Lucy and working in a grand cultural palace had always been her dream, so she endured.
Kate and Sam had met at the countys administrative centre. He was a fifthyear engineering student; she was at a choreography college. Their love rushed forward so quickly that, as soon as Sam collected his degree, they married and moved to his tiny village.
Kate dropped out after a single year, but she did not regret ither husband was now legally hers, and she was certain they would share a long, happy life together. Yet the first months were anything but smooth. Almost immediately after arriving at Sams home, he was called up for a year of National Service. Kate was already upset about the looming separation, and then Sams mother, Margaret, entered the picture. From the moment Margaret saw her son return with a legal wife, she despised Kate. She barely spoke to Sam, and when she did, it was with a reproachful You promised! Kate tried to win her favor, taking on any chore, but nothing eased the tension.
Why didnt you call Mum beforehand? What did you promise her? Why does she hate me? Kate pressed.
Sam explained that two years earlier his sister had died at seventeen. She had fallen for a released convict, ignored her mothers warnings, and vanished after a drunken motorcycle crash that claimed her life. Her boyfriend went back to prison for a long sentence. At the funeral, Margaret forced Sam to swear never to marry without her consent. He broke that oath, and his mother took it personally.
Sam hesitated about letting Kate stay with Margaret, but Kate insisted she would not leave; she loved him and would do anything to befriend Margaret. Slowly, Margarets heart softened. Within weeks Kate proved herself diligent, cheerful, and kind. Though Margaret still harboured a grudge, she could not deny that Kate was a worthy partner for her son. Kate also confessed that her own mother had died eleven years ago, that her father had raised her alone, and that he had recently remarried a woman with two small children. The stepmother promptly declared there was no room for Kate any longer, insisting she must fend for herself now that she was an adult.
Dont think I married Sam because of that, Kate blushed under Margarets stern gaze, I got a place in a university hall, a scholarship for excellent gradeswithout Sam I could not live. I love him, I love him very much.
Margarets frown melted into a tearful embrace; the tears were both sorrowful and relieved, as if some heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.
A year later Sam returned, took a post at the district office, commuting daily on a rotating shift. Kate became the organiser and head of the dance club at the community centre. Their wages were modest, and soon after their daughter Lucy was born. Money was tight, but Margaret helped, spending time with her granddaughter and never withholding support. Later Sam moved to a reputable firm, began travelling for work, and climbed the corporate ladder, his salary multiplying. The modest village club was replaced by a spacious cultural centre, and Kate was appointed its manager, yet she kept her beloved dance troupe, ferrying the girls to competitions where they often won prizes. Their life settled into comfortable abundance; they bought a pricey car, renovated their house, and holidayed by the sea.
Everything was fine until Lucy left for university in the city and married there. Kate missed her daughter and remembered her dream of working in a grand cultural palace, so she suggested saving to buy a flat in the city where Lucy lived, selling the house and helping Lucy finish her mortgage. Sam thought it over for a moment, then gladly agreed, noting the firm had a branch there and he could transfer. He warned it would be hard: his entire salary would have to go into a savings account, and they would live on Margarets pension and Kates earnings. The family council approved, and they began saving.
Life grew tougher, but Kate never complained; she had never been spoiled. Sam, however, started staying later and later at work, citing extra responsibilities that promised higher pay. Kate believed him, never suspecting anything, yet a nervous knot formed in her chest. When she tentatively mentioned it, Sam snapped:
I work from dawn till dusk to earn more. Youll stop whining? Decidedo you want me by your side or a flat in the city? Do you want a grandchild or a grandson, and then have to bus to them? Calm down and endure.
Kate swallowed the rebuke and tried to endure, but calm never came. One night, after Sam arrived home at half past one in the morning for the third consecutive night, Kate finally exploded: she no longer wanted to move, she wanted him home in the evenings, to share activities, to visit friends, to sleep not as strangers but as lovers. Sam listened, stripped, turned to the wall and fell asleep. The next day he was late again.
Then Sam vanished. He left for work in the morning and never returned that evening. By the next morning he was still gone; his phone was dead, and Kate could not reach any of his colleagueshe had never spoken of his job. After frantic calls to the morgue and hospitals, tears streaming in the darkness, Kate decided to drive to the city where he worked.
As she packed, Margaret stood nearby, sighing heavily, her face drawn as if she too could not sleep.
Mother, dont worry. Hell be found, alive and well, Kate whispered as gently as she could, hugging her mother.
Kate tried to convince herself, but tears welled unbidden, her throat tightened with panic. She forced herself to repeat, Hes alive, hell be found, I know it!
A familiar voice startled her. Her friend, Ellie, appeared at the bus stop. Going to the city? Well go together. Did you hear theyre buying a new car? Maybe youll sell yours cheap?
What are you talking about? Kate blanched, confusion clouding her.
Sam withdrew a huge sum from his savings account a few days ago, at the bank. I thought maybe he was buying something, Ellie shrugged. I was paying the council tax and saw the transaction. You didnt know?
Fear gnawed at Kate; perhaps those missing pounds had something to do with his disappearance. She raced to the firms office, only to learn Sam had recently quit. The receptionist said hed moved on to another job, but no one knew where.
Kate then went to the police, filing a missingperson report. They took her seriously, recorded her worries, and promised a search. The next day an officer called her in.
Why didnt you tell us you divorced three months ago? he asked, irritated. That changes everything. Perhaps he simply left without informing you. You didnt find any of his documents at home, did you? He took everything?
Kate stared at him, bewildered. The officer produced a copy of a divorce decree and a civil registry entry confirming the marriage had been dissolved. Kates mind swirled. She rushed home and told Margaret. Upon hearing of the divorce, Margaret gasped, clapped her hands over her mouth, and looked terrified and guilty.
What? Kate managed after a minute.
Im sorry, its my fault, Margaret whispered, trembling. Sam told me hed receive court summons in your name because of a fraudulent loan. He asked me to hide them so you wouldnt be upset. He promised to sort it out, saying he knew a judge. I didnt realise they were real. He arranged the divorce himself. I had no idea.
He cheated me into a divorce? Truly? Kate whispered, sinking onto the sofa, bewildered. Why? Where is he?
This morning he messaged me, saying he left with another woman and theyll be married soon, Margaret said softly, tears streaming. He took all the moneysaid it was his salary. I even thought of moving into a care home and transferring it to you, hoping youd forgive me.
Kate rose, stepped outside, and stood in the cold courtyard, trembling as if an icy wind pierced her from within. She recalled years ago planting lilacs and two birch trees by the fence, now towering like steadfast witnesses to a marriage that had once seemed strong. She remembered winter days when Sam sledged their little daughter down the lane, the time a piglet escaped from the allotment and the whole family chased it, shrieking with laughter. The memories made her cry, a hollow ache filling her heart.
I wont let you go, Mother, Kate said firmly, returning to the house. Sam betrayed me, not you. I love you as a mother, I know youd never hurt me. She embraced Margaret, both sobbing until the night wore out.
Later that evening Kate and Margaret called Lucy, relaying everything. Lucy was horrified by her fathers actions, swore she would never forgive him, and then, abruptly, offered her grandparents a place to stay.
I wanted to surprise you later, but now we need you. Were expecting twins, so we need help, grandparents. Sell your house, move here. Our flat has three rooms; therell be space for everyone. Will you agree?
Kate and Margaret exchanged glances, tears turning to smiles. They agreed.
Sam occasionally visited the city, but Lucy never let him into the flat. Perhaps he wanted to return to the family, perhaps notby then, no one awaited him, not even his mother.
