Woman’s Weekly UK – 27 August 2019

womansweekly.com 21

SHORT STORY

Far from

Itdidn’tmatterhowmanytimeshe

triedtoreassureher,Louhadn’t

feltherselfinquitesometime...

D

iscussionsbeganon

theFridaynight

whenHarryarrived

homefromworkand

produceda sealedgold

envelope,settingit down

onthekitchentable.

‘I won’tknowanyone

there,’Louisatoldher

husband,theiralmost-adult

twinsscanningtheinvite,

thenrapidlylosinginterest

oncethey’destablishedthey

werenotincluded.‘I’llbea

sparepart,’shesaid,dishing

upstir-friedporkandrice.

‘Everyonetalkingshop.’

‘AswillI, if youdon’t

come,’Harrysuggested,

reachingoutto takehis

wife’shandasshepassed

hima steamingbowl.‘Come

on,Lou,it’llbefun.After

everythingthat’sgoneon

latelyweneed a bitof that,

don’tyou

think?’

Thetwins

lookedup,

Maxfromhis

phoneandEm

fromher

laptop– an

exchangeof

looksbefore

theyreturnedto thescreens.

‘Justyouandme.A nice

countryhotel,’Harrysaid,

releasinghiswife’shand.

‘What’ssowrongwiththat?’

Theconversationhad

resumedovertheweekend

breakfasttable,Harry’sspoon

dropping splashes of milk

Whatabout

thatreddress

I love,theone

youworeto

my 40th?

perilouslycloseto the

tissue-paperedinviteashe

triedagainto persuadehis

wife.Thetwinswerezoned-

outasusual;Emwiththe

ubiquitousheadphones

clampedto herearsand

pushingCocoPopsaround

herbowl,Maxshovellingin

toastashestaredat his

phone,earbudsin.Atleast

theywereupat a decent

hourforonce.‘Andfreefood

andwine,’Harrysaid.

Louconsideredthis.

Weddingswerehardlyfree

andrarelyfun,especiallyif

thehappycouplewere

strangersto you.Therewasa

presentto buy,theinevitable

cash bar, and new outfits.

Shesetdownhercupof tea.

‘So?’Harryasked.

‘I don’tknowwhatI’ll

wear,’ she said,thethought

fillingher

with

immediate

panicasshe

mentallyslid

hereyealong

therailof

outfits

hangingin her

wardrobe,

discountingeachone.

‘Maybesomeclothes?’he

suggested,grinningat his

ownjoke.Hethoughtbetter

of it andadded,‘Whatabout

thatreddressI love,theone

youworeto my40th?’

‘Thatwasalmost 15 years

ago, Harry!’ Lou told him,

swattingat himwiththe

damptissueshe’demployed

to mopupthespiltmilk.

‘I don’tevenknow if I have

it anymore.’

‘Shame,’hesaid,grabbing

herbythewaistandhooking

herin fora quickkiss.‘You

lookedsupersexyin that.’

‘Don’tbedaft,’shetold

him,ignoringtheretching

soundsMaxwasmaking,Em

obliviousto it allasusual.

✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Andsoit wasona rainy

ThursdayLoufoundherself

traipsingaroundtown,

foot-soreanddamparound

theedges.Shebeganher

searchin thedepartment

store,hopingeverythingshe

neededcouldbeprocured

underoneroof:dress,jacket,

shoes,tights,shapewear,

make-up.Anhourlatershe’d

foundnoneof theseitems,

notevena niceshadeof

lipstick,theoverbearing

orange-tintedassistant

persuadingherto ‘takea

seat’andthenslatheringher

in productsthattookten

minutes– anda whole

packetof wet-wipes– to

scrape off. She’d also tried on

a coupleof dresses,

expectationslowandsinking

furtherbeneaththe

unflatteringoverhead

lighting.Therewasnopoint

buyingshoesora bag

withoutknowingthedesign

andcolourof thedress,so

shewanderedacrossthe

roadto thecaféwhereshe

andHarrysometimeswent

ona Saturdaymorning.

It hadbeentheirsalvation,

a placeto chatoutof earshot

of thetwins,to discussand

worryandthink,handsheld,

coffeessipped,brownies

shared.‘Youcut,I’llchoose,’

Harryalwayssaid,ignoring

hertearsasheknewshe

preferredit thatway.

Louinstinctivelywentto

thetablebythewindowand

lookedoutat therain-soaked

view,stirringher flat white

andwishingHarrywasthere

to splitthehugebrownie

she’dnoweatalone.

Kidsweresucha worry,

evenwhentheyweren’tkids

anymore.Thefearsjust

changed,to biggerconcerns

if anything.They’dcome

thick andfastoverthe

©TI MEDIA LIMITED, 2019. PHOTOS: GETTY

Continued overleaf

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