22 womansweekly.compreviousfewmonths,
squeezingherfromabove
andbelowwhenelderly
parentssimultaneously
neededherintervention.
Thelifeshe’dledpreviously
suddenlyseemedcharmed.
She’dhada goodcareer
beforethetwins,andher
ownbusinessforyearswith
Harry,untilthey’dsoldup
andtakensemi-retirement
barelyintotheir50s.Harry
soonrealisedhewasn’tquite
readyto retireandhad
landedhimselfa newroleas
a consultantforseveralPR
firms,the latestaskinghim to
gofull-time.WithHarryout
at workandthetwinsnever
around,Louhadlosther
routineandwithit, she
realised,herself-belief.Even
thethoughtof attendingthat
blastedweddinghadsenther
intomeltdown.Sheknew
shewaslucky;theywere
comingouttheothersideof
it now,andbesides...why
shouldtheybeimmune?She
knewof somanyfriendswho
weredealingwithterrible
worries,butthatdidn’t
diminishhers.
‘It willbealright,I
promise,’Harrytoldheras
theywatchedEmwithdraw
intoherselfandMaxgetin
withthewrongcrowd.‘Just
bethereto pickupthe
pieces,allwecando,’ her
husbandhadsaid.
Sotheyhad.Latenight
callsfrom
police
stations,
appointments
withtheGP
andreferrals
toclinics.And
thenit had
passed,as
Harrysaidit
would,andthey’demerged,
sortof.Notunscathed,but
generallyfine, so when
friendsaskedhowtheywere
theycouldsay,‘We’regood,’
andat leastpartiallymean
it.Butsomewherein the
endlessroundofcaringfor
those she loved most, LouAstheyswayedonthedancef loor,Loufinallyfelta pieceofherold selfreturnSHORT STORY
hadinadvertentlyslipped
betweenthegapsand
becomeinvisible.Even
shedidn’tsee herself
anymore.
Notsolongagoshe’d
havelovedthechanceto
dressup,revellingin the
occasionof it ratherthan
inventingreasonsnotto
go.Harryremained
positive,despitesharing
thesameworriesasher.
Thetwinscurrentplan,
announcedtothem
casuallyat Lou’sbirthday
dinnera fewweeks
before,wasto‘go
travelling’together,
destinationsundefined.
Neitherof theirchildren
appearedto havea
sensibleboneintheir
bodyandsheblamed
herselfentirely.
Acrosstheroadshe
regardedtheexpensive
boutiquewithitswaspish
assistantsandeye-watering
pricetags,drawnto the
singlemannequinin the
window.Shefoundherspecs
andwipedthemonher
sleeve.Thedressonit wasa
beautifulshadeof red,and
it was goodshape,fit-and-
flare,whichwouldmake
itmoreforgiving.Theneck
wasn’ttoolowbutit
wasn’tfrumpyeither.
It seemedperfect.
✿✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿
Harry walkedoutof the
florally
festooned
marquee
ignoringthe
disapproving
glances,
hisphone
vibrating
loudlyin his
hand.They’d
agreedtherewasnoway
theyweremissingthatcall.
Henoddedat Louwhenhe
returnedandsheexhaled.
Thetwinshadlandedin
Bangkok.Fornow they were
OK.Maybe.
Seatedat a roundtable
with eight strangers and herhusband,Lourelaxeda little
andsmiledat thewoman
besideherwhowaswearing
a stunningdress:creamwith
thinstripes,fullskirtanda
widebelt.Shelooked
amazingandLoutoldherso.
‘Ohgod,thankssomuch.
You’venoideahowlongit
took me to find something
thatI feelhalf-decentin.Your
dressis amazing,bythe way.
Thatcolouronyou!’
Louthankedherand
assumedshewasbeing
polite,butasthedaywore
on – first at the buffet,then in
thequeuefortheLadies,and
a thirdbythebar– Lou
collectedmoreandmore
compliments.Shesmiledat
Harryasshereturnedto the
table,placingdowntheir
overpriceddrinksand
grabbinghishandto pull
himoutof hischair.
‘I lovethatdress,’he
toldherassheledhim to
the dancefloor.
‘ThoughtI’dthrownit out,’
shetoldhim.‘So pleased
I stillhaveit.’
‘Youcertainlydo,’he said,
twirlingherround.
Onlya fewhoursearlier
they’dleftthetwinsat the
airportaftercheckingtickets
and passports a thousandtimes.Louhadbarelydried
hertearsbeforeEmcalled
thecarandtheyfound
themselvesin thestrange
situationof persuadingtheir
daughterto goona tripthey
previouslywouldhavegiven
everythingin theirpowerto
stop.They’dallbeenupsince
five, and both she and Harry
weredog-tired,sowhenlater
hehadn’tcommentedonher
weddingattire,instead
lookingat hiswatchand
remarkingtestilyhowshe
was finallyready,Lou had
snapped.Plusthey’dhad
furtherwordstryingto find
thevenue.Thedaysofarhad
seemedfarfromperfect.
Butastheyswayedonthe
dancefloor,their bodies
movingtogetherfor the first
timein aslongaseitherof
themcouldremember,Lou
hadto admittherewasno
mistakingit. She was finally
feelingsomething of her old
selfreturn.
‘YouOK?’Harryasked.
‘Yeah,’shesaid,squeezing
hima littletighter.‘More
than OK,in fact.Great!’
THEEND
AmandaReynolds, 2019
✿TheHiddenWifeby
AmandaReynoldsis out
now, priced at £8.99