In his second year at university, Daniel fell for a pretty blonde girl named Emily from a parallel class. Her gentle blush and warm grey eyes unsettled him. At a student party, they finally got to know each other properly when he asked her to dance.
“You’re a brilliant dancer,” he complimented her, and she laughed freely.
“Is it really that hard? Just move a bit faster, that’s all,” she replied, grinning as she swayed to the music.
From that night on, they were inseparable. Their whirlwind romance ended in marriage. Both still students, they managed to share a single room in the halls, and soon, a cot appeared in the corner—Emily was expecting a baby.
“Dan, how are we going to keep studying once our son’s here? One tiny room… Maybe I should take a gap year. Shame, though—you’d finish uni before me.”
“Em, don’t worry about it now. We’ll figure it out when he arrives. We’re not the first students to raise a kid. Tom from my course has twins, and he’s still managing.”
When the time came, Emily gave birth to a beautiful boy named Oliver. Daniel and Emily were overjoyed—a whole new person had joined their little family. The first few months were tough, but Oliver was an easy baby, letting his exhausted parents sleep and rarely fussing.
They took turns attending lectures and revising for exams. Somehow, Emily managed without a break—though when Oliver fell ill, her mother drove up from the nearby village to help, giving medicine and keeping watch.
“Em, maybe we should take Ollie back to the village with us,” her mother offered, but they refused.
“No, Mum, we’ll manage. We’ll call if we need you.”
They graduated, and it seemed their struggles should have strengthened their marriage—but the opposite happened. Emily inherited a flat from her grandmother, and soon they were settled, both working, with Oliver in nursery.
When the cracks appeared, Daniel couldn’t understand why. Emily grew distant, cold. Conversations turned strained.
“Was it even real love back then, or just infatuation?” Daniel wondered. “Or are we just staying together for Ollie’s sake? The only thing holding us together now is our love for him.”
Emily, though, had fallen for someone else—Mark, a man with no home of his own. One evening, she broke the news.
“Dan, we need a divorce. I’m in love with someone else. To me, you’re just Ollie’s father now. This can’t go on.”
“But I’m not ready for this. What about Ollie? Have you even thought about him?” Daniel was stunned.
“Of course I have. And I think this is for the best.”
“How is it best for another man to raise our son instead of me?”
“He’s growing up. Soon he’ll understand we’re pretending to be a happy family.”
“But we *are* a family. We both love him.”
“We love him—but not each other. That’s not normal.”
Logically, Daniel knew she was right. But the thought of losing Oliver was unbearable. He refused the divorce.
“I won’t let another man play dad to my son.”
“Dan, you’ll always be his father. Divorcing me doesn’t change that.”
“Then why should I lose reading him bedtime stories? Helping with homework? What kind of father stays at a distance? If you want this new life, fine—but Ollie stays with me.” He stormed out, wandering the streets, wrestling with his thoughts.
Any court would side with Emily—she was a good mother, owned the flat, had a stable job. Could he really take a six-year-old from his mum?
By the time he returned, he’d made up his mind. He’d refuse the divorce, convince her to stay for Oliver’s sake—even if they lived separate lives under one roof.
But Emily wouldn’t have it. “So I’m just supposed to live with you while seeing Mark? Pretend we’re happy?”
“You can’t take Ollie from me. He needs us both.”
“Us not living together doesn’t mean either of us loves him less.”
She wouldn’t budge. In desperation, Daniel consulted a solicitor.
“Refusing the divorce won’t solve anything. Ollie will grow up in a house full of tension. Is that the example you want to set?”
Daniel knew he was right. But still, he tried one last time—demanding custody if they divorced. Emily exploded.
“You’re blackmailing me with our son’s future? You don’t care about him—you just want to ruin my life!”
The fight drained them both. Afterwards, they barely spoke, using Oliver as a messenger.
“Mum, where’s Dad’s jumper?”
“Ollie, tell Dad to pick you up after school. I’ll be late.”
The tension grew unbearable. Oliver, confused, grew quiet and watchful.
One evening, Daniel visited his mother.
“Dan, you look awful,” she said gently.
“I don’t know what to do. Losing Ollie is unthinkable.”
“Listen to me. You’re thinking about yourself, not him. This stress will break him. If you love him, you’ll let go.”
“But *she’s* the one tearing us apart!”
“Dan, love isn’t about fighting. It’s about letting him be happy.”
Something shifted in him. He rushed home.
“Emily, I’ll agree to the divorce—but I see Ollie whenever I want. No restrictions.”
“Fine by me,” she said calmly.
They parted ways. Daniel rented a flat nearby. When he explained it to Oliver, the boy nodded solemnly.
“Dad, I get it. But I can’t leave Mum alone. I’ll still see you, though.”
“That’s my boy. A real man.”
Now Daniel lives alone, while Emily, Mark, and Oliver start anew.
