“His Dearest Dream”
“Zach, you’ve come home from school with torn trousers again,” scolded his mother. “You’ve been fighting, haven’t you? And I bet it was with Mikey. How much longer will you two keep this up? You’re classmates, for heaven’s sake!”
“Yeah, Mum, it was Mikey again—but I won,” Zach replied earnestly, puffing his chest out. “Honestly, he started it. He said Lucy only hangs out with him. Well, we’ll see about that…” The thirteen-year-old boy shook his fist vaguely toward the window.
Mikey had gotten what was coming to him this time, though the last fight hadn’t gone Zach’s way—Mikey had played dirty, tripping him when he wasn’t looking and pinning him down. Ever since they were kids, the boys had been rivals, each convinced that Lucy, their pretty classmate, preferred the other.
Lucy herself stomped home in a huff, barely answering her mother’s questions.
“Zach and Mikey were at it again,” she muttered. “Now Mikey’s got a black eye, and Zach’s torn his trousers—serves him right. His mum’s going to be furious. Why does he keep picking fights with Mikey? And why does Mikey even bother fighting back? I don’t even like Zach!”
“Darling, this is just how things go sometimes,” her mother sighed. “Boys will be boys—they’ve always settled things with their fists. And sooner or later, you’ll have to choose who you really like.”
“But Mum, I *don’t* like Zach! I’ve told him a hundred times—he’s just some awkward, lanky boy with glasses. Mikey’s better—funnier, quicker, handsomer. I’ll *never* like Zach. Never!”
“Oh, love, never say never. Life has a funny way of surprising us. You never know what fate has in store.”
“Mum, what’s fate got to do with it? I just prefer Mikey—it’s that simple!”
But her mother just shook her head, lost in thought.
As the school years passed, Lucy remained close with Mikey, while Zach suffered in silence. He knew he couldn’t compete with his rival’s looks, and the fights between them faded. Lucy had made her choice—and it wasn’t him.
One evening, Lucy and Mikey walked together, dreaming of the future.
“You know, Mikey, I want a big family,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “When we get married, I want a huge dining table so everyone can fit around it. And I’ll teach at the local school—I’m going to study education. And in summer, we’ll all go to the seaside.”
Mikey listened but didn’t share her enthusiasm.
“That’s all well and good, but if we have a big family, I’ll be working myself to the bone to feed everyone,” he said with a dry laugh. “I’ll be too tired for holidays.”
“But I’ll be working too! We’ll manage fine on our wages.”
“Don’t be silly—you won’t be working. You’ll stay home, raise the kids, and wait for me to come back from work.”
“Why on earth would I do that?” Lucy blinked.
“Because you’re the woman—that’s how it works. The man’s the head of the household, remember? What I say goes.”
Lucy didn’t like that one bit. Afraid an argument would break out, she stormed off, leaving Mikey scratching his head in confusion.
At her doorstep, she found Zach waiting with a red rose.
“Hi. This is for you.”
Lucy huffed, still annoyed.
“Zach, what do you *want*? Why do you keep following me? I’ve *chosen* Mikey—get that through your head!”
“Because I really like you. Just take the rose.”
She didn’t. But the next morning, she found it on the doorstep—still fresh, still beautiful. Annoyed as she was, she picked it up.
After that, Zach never approached her again, but roses kept appearing on her doorstep. She knew who they were from. She still didn’t fancy him—that gangly, bespectacled boy—but deep down, the gesture made her smile.
After school, Lucy and Mikey married. She enrolled in teacher training, while he waited to be called up for national service. At the wedding, Zach sat at the back, toasting silently but never drinking. He slipped away unnoticed, leaving for university in another city.
Life scattered the three classmates. Soon, Mikey was off to serve.
“Oh, Mikey, I’ll miss you so much,” Lucy wept.
“Don’t worry, love. Time will fly,” he reassured her.
And it did. Before she knew it, he was back—and for a while, their love burned bright again. They had a son, Nathan, and planned for a daughter. Mikey was a doting father, and everyone admired their happy family.
But good things don’t last. Soon, Lucy found herself anxiously watching Mikey return from work—was he sober? Had he been drinking? The kind man she’d married was gone, replaced by someone angry and bitter.
“Shut that kid up!” he’d snap. “If you don’t, I’m leaving. I work all day—I don’t need this!”
He’d storm off to his mother’s, only to return later. Lucy was heartbroken.
“What’s happened to him? Was he always like this?”
Mikey had an answer.
“When I’m drunk, I don’t care if Nathan cries. So don’t expect me to stop drinking. And remember—*I’m* the man of the house. What I say goes.”
Lucy’s nerves frayed. She snapped at Nathan, then at Mikey, but shouting changed nothing. Then, one day, he hit her. Then again. And again. She threw him out, forgave him, threw him out again. She told herself to endure—for Nathan’s sake.
But when her mother saw the bruises, she was horrified.
“Lucy, what *is* this?”
“I thought Mikey would be the perfect husband,” Lucy sobbed. “I thought no one could be better…”
“Pack your things. You’re coming home.”
Lucy filed for divorce. Mikey begged, threatened, brought flowers—but she stood firm.
Three years later, an old classmate, Ellie, called.
“We’re having a school reunion—you should come!”
“I don’t want to see Mikey there.”
“Oh, he’s not invited. He drinks too much, got sacked—didn’t you know? Who needs him?”
Lucy agreed to go.
Standing outside the school, waiting for the others, she still stood out—her gentle beauty untouched by time.
“Look who’s here!” Ellie gasped. “Blimey, who’s *that*?”
It took the girls a moment to recognise the tall, confident man before them as the awkward Zach they once knew. Gone were the glasses, replaced by contact lenses, his frame now strong from the gym. He ran his own business—and was still single.
The moment he saw Lucy, his face lit up. He swept her into his arms, spinning her around.
“Lucy! You’re even more beautiful than ever!”
“And look at *you*!” she laughed, as their classmates cheered.
That evening, Zach never left her side—and Lucy found herself seeing him in a new light.
The next day, he pulled a velvet box from his pocket.
“This is my proposal. I’ve loved you for years, Lucy. You know that. And I’ll wait for you to love me back.”
She laughed, not telling him there was no one left to fight for her. But Zach didn’t rush her. He wanted her to be sure—this was his dearest dream, the one he’d carried since childhood.
During his leave, Zach visited daily. Nathan adored him, leaping into his arms. With each passing day, Lucy and Zach grew closer, until they decided to marry.
With Zach, Lucy felt cherished, safe—loved in a way Mikey had never made her feel. Finally, she understood her mistake in choosing the wrong man.
Years flew by. Lucy and Zach had three children—Nathan and two little girls. They lived in a countryside home, happy at last.
Sometimes, watching her children, Lucy would whisper to herself:
“Please, let them make the right choices. Don’t let them make my mistakes.”
