**Diary Entry A Breath of Fresh Air**
*”When will dinner be ready?”*
*”Well, whenever you make it, I suppose.”* My mother-in-law pushed her glasses up her nose. *”Nicholas, does your wife expect me to cook while she lounges about? Natalie, are you even listening?”*
Without a word, Natalie grabbed her things and marched toward the hallway. Her mother-in-law followed. *”What on earth is this? Where do you think youre going?”*
*”On holiday! Goodbye!”* She dropped her heavy bags with relief the moment the door clicked shut.
*”Im home!”*
A grumble echoed from the living room, followed by Nicholas shuffling out in his tracksuit and slippers. *”Must you shout? This isnt the countryside. Have some decency.”*
*”You couldve met me, you know. The pay came inwe need groceries.”*
He sighed dramatically. *”Good Lord! What groceries?”*
And just like that, he turned back to the telly. Natalie exhaled. She was exhausted. Two jobs, all the bills, while Nicholasegged on by his motherspent years drafting an obscure *literary masterpiece*. His first book had flopped. *”No one understands true art!”*
She unpacked, then slumped onto the sofa. Her holiday started tomorrowmeaning deep cleaning, laundry, and ironing, all under her mother-in-laws watchful eye.
Pamela, the woman in question, peered into the kitchen. *”Natalie, lazing again? Your husband worked all daymust he starve?”*
*”Worked? On what salary?”* The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Once, shed admired Nicholass grand writerly dreams. Once, shed flinched under Pamelas glare, desperate to please. Guilt had kept her quietPamela had supported them when Natalie was on maternity leave.
Pamela spun around. *”Excuse me?”*
*”I asked what hes earned. Most jobs pay wages.”*
*”How dare you?! Nicholas spent all day plotting his next chapter! You wouldnt understandmental labour is real work!”*
Natalie scoffed as Pamela stormed off. A thought struck her: *What am I doing here?*
Her son, Andrew, had been with her parents in the countryside for ages. *”Too noisy for Nicholass genius,”* apparently. She yanked open the fridge, repacking groceries into a larger bagher salary and holiday pay secure. Shed buy treats for Andrew, maybe a toy on the way.
*”Whens dinner?”* Nicholas called, eyes glued to the telly.
*”When you cook it,”* she shot back.
Pamela gasped. *”Nicholas! Your wife expects me to”*
Natalie was already halfway out the door, suitcase in tow.
*”Holiday! Cheers!”*
Sixty miles? Worth every penny.
Andrew was asleep when she arrived, but he woke, scrambling into her arms. Her mother studied her. *”Trouble? You left Nicholas alone?”*
Mum had never warmed to Nicholas. After a few visits where shed roused him at dawn for chores, his *”country retreats”* ended abruptly.
*”Im done, Mum. A whole month off!”*
Her mother smiled. *”Good. Rest. Be with your son.”*
That night, Natalie stared at Andrews sleeping face, heart full.
Morning brought the scent of baking. Andrew bounced in. *”Granny made pies! Loads!”*
After breakfast, Natalie rolled up her sleeves. *”What needs doing?”*
*”Already?”* Mum chuckled. *”The gardens overrun. Cabbages, weeding”*
By the third row, Natalie found unexpected joy in the work. The neat soil, the quietbliss.
*”Never seen anyone weed so happily,”* a voice teased.
She looked up. *”Ethan!”*
Her childhood neighbourher first crush. At ten, shed trailed after fifteen-year-old Ethan, whod indulged her with sweets. Hed left for the army, married, moved to the city. A decade since theyd met.
*”Divorced last month,”* he admitted.
That evening, Ethan and his mum hosted a barbecue. No snide remarks, no tensionjust laughter.
Two weeks later, Mum broached the question. *”Going back?”*
*”I dont know. My jobs there, but”*
*”Stay. Well sort work. And Ethan Youve seen how he looks at you?”*
*”Mum! Are you matchmaking?”*
Ethan left for work, and Natalie missed him absurdly. Nicholas bombarded her with texts*ungrateful, threats to evict her*. Then silence.
Ethan returned with giftsa toy lorry for Andrew, another invitation. As the grill sizzled, a car pulled up. A blonde woman marched in.
*”Ethan! Stop hiding! Enough gameslets go home.”*
Ex-wife. Natalie slipped away, but before she could reach the house, a taxi arrived. Nicholas and Pamela spilled out.
*”Look at her! Gallivanting while her husband suffers!”*
Natalie clenched her fists. *”What are you doing here?”*
*”Holiday over! Home, now!”*
*”And what? Nicholas finally got a job?”*
Pamela spluttered, but Nicholas cut in. *”Im writing a book! Not grubbing in some factory!”*
*”Youre a failure, Nicholas. What have you ever done for this family? Nothing. Im not coming back.”*
Ethan appeared, grinning. *”Well said.”*
They watched Nicholas, Pamela, and the blonde argue furiously.
Natalie didnt stay in the village. After marrying Ethan, they moved to the city. He insisted she quit the factory*”Office work suits you better.”* The pay was modest, but Ethan shrugged. *”Your moneys yours. The bills are mine.”*
Nicholas remarriedthe blonde. Rumor had it Pamela soon nagged him into a factory job.
Funny how life works. One door closes, another opens.
