Not Giving Her Up to Anyone: A Story

Author Harlan CovingtonReading 13 minViews 3

Stepfather never mistreated us. At least, he never begrudged us a sandwich or scolded us over school. The only thing he lost his temper about was when Alice got home late.

I promised your mother Id keep an eye on you! hed shout whenever Alice tried to protest, reminding him she was, after all, an adult. And I know better than you whats good for you! You think just because youre eighteen and got your A-levels you can do anything you want? Get yourself a proper job first, then go claiming youre grown-up!

Hed cool down soon after, and speak more quietly.

Hell dump you, you know. Ive seen your boyfriend dropping you off. Flash car, smooth talker, why would someone like that take a shine to a plain girl like you, Alice? Youll only end up in tears, mark my words.

Alice didnt believe him. Yes, Oliver was handsome and in his third year at universityhe paid tuition, but Alice wouldnt have minded that herself. She hadnt gotten into a programme by merit, and college didnt suit her, so she handed out flyers and delivered newspapers and spent most of her time prepping for retakes. Thats how she met Olivershe passed him a flyer, he took one, then another, then a third, and said:

Tell you what, Ill take all your flyers if you join us for a coffee.

Something came over Alice that day. She agreed, odd as it was. She didnt dump the flyers in the area, just tucked them in her backpack and tossed them down the chute on her way home from the café.

At the café, Oliver introduced her to his mates, bought pizza and ice cream. Alice and her younger sister only got treats like that on birthdaysmoney was always tight, and stepfather never let them touch their mothers pension. Leave it for a rainy day, in case anything happens to me, hed say.

In truth, he earned enough, but half went on his bone-rattling old motor, always breaking down, and the rest went up in smoke with his bets. Not that Alice complainedhe hadnt kicked them out, after all. The flat was his. Mums place had been sold when she got ill. Of course Alice fancied some chocolate, pizza, or a fizzy drinkbut whenever she got her hands on anything, shed give it to her sister. She even asked Oliver at the cafécould she take a slice of pizza home for her sister? He looked at her in surprise, but ended up buying an entire pizza and a big hazelnut chocolate bar to bring home.

Stepfather was wrong about Oliver hurting her. He was caring. Being with him made Alice keenly aware of her own lack, so she threw herself doubly hard into studying. She found proper work as a cashier at a supermarket, earning enough for smart jeans and a real haircut in an actual salonjust so Oliver could be proud of her.

When he asked her to his family’s cottage, Alice knew what was coming and didnt flinchshe wasnt a child. He loved her and she loved him. She only worried stepfather wouldnt allow it, but he started staying out late himself, sometimes not coming home at all. Alice knew where he spent his nightsat Aunt Lindas, the nurse from their road. Hed been mooning over her for ages, though shed steered clear of a man with two daughters already. Shed once been married herself, divorced now, and finally seemed to give in to his bumbling courtship.

It actually worked out for Aliceexcept her little sister Emily cried when she learned shed be sleeping alone at home. Alice bought her chocolate, crisps, and lemonade to ease her misery.

It was far too late when Alice realised she was pregnant. Her period was always unpredictable, and she hadnt kept trackno one ever taught her. It was the other cashier, Veronica Smith, who joked one day, Youre glowing, getting a bit roundsure youre not expecting?

They all laughed, but that night Alice bought a test. Two linesit didnt seem possible.

Oliver didnt celebrate. He said it was a terrible time and shoved money at her for the clinic. Alice cried all night, but went. It was already too latesixteen weeks along. So it must have happened at the cottage, that first time, when she thought it couldnt really happen.

She kept it hidden from stepfather as long as she could, but her belly grew visibly by the week. There was no avoiding the truth.

He roared like thunder.

So wheres this boyfriend of yours then? Planning a wedding?

Alice looked down. She hadnt seen Oliver for a month. As soon as he realised shed have to keep the baby, hed vanished.

I warned you, he sighed. He didnt say anything more for a timeprobably conferred with Aunt Linda.

Well, then, he said finally, If things have turned out like this, have the baby. But youll have to leave her at the hospital. I dont need another mouth to feed. Im marrying now, Alice. Lindas having twins. Three babies under one roof? Thats too much.

Shes moving in here, then? Alice asked.

Where else? Shell be my wife now.

It sounded like a joke, but stepfather meant it. Every day he repeated himself, saying hed kick Alice and Emily out if Alice brought the child home. She realised he was parroting Linda, but that didnt change thingsAlice simply couldnt give up her baby.

Dont worry, said Linda, those babies get snapped up, someone will adopt yours quickly and love her as their own.

Alice cried, phoned Oliver, brainstormed how to live with Emily and the childbut couldnt think of a solution. One day, Veronica pointed out a couple in the shop, nodding sympathetically.

Funny, they always dress in black, after all this time. Some people make grief their whole life… Why not have another child? Or adopt.

Alice saw that couple oftenseparately and together. Both friendly, pleasant faces, though always with a tinge of sadness. Shed heard the story: their daughter died in a crasha coach trip with school, driver nodded off. He died and their girl died. The mans a doctor, the woman teaches English. Veronica used to live near them. After the accident, everyone came round with little angel ornamentstheir daughter had just bought an angel figurine on that trip, clutching it when she died. They barely managed to retrieve it. Someone had the idea to give her an angel, and then dozens more came. Veronica feared it would make things worse, but it seemed to help.

Alice had seen in some film about a girl giving her baby to a childless couple. Of course, odds were this couple didnt want another, but Alice kept thinking of them. She was eight months along and still working, not wanting to lose her job, and one afternoon the couple came to her till. The man commented:

You alright, dear? You look ready to pophavent you gone on maternity yet? Youre liable to have the baby right here at the checkout!

Alice hadnt complained, but it was tough. Her back ached, heartburn tormented her, legs swelled by days end. No one asked after her, except the clinic doctor, but that was different. His concern made her eyes stingshed been weepy for weeks.

A couple days later, heading home with a shopping bag filled from her payslip, that man overtook her and offered to help. Alice felt awkward but grateful. He seemed kind.

It was summer, so angel ornaments were on sale at the shops window. Impulsively, Alice bought one, then asked Veronica for the couples address and went there herself.

Standing at their door, nervous, Alice worried this was out of place after so many years. Who brings angel knickknacks now?

The woman answered and seemed to recognise Alice, her eyebrows jumping. Alice hurriedly uncurled her fist, handed over the figurine, bracing for a slammed door or a scolding.

Neither happened. The woman accepted the angel and smiled.

Come in. Would you like some tea?

Over tea, she told Alice their storyjust as Veronica had, only with a pain that felt deeper, sharper.

Why didnt you have another child? Alice asked, almost whispering.

My body never recovered. They had to remove my womb. I couldnt have another.

Alice felt shed crossed a line. She wanted desperately to ask about adoption, but her tongue failed her.

We tried, the woman said, as if reading her mind. We did the adoption training. But right at the end, I couldnt go through. I asked my daughter for a sign, but nothing happened. Not a thing.

Just then, from the next room, they heard a crashlike a glass falling and smashing. The woman jumped. Alice looked over, worried.

They went to the lounge. Alice had feared it would be dark, with flickering candles and many photos. Instead, there was just one picture, a bright room, no candles, but everywhere angel figurines. One was now broken on the floor. The woman picked up the porcelain fragments and stared a long time.

Thats the one, she finally whispered. Her angel.

Alices cheeks burned. What was that, if not a sign?

Alice had her baby girl right on time. By then, Linda had moved in and given birth to her twins early. The babies were still at hospital, but the cradles were all readytwo bright white ones with coconut mattresses. No one bought anything for Alices baby; she was meant to leave her in the maternity ward. Emily alone asked in a whisper at bedtime:

Couldnt you… hide her somehow? So they wouldnt know shes here? Ill help you look after her.

Alice always wanted to cry at that, but held back for her sisters sake.

Shed planned the note in advance, explaining she couldnt keep the child but she was healthy and they neednt worry. She reminded them of the signthe fallen angel. She tucked all her saved pension money in the envelope; it should last a while, they were good people.

They discharged Alice in the morning, but abandoning a child in broad daylight felt impossible. She spent the day sitting at the shopping centre, though it was exhausting and she grew dizzy. But her little girl needed a loving home.

When the centre closed, Alice waited on a bench another hour, grateful for warm weather. Only when darkness settled did she slip into the building, sneaking in behind a man walking his dog.

She carried her daughter in a carrier, bought out-of-pocket and brought by Veronica on discharge daynever asking questions. Alice set the carrier in the hall, careful not to block the door, slipped the envelope with money and note under the blanket, and was just about to ring and dash when the door swung open. The manthe bereaved fatherstood there.

What on earth are you up to?

Alice jumped.

He spotted the carrier.

Whats this?

Tears flooded uncontrollably. Alice spilled it allOliver had abandoned her, stepfather had supported her and her sister for years, but now was marrying and having twins with Linda; Linda had persuaded her to sign her daughter away at hospital.

The man listened, very quiet.

My wifes asleep. Well speak in the morning. Come in, Ill make you up a bed in the lounge.

Sleeping amid dozens of angels felt strange, but Alice clung to her baby and slept at once.

She woke to emptiness. Her baby was gone. In that moment, she knew she could never give her up. Never. She wanted to run and snatch her back

She jumped from the sofa, but before she could move, the womanGailcame in, holding Alices daughter.

Here you go, she smiled, handing the baby over. She needed a cuddle, I wanted to let you rest. But youll have to feed her now.

While Alice nursed her daughter, she couldnt meet Gails eyes. What had Gails husband said? Had they agreed to adopt the baby? How could she tell them shed changed her mind?

How old did you say your sister was? Gail asked suddenly.

Twelve, Alice replied, baffled.

Do you think shed like to come live here, too?

Alice just stared.

Sorry? she said.

My husband filled me in. Youve nowhere to go, your stepfathers putting you out. I worried that if Emily stays, theyll treat her like hired help. She should come, too.

What do you meantoo? Alice stammered.

Gail nodded toward the glued-up angel near her daughters photo. I think it was a sign. Were meant to help you, she said gently. Theres plenty of room here. Move in, love. Ill help with the baby. Stop this nonsenseyou cant separate a mother from her child.

Alice felt an overwhelming burst of joy and, at the same time, a hot shame, her cheeks burning.

Sois that alright with you? Gail asked.

Alice nodded, face pressed into her daughters blanket so Gail couldnt see her tears.

Ill never forget this. The lesson is simple: never let go of those you lovesometimes help comes from where you least expect, and sometimes, the family you need will open the door when you ring the bell.

The Timer on the Table — “You’ve put the salt in the wrong place again,” she said, not looking up from the pot. He paused, salt shaker in hand, staring at the shelf. The salt was just where it always was, beside the sugar bowl. “Where is it meant to go?” he asked carefully. “Not ‘where it’s meant to go.’ Where I expect to find it. I’ve told you already.” “It would be easier if you’d just tell me, rather than making me guess,” he replied, feeling that old familiar irritation rising. She noisily switched off the hob, slapped a lid on the pot, and turned to face him. “I’m tired of always having to explain. I just wish sometimes things could just… be where they’re meant to.” “So I’m getting it all wrong again,” he concluded, placing the salt back on the shelf, just a bit to the right. She opened her mouth to respond but snapped the cupboard door shut and left the kitchen. He stood holding a spoon, listening to her footsteps down the hall. Then he sighed, tasted the soup, and absent-mindedly added more salt. An hour later, they ate in silence. The TV in the lounge mumbled out the news, its glow reflecting in the glass of the display cabinet. She ate slowly, barely looking at him. He picked at his cutlet, thinking about how things had followed their usual route: minor issue, complaint, his comeback, her silence. “Are we going to keep living like this?” she suddenly asked. He looked up. “What do you mean?” She set her fork down. “You do something. I get irritated. You get upset. And round we go.” “What’s the alternative?” he tried, attempting a wry smile. “It’s our tradition, isn’t it?” She didn’t return the smile. “I read about something,” she said. “Talking, once a week. With a timer.” He blinked. “With what?” “A timer. Ten minutes for me, ten minutes for you. No ‘You always,’ no ‘You never.’ Just ‘I feel,’ ‘It’s important to me,’ ‘I want.’ And the other one doesn’t argue. Just… listens.” “Is this from the internet?” he checked. “A book, actually. Doesn’t matter. I want to try it.” He reached for his glass, taking a sip of water to buy time. “What if I don’t want to?” he asked, cautious not to sound too harsh. “Then we’ll just carry on fighting about salt,” she said quietly. “I don’t want that.” He looked at her face. The lines around her mouth were deeper now—he hadn’t noticed when it happened. She looked worn, not from the day but as if from an entire life. “All right,” he said. “But I warn you, I’m no good at these… techniques… of yours.” “You don’t have to be good,” she smiled, tiredly. “You just have to be honest.” That Thursday evening, he sat on the sofa, phone in hand, pretending to read the news. He felt the same unpleasant anticipation as before a dentist appointment. On the coffee table lay a kitchen timer, round and white, numbers circling the edge. She usually used it for baking. Tonight, it sat between them, like a stranger. She brought two mugs of tea, set them down, and sat opposite him. She wore an old house jumper, baggy at the elbows. Her hair was caught in a loose ponytail. “Well then,” she said. “Shall we start?” “Do we have a protocol?” he tried to joke. “Yes. I go first. Ten minutes. Then you. If there’s anything left, we can save it for next time.” He nodded and set his phone down on the armrest. She picked up the timer, turned it to “10,” and pressed the button. A soft ticking began. “I feel…” she started, and then stopped. He realised he was bracing for the familiar “You never” or “You always,” his muscles already tense. But she clasped her hands and continued: “I feel like I’m… background. Like the house, the food, your shirts, our days—it all just happens, and if I stop, everything falls apart and nobody would notice until it got really bad.” He wanted to say that he noticed. That he just didn’t say so. That maybe she never let him do anything. But he remembered the rule and kept his lips shut. “It’s important to me,” she glanced at him briefly before looking away again, “that what I do is… visible. Not praise, not daily thanks, but sometimes, a bit more than just ‘The soup’s good.’ I need to know you recognise how much effort goes in. That it’s not automatic.” He swallowed. The timer ticked on. He wanted to argue that he got tired too, that work wasn’t any easier. But the rule said no interruptions. “I want…” she sighed. “I want not to be the default person responsible for everything. Your health, our birthdays, the kids. I want to be allowed to be weak sometimes, not just the one who keeps it all together.” He looked at her hands. On her right was the ring he’d given her on their tenth anniversary, now a little tight. He remembered how nervous he’d been choosing the size. The timer beeped. She flinched, smirking nervously. “That’s it. My ten minutes.” “And I…” He coughed. “Now it’s me.” She nodded, rotated the timer back to “10,” and pushed it towards him. He felt like a schoolboy called up in front of the class. “I feel…” he began, realising at once it sounded awkward. “I feel like, at home, I want to… hide sometimes. Because if I do something wrong, it’s always noticed. But if I do it right, well… that’s just how it should be.” She nodded slightly, didn’t interrupt. “It’s important to me,” he listened to himself as he spoke, “that when I come home from work and sit in my chair, that’s not a crime. I’m not sitting all day. At work, I get tired too.” He caught her gaze: tired, but attentive. “I want…” He hesitated. “I want, when you’re angry, for you not to say ‘You don’t understand anything.’ Because I do understand. Maybe not everything, but not nothing. When you say that, I want to shut down and keep quiet, because any answer will be the wrong one.” The timer beeped again. He jumped, as if pulled back up for air. They sat in silence. The TV was off. In the other room, something whirred—the fridge, or perhaps the radiators. “It feels weird,” she said. “Like a rehearsal.” “Like we’re not husband and wife, but… —” he searched for the word “—patients.” She smiled wryly. “Well, if we’re patients, so be it. Let’s at least give it a month. Once a week.” He shrugged. “A month’s not a life sentence.” She nodded and took the timer, carrying it back to the kitchen. He watched her go and was surprised to realise it now felt like the timer was a new piece of their furniture. On Saturday, they went shopping. She walked ahead with the trolley, he followed behind with the list: milk, chicken, rice. “Pick up some tomatoes,” she called, not turning around. He went to the crate, chose a few, put them in a bag. He caught himself wanting to say, “I feel like the tomatoes are heavy,” and snorted. “What?” she turned, puzzled. “Practising,” he replied. “My new phrasing.” She rolled her eyes, but the corners of her mouth quirked. “No need to do it in public,” she said. “Though… maybe we should.” They passed the biscuit aisle. He reached for her favourite, then remembered what she’d said about sugar and her blood pressure. His hand stopped. “Go on, take them,” she said, catching him hesitating. “I’m not a child. If I don’t eat them, I’ll take them to work.” He put the pack in the trolley. “I…” he began, then stopped. “What?” she asked. “I know you do a lot,” he said, exhaling and staring at the price tag. “That’s for next Thursday.” She looked at him closely, and nodded. “I’ll give you credit for that,” she said. The second conversation was harder. He was fifteen minutes late to the sofa, delayed at work, traffic, then a call from their son. She was already waiting, the timer on the table beside her notebook. “Ready?” she asked, skipping greetings. “One minute.” He took off his coat, draped it on a chair, fetched water from the kitchen. Returned and sat down, feeling her eyes on the back of his head. “You don’t have to do this,” she said. “If you’re not interested, say so.” “I am interested,” he replied, though everything in him rebelled. “It’s just been a tough day.” “And for me,” she replied shortly. “But I got here on time.” He gripped his glass. “All right,” he said. “Let’s do it.” She turned the timer to “10.” “I feel,” she began, “like we live as flatmates. We talk about bills, groceries, health, but hardly ever about what we actually want. I can’t remember the last time we planned a holiday as a couple and not just because someone invited us somewhere.” He thought of her sister’s cottage and last year’s holiday camp arranged through the union. “It’s important to me,” she said, “that we have plans, not just duties. Not just ‘maybe one day we’ll go to the seaside,’ but specifics: where, when, how long. And that it’s our plan, not just me dragging it along.” He nodded, although she was looking away. “I want…” she hesitated, “I want us to talk about sex, not only when it’s not happening. I’m embarrassed to say this, but… I miss not just the act, but the attention. Hugs, touches—not scheduled.” His ears burned. He wanted to joke about their age, but couldn’t. “When you turn your back to me,” she said, “it feels like you’re no longer interested. Not just as a woman, but… at all.” The timer ticked on. He tried not to watch it creeping down. “All right,” she said as the alarm went. “Your turn.” He reached for the timer, his hand trembling. She turned the dial for him. “I feel,” he started, “that when we talk about money, you treat me like a cashpoint. If I say no to something, it’s seen as stinginess, not fear.” She pressed her lips together but didn’t interrupt. “It’s important to me that you know,” he continued, “I’m scared of being left with nothing. I remember the nineties, counting every penny. And when you shrug it off, I get tense inside.” He took a breath. “I want, when you plan big purchases, for us to talk first. Not hear later: ‘I’ve booked it, I’ve ordered it, I’ve arranged it.’ I’m not against spending, I just don’t want surprises.” The timer beeped. He felt relief. “Can I say something?” she burst out, breaking the rules. —“I can’t keep quiet.” He paused. “Go on,” he said. “When you call yourself a cashpoint,” her voice shook, “it feels like you think all I do is spend. But I’m scared, too. I’m afraid of getting ill, of you leaving, of being alone. Sometimes I buy things because I want to feel we have a future, that we still make plans.” He nearly answered but stopped himself. They sat across the table, as if on opposite sides of a border. “That wasn’t on the timer,” he said quietly. “I know,” she replied. “But I’m not a robot.” He managed a bleak smile. “Maybe this technique isn’t for real people,” he muttered. “It’s for those who want to try again,” she replied. He slumped back against the sofa, feeling drained. “That’s enough for tonight,” he suggested. She glanced at the timer, then at him. “All right,” she agreed. “But let’s not call it a failure. Just… a note in the margin.” He nodded. She gathered the timer, but didn’t take it away, simply placed it nearer the edge of the table, leaving it open for next time. That night, he lay awake for ages. She was beside him, back turned. He reached out, wanting to rest his hand on her shoulder, then stopped a few inches away. Her words about feeling like a flatmate echoed in his mind. He withdrew his hand, rolled onto his back, and stared into the darkness. Their third conversation happened a week later, but started early, on the bus. They were headed to the surgery: he for an ECG, she for tests. The bus was crowded; they stood, hanging onto the rail. She was silent, staring out the window. He watched her profile. “Are you upset?” he asked. “No.” She continued looking outside. “Just thinking.” “About what?” “About the fact we’re getting old,” she said, not turning. “And that if we don’t learn to talk now, we’ll run out of strength later.” He wanted to protest that he was still fine, but the words wouldn’t come. He remembered yesterday, struggling up the five flights of stairs. “I’m afraid,” he said unexpectedly, “that I’ll end up in hospital and you’ll bring things for me and be silently angry.” She turned to him. “I won’t be angry,” she said. “I’ll be scared.” He nodded. That evening, as they sat on the sofa, the timer was already on the table. She placed two mugs of tea beside it and sat opposite. “Let’s start with you tonight,” she suggested. “I already got my words out on the bus.” He sighed and turned the dial to “10.” “I feel,” he said, “every time you mention being tired, I instantly hear it as blame. Even if you don’t say it like that. I start defending myself before you’ve even finished.” She nodded. “It’s important to me,” he continued, “to learn to listen, not just defend myself. But I wasn’t taught that. As a kid, if you were guilty, you got punished. So when you tell me you’re struggling, I hear, ‘You’re bad.’” He realised it was the first time he’d said this aloud. “I want,” he said, “for us to agree: when you talk about your feelings, it doesn’t automatically mean I’m at fault. And if I have made a mistake, please be specific: ‘yesterday,’ ‘now.’ Not ‘always.’” The timer ticked. She listened, not interrupting. “All done,” he finished as it beeped. “Now you.” She twisted the dial. “I feel,” she began slowly, “I’ve lived too long in ‘coping’ mode. For everyone—for the kids, for you, for my parents. And when you go silent, it feels like I’m the one dragging it all by myself.” He remembered when they buried her mother, how quiet he’d been. “It’s important to me,” she continued, “that sometimes you start the conversation. Don’t wait for me to explode—just come and say, ‘How are you?’ or ‘Let’s talk.’ Because otherwise, I feel… a nag.” He nodded. “I want,” she said, pausing for a moment, “that we agree on two things. First: we don’t talk about serious matters when someone’s already tired or angry. Not on the run, not in passing. We reschedule if necessary.” He listened, studying her face. “Second,” she went on, “we don’t raise our voices in front of the kids. I know I lose my temper sometimes, but I don’t want them to see us shouting.” The timer beeped, but she finished quickly. “All done,” she said. He smiled wryly. “That wasn’t by the book,” he pointed out. “But it was real,” she replied. He reached for the timer and turned it off. “I agree,” he said. “With both.” She relaxed her shoulders a little. “Me too,” he added after a pause. “But I want one more thing. Just one.” “What?” she asked warily. “If we don’t finish in ten minutes,” he said, “we don’t drag the row out till midnight. We carry on next Thursday, so it doesn’t become a never-ending battle.” She considered. “Let’s try it,” she said. “But what if something’s urgent?” “If it’s urgent, we put out the fire,” he nodded. “But not with petrol.” She gave a short laugh. “Deal,” she agreed. Between chats, life went on as always. He made coffee in the morning; she fried the eggs. He sometimes washed up before she asked. She noticed but didn’t always say so. In the evenings they watched series, arguing about which character was right. Sometimes she opened her mouth to say, “That’s us all over,” but remembered their rule and saved it for Thursday. Once, standing by the hob, stirring soup, she felt him come up behind and place his hand on her waist. Just because. “What’s this?” she asked, not turning. “Nothing,” he said. “I’m practising.” “Practising what?” she asked. “Touching,” he said. “So it’s not just on schedule.” She smiled, not moving away. “I’ll give you credit for that,” she said. A month later, they sat again on the sofa, the timer between them. “Are we still doing this?” he asked. “What do you think?” she replied. He looked at the round white plastic, at her hands, at his knees. “I think yes,” he said. “We haven’t learnt yet.” “We never will, really,” she shrugged. “It’s not an exam. It’s like brushing your teeth.” He snorted. “Romantic comparison.” “But everyone gets it,” she replied. She set the timer to “10” and placed it down. “Let’s not be too strict tonight,” she said. “If we go off track, we’ll come back.” “No fanaticism,” he agreed. She took a breath. “I feel,” she said, “it’s become a bit easier. Not everywhere, but… I don’t feel so invisible. You talk to me now, ask things yourself. I notice.” He looked a little bashful. “It’s important to me,” she went on, “that we don’t drop this when things feel ‘better.’ That we don’t slip back into old habits of silence until we explode.” He nodded. “I want,” she said, “that a year from now we can say: ‘We’re more honest.’ Not perfect, not without arguments, just… more honest.” The timer ticked on. He listened, realising he didn’t want to joke it off. “All done,” she finished as the beep sounded. “Now you.” He picked up the timer, turned the dial, and set it. “I feel,” he said, “more scared now. Before, I could hide behind silence, and now… I have to speak. I worry about saying the wrong thing and hurting you.” She listened, her head tilted slightly. “It’s important to me,” he continued, “that you remember I’m not the enemy. If I speak about my fears, it’s not against you. It’s just… about me.” He paused for a moment. “I want,” he said, “for us to keep this rule alive. Once a week—honestly and without blame. Even if we mess up sometimes. So it becomes… our shared agreement.” The timer beeped again. He turned it off before the second ring. They sat quietly for a moment. In the kitchen something clicked—the kettle switching off. Next door, the neighbours laughed, the hallway door thudded. “You know,” she said, “I always thought we needed one big revelation. Like in the films. But instead…” “We just do a bit every week,” he finished. “Yes,” she nodded. “Little by little.” He looked at her face. The wrinkles were still there, the tiredness too. But there was something else—maybe attention. “Shall we have some tea?” he suggested. “Let’s,” she agreed. She picked up the timer and carried it to the kitchen. Set it down beside the sugar bowl, not hidden away. He filled the kettle, put it on the hob, and turned on the gas. “I’ve got a doctor’s appointment after work next Thursday,” she said, leaning her palms on the table. “I might be late.” “We’ll move it to Friday, then,” he said. “No serious talks when you’re tired.” She looked at him and smiled. “Deal,” she said. He opened the cupboard, fetched two cups, and put them on the table. The water began to boil. “Where should I put the salt?” he suddenly asked, remembering their first conversation. She glanced around, seeing the jar in his hand. “Where I expect to find it,” she answered automatically, then stopped and added, “Second shelf on the left.” He placed the jar where she’d asked. “Got it,” he said. She stepped closer, touched his shoulder. “Thank you for asking,” she said quietly. He nodded. The kettle got louder, almost boiling. The timer sat in silence on the table, waiting for next Thursday.

Anna parked her car a street away from her mother-in-law’s house. The clock read 5:45 p.m.—she’d arrived earlier than planned. “Maybe she’ll finally appreciate my punctuality this time,” Anna thought, smoothing the creases from her new dress. The gift—an antique brooch she’d spent months hunting down from collectors—rested carefully wrapped on the backseat. As Anna approached the house, she noticed the ground-floor window was ajar. Her mother-in-law’s voice rang out clearly from inside: “No, Beatrice, can you believe it? She didn’t even bother to ask what kind of cake I like! She went and ordered some trendy dessert… Our son has always loved classic Victoria sponge, and she—” There was a pause. “—doesn’t even understand. Seven years of marriage!” Anna froze. Her feet felt glued to the pavement. “Of course I’ve told you before—she just isn’t right for David. She works day and night at that clinic, barely home at all. What sort of housewife is that? I popped by yesterday—dirty dishes everywhere, dust on the mantel… Naturally, she was off performing some complicated operation!” Inside, Anna went numb. She leaned on the garden gate, feeling her knees tremble. For seven years, she had tried to be the perfect daughter-in-law: cooking, cleaning, remembering every birthday, popping in when her mother-in-law was ill. And all for this… “No, no, I’m not saying anything really, but is that the kind of woman our David needs? He deserves a proper family, warmth and care… and she’s always away at conferences or working nights. She doesn’t even think about children! Can you imagine?” Family Games Anna’s head buzzed. Mechanically, she pulled out her phone and dialed her husband. “David? I’ll be a bit late. Yes, everything’s fine, just… traffic.” She turned and walked back to her car. Sitting down, Anna stared blankly ahead. The harsh words echoed in her head: “Maybe a little more salt?” “In my day, women stayed home…” “David works so hard, he needs extra attention…” Her phone vibrated—a message from her husband: “Mum’s asking where you are. Everyone’s here.” Anna drew a deep breath. A strange smile crept onto her face. “Right,” she thought, “if they want the perfect daughter-in-law, they can have her.” She started the engine and drove back to her mother-in-law’s house. The plan had formed in an instant. No more trying to please. It was time to show them just what the “ideal” daughter-in-law could really be like. Anna burst through the door wearing her brightest smile. “Mummy dearest!” she exclaimed, wrapping her mother-in-law in an exaggeratedly enthusiastic hug. “Sorry I’m late—I went to three different shops to get the exact candles you love!” Her mother-in-law froze, startled at the display. “I thought…” she began, but Anna was already barreling on: “Oh, and guess what—I ran into your lovely friend Beatrice on the way! Such a delightful woman, always so honest, isn’t she?” Anna gave her mother-in-law a knowing look, watching her face pale. Through dinner, Anna laid on the performance: heaping the choicest bites onto her mother-in-law’s plate, loudly admiring every comment, endlessly seeking advice about running a home. “Mummy, do you think borscht should simmer for five or six hours? And carpets—best cleaned morning or night? Maybe I should give up my job—after all, David needs a proper family, doesn’t he?” David stared in shock; the relatives exchanged glances. Anna kept going: “I was thinking—maybe I should sign up for housekeeping classes? This silly surgery business, perhaps it’s not for me… A woman should be the heart of the home, shouldn’t she, Mummy?” Her mother-in-law began tapping her fork nervously against her plate. Her poise crumbled with every minute. And what happened next? Well, some stories are best read all the way to the end…

I Made the Most Romantic Financial Mistake of My Life: I Built My Dream Home on Someone Else’s Land When I got married, my British mother-in-law smiled and said, “Dear, why rent? There’s space above our house. Build your own flat upstairs and live in peace.” At the time, it sounded like a blessing. I believed her. I also believed in love. My husband and I put every saved pound into building this future home. We didn’t buy a car. We skipped holidays. Every bonus, every saving—spent on materials, builders, windows, tiles. We built for five years. Slowly. With hope. We turned an empty space into a real home. With the kitchen I’d always dreamed of. With big windows. With walls in the colours I imagined for “our home.” I used to say proudly, “This is our home.” But life doesn’t wait for you to be ready. Our marriage began to crack. Arguments. Shouting. Differences we couldn’t overcome. On the day we decided to separate, I learned the most expensive lesson of my life. As I packed my clothes through tears, I looked at the walls I had sanded and painted myself and said: “At least give me back some of what we put in. Or pay me my share.” My mother-in-law—the same woman who once suggested “building upstairs”—stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyes cold: “There’s nothing here that belongs to you. The house is mine. The papers are mine. If you’re leaving, you leave with what you can carry. Everything else stays here.” That’s when it hit me. Love doesn’t sign documents. Trust isn’t ownership. And hard work without a deed is just a loss. I walked out with two suitcases and five years of life poured into bricks and walls that were no longer mine. I left with no money. No home. But with clarity. The worst money lost isn’t what you spend on pleasure. The worst is what you invest in something that was never truly yours. Bricks don’t have feelings. Words drift away. But documents last. And if I can say just one thing to every woman: No matter how much you love, never build your future on someone else’s property. Sometimes, trying to “save rent” can cost you your whole life.