Ten years of marriageis that a lot or a little? Thats exactly how long Sarah and Adam had been together. From the outside, they were the idyllic British couple, like something out of a John Lewis Christmas ad. But then Sarah found herself pregnant.
Theyd met right after university, barely had time for their first cuppa together before deciding to move in, and a blink later, theyd tied the knot. Adam, to his credit, always made his feelings on parenthood outrageously clearabsolutely not for him, thank you very much. Faithful to his word, Sarah had stuck with the pill for years, but fate (and perhaps Boots bargain brand contraceptives) intervened. One day, bamtwo blue lines on a test.
She hadnt the faintest clue how to break it to Adam. Quiet as a mouse, she snuck out to the gynaecologist, had every check and scan you could think of, just to make sure the little one was okay. Then, out came the news to Adam. His response? Well, lets just say, if looks could kill, she might have needed more than the NHS. He was beside himself. He told her straight up to get an abortion. If she refused, he said, hed file for divorce, right before her very eyes.
Sarah, bravely and rightly, chose her unborn baby. The next morning, Adam packed a suitcase and evaporated. Sarah thought hed just taken a dramatic little break, maybe to Brighton, but in reality, Adam was slyly tracking her every movement. He even loitered outside her scan appointment, where he heard the bombshell news: twins. At the hospital after the birth, he met with the doctors, popped in to peek at the babies, but couldnt quite muster up the nerve to see his wife.
One day, a nurse let slip to Sarah that Adam was indeed making little visits to his children. Sarah was secretly chuffedthough youd never catch her showing it. Then, one day, Adam showed up on her doorstep, hat in hand.
Sarah, Im sorry. Let me explain. I was only three when my mum well, she was pregnant, and dad still left. She went into labour early, it all went horribly wrong my mum died. I grew up alone. My twin siblings died the next day. Thats why I was so scaredI didnt want to be a father if it meant losing everything.
Sarah shed a tear or two and gave Adam a hug so English it probably counted as a handshake in some circles. She felt terribly for himhaving to revisit such trauma was no stroll in Hyde Park. Their reconciliation was inevitable, and soon enough, they started living together again. Only now, instead of the two of them, there were four.
Years rolled on, and Adam and Sarah were still daft about each other. Now, with twins giggling through their old flat, all they ever needed for genuine happiness was one anotherand a spare set of hands at nappy time.
