A Little Mistake
– Oh, come off it! That cant be right!
Charlotte gave the steering wheel a sudden jerk and nearly collided with a car parked next to her little darling. The large, dark Range Rover passing by was all too familiar. Of course, shed recognise her neighbour Henrys carafter all, every morning, Henry drove her sons to school in it.
But sitting next to Henryunmistakably Henry, whom Charlotte had known for yearswasnt his wife, but some woman Charlotte had never seen before.
Pouty lips and a trendy beret told Charlotte nearly everything she needed to know.
– What a scoundrel! Really, now?! Charlotte pulled out after Henrys car, her mind racing with indignation. She decided she couldnt just ignore such disgraceful behaviour.
Following every technique shed ever read in her beloved detective novels, Charlotte let a BMW pass before falling in behind it, giving herself a clear view of Henrys barn, as he called the Range Rover.
Barn was Henrys own nickname for the carit had belonged to his father, and the idea of trading it in was unthinkable to him. It was an inheritance, after all.
Henry had lost his father more than two years before, but never truly recovered. They had been so close. Henrys father had raised him alone after his mother died when Henry was just two. Shed collapsed suddenly while making porridgeHenrys favouriteand hadnt responded to his terrified wails.
The boy cried so much and so loudly that only his fathers return home, after trying and failing to reach his wife by phone, stopped him. He found Henry and immediately called an ambulance, but it was too late.
The loss was a heavy blow. Henrys father, once a keen boxer, understood what it felt like when a well-timed punch knocked all the air from you and snuffed out the light in your life. His own light had gone out with Henrys mother, whose heart gave out with no warning. Shed never complained of feeling ill.
Both Henrys grandmother and his mothers mother lived far awaytoo far to see Henry much if they took him in, and neither would agree to move for the sake of looking after their grandson. Even Henrys aunt tried to persuade his father to let her take the boy.
– Youre a man! You need to work, build your life. How will you manage with a toddler? He needs looking after all the time! How do you plan to cope?
– I dont know yet, – Henrys father admitted, ever the realist, never one for wishful thinking.
– Let me have him. I work in a nurseryI can look after him and youll have your head clear.
– And hardly ever see my own son? You live nearly a thousand miles away, and Id never have time to visit. No, Natasha, its not right, you know it. Hes lost his mother but Im still here, and Im not letting anyone else take him. Well manage somehow. How, I dont know yet. Dont ask me. Ill work it out.
– Youre being stubborn. Natasha pursed her lips. A boy needs his mother. Hes too small! Find yourself a wife at least
Henrys father only stroked the sleeping childs head and said nothing. There was no point in arguing.
But a solution did present itself, and fairly quickly. Mrs. Margaret Green next door, recently retired, agreed to look after Henry while his father was at work. Later, Henry started nursery, and their small family began to find its balance again. Henrys father devoted all his free time to him. He never remarried, so Henry grew up without a stepmother.
Margaret Green, who for reasons of her own had never married or had children, cared for Henry as her own. He returned her affection just as deeply.
– Are you my granny?
– No, Henry. You know your grannies names! Im your nanny.
– A nanny? Is that like a granny?
– Almost.
– Do you love me?
– Very much! Youre my favourite little boy!
– Thats good! But can you be my granny too, please?
How could she refuse such a request? After speaking with Henrys fatherand firmly refusing payment for her helpMargaret let the boy call her whatever he liked. And so, Henry ended up with three grannies, drawing questions from his nursery teachers early on.
– Why so many, Henry? The teachers asked the first time they saw him draw three Mothers Day cards. Eventually, they understood and stopped asking.
Those teachers who were single would sigh quietly, or loudly, depending on their temperament, about Henrys father. But he had no thoughts of replacing his wife or disrupting the life hed built around his son. Raising Henry was his priority, and he did it admirably.
Henry completed school, consulted his father about his university choice, and then went to confide in Mrs. Green.
– Girls dont seem to like me much.
– Dont be silly! Who was that kissing you under my windowAmy, wasnt it? Margaret smiled knowingly.
– She dumped me. Said something was missing, but what? Do you know? I havent got a clue! Whats wrong with me, Granny?
– Nothing at all, Henry. Youre clever, good-looking, very kindyou just havent met The One yet. Be patient. Look around, but dont rush. Shell show herself in time.
And Margaret was quite right.
A shy fellow studentLucyhelped Henry with his coursework. She didnt seek attention or make a fuss, just quietly liked him from a distance. Henry, used to bold girls like Amy, didnt really notice her at first.
Margaret stepped in again. Lucy once came around to drop off some notes. She seemed nervous and hesitant, but Margaret quickly read between the lines.
– Hes not seeing anyone, Lucy. As far as I know, hes free.
Lucys face lit up, and Margaret gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder.
– Do you love him?
She didnt need an answerLucys eyes said it all.
Later, when Henry came to collect Lucys left-behind books, Margaret used her grannys prerogative to give her grandson a rare scold.
– What was that for, Granny?
– Dont toy with that poor girls feelings!
– What? Which girl?
– Lucy, of course! Youve had happiness under your nose this whole time, and you havent even looked! Pay attention. Girls like Lucy come along once a century, if that.
The wedding was quiet and modest, though Henrys father had wished for a celebration.
– Dad, Lucy doesnt want it, and her mother would agree but, well, I dont want to put her on the spot. You know how tight things are for them.
Henrys father was at first wary of his soon-to-be mother-in-law. Based on his own experience, he knew mothers-in-law could bear grudgeshis late wifes mother had blamed him, at least a little, for the loss of her daughter and even refused to see her grandchild for a time. But he worked to mend those bridges, and Henry grew up visiting his grandmother each summer.
– Theres so much I didnt get the chance to say to your mother, Henry. I was always rushing about, chastising her, trying to teach her but no time for what mattered. Now its too late, and I can never fix it. I should have helped her more been there when you were born but I was too concerned with my own life. And nowwhat sort of life is this, without your only child? Im not living, Henry. Im surviving
These confessions weighed heavily on Henrys shoulders. He only remembered his mother from stories and photosthe beautiful, bright-eyed woman was almost a stranger to him. Only rarely, when he was shopping for perfumes for Mrs. Green, did a familiar scent stop him in his tracksa fragrance that seemed to reach out from nowhere and everywhere at once.
The shop assistant, seeing his distraction, calmly asked the customer ahead what perfume she was wearing, then fetched a bottle for Henry.
– Is this the one that caught your attention?
Henry bought it and took it home. His father solved the mystery.
– Those were your mums favouriteyouve brought her back a little now.
After that, a bottle of those perfume always stood on Henrys shelfa fragile link to the woman whod given him life.
Though Henrys father had worried about Lucys mother, he neednt have. A simple, kind woman, she was delighted to see her daughter happy, and Henry lived up to every expectation.
So they lived togethersmall, but cheerful and close-knit. The parents soon began to hope for grandchildren, but Henry and Lucy made no such progress. One year gave way to another, then a thirdthe dream of a child became an ache, almost an obsession, but then Mrs. Green stepped in.
She invited Henry round for tea.
– Henry, whats wrong?
– Everythings wrong, Granny. Both of us are healthy, but nothing happens Lucys patience is wearing thin, were fightingI dont know what to do.
– Calm yourselves! Maybe youre just not ready yet, or youre pushing too hard.
– Why do you say that?
– Why did you marry Lucy, if not for love? Not just to make a baby, surely?
– Of course not!
– Well, there you are. Love her as she is, and rememberthe problem could just as easily be with you.
– But the doctor says theres nothing wrong.
– Then stop worrying and go on holiday instead! The rest will sort itself out in time. You need patience, Henry. For yourself, for Lucy, and for all your family. Thats what makes a man a rock, a protector, a leader. And youre fussing like a schoolboy! Lucys hurting just as much as youmaybe more, because she feels its her fault, when its not. She thinks shes ruined your happiness!
– How do you know all this?
– Oh, its no secretIve been there myself, years ago. Loved someone dearly, but could never have a child with him. Back then, no one talked about causes, technologyor options. The doctor just said, no children, so I believed it. Young and naïve He wouldnt marry me until I was expecting. Looking back, its just as wellI later realised he didnt really love me. Now, I see, it would have never worked out. But you and Lucyyou have love, you have happiness right around the corner. Just wait a little. Take care of what you have now, the rest will come along when its ready.
Henry took her advice to heart and tried to be more patient, to reassure his wife. It was no easy thing, but his father supported him, his mother-in-law never once nagged, and Mrs. Green was as firm in her encouragement as ever:
– Wait, Henry. And look after each other.
And so, when theyd almost given upafter nearly ten yearsLucy became unwell on holiday: tired, sick, headachy all the time. During a trip to the doctor, Henry nearly missed the meaning of the news.
– A baby? Seriously?
At last, he understoodLucy laughed and cried in turns, pointing at the ultrasound image.
– There, Henry! So tiny, but already ours
Their firstborn was a husky lad, over nine pounds. Lucy, petite and gentle, worked through everything the doctors asked and the moment her son wailed his first cry to the world, she declared:
– Ill see you for another one! Be ready!
She gave birth to a daughter, and then another boy, at the same hospital with the same doctors. It seemed, once fate had relented, there was no stopping it: each child came just when hoped for.
As the family grew, the old flat Henry and Lucy shared grew cramped.
– You need a house, Henry! his father decided, embracing his grandchildren. Well build one!
They quickly found and bought a plot, but then hard times struckthe businesss fortunes wobbled, and Henry and his father did everything they could to keep it afloat. Construction was put on hold.
Mrs. Green intervened once again.
– Henry, Ive been thinking You and your father have a two-bedroom, I have a three-bedroom. More space for you, and its getting hard for me to manage on my own. Weve agreed: you and Lucy, move into mine. The renovation you did will last me for years, and Ill move in with your father. That way, I can look after him, do the cooking, keep the placeotherwise, its getting too much. Its safer and more comfortable for us both. Think it over!
So, they moved. Lucy looked after the children and home, Henry worked around the clock to pull the business through.
He managed, but his fathers health quietly failed, and he at last called Henry for a frank talk.
– Im leaving my flat to Mrs. Greenshes family as much as anyone now, and I want her to have a roof over her head. Shes done so much for us. She may not share our blood but I cant imagine life without her. She really did become your mum.
– Dad, you dont have to tell meI know. Youre right, its the proper thing to do. Though I dont see whats brought all this on.
– Simple, son. One should leave their affairs in order
Henrys father never met his fourth grandchild. Lucy gave birth just a month after the beloved Jack Morley passed away. Little Jack, who never knew his grandfather, learned enough about him to puff his chest out every time someone called him by his full namenamed after Granddad, after all!
Life took its twists and turnssometimes bringing joy, sometimes sorrow. The children filled Henry and Lucys lives with so much love, it seemed if there were a little more, the sun itself would never set, and enough warmth would remain to melt Antarctica.
Lucy, sociable by nature, always chose her friends carefully. Naturally, she got to know other mothers in the park, and Charlotte became one of her closest confidantes.
Charlotte was Lucys age and, like Lucy, loved books and the theatre, though finding time for either was hard. She had two children, but sometimes joked it felt like tentheir twin boys kept her hopping, and both grandmothers were constantly helping out. Lucy, with her calm and practical advice, proved a friend indeed, and talking to her helped Charlotte realise just how precious each stage of motherhood was.
Charlotte learned, at last, to pace herself, and found a true friend in Lucya friend who kept secrets and always listened.
Charlottes own marriage was complicated; her husband, James, was handsome and, while he felt family should remain intact, he strayed from time to time. Charlotte suspected as much and consoled herself with the idea that all men were the same. Believing this gave her the strength to carry on, for the sake of her boys.
So, when Charlotte saw Henry with a strange woman, she immediately assumed the worst. Lucy had to be told.
Henrys car turned into a side street, and Charlotte had to doggedly follow so as not to lose him. She watched as he parked outside a little restaurant she knewa place she and her husband had dined in before, known for its Sunday jazz and excellent menu.
Charlotte watched as Henry helped his companion out of the car; the two disappeared inside, leaving her to wonder whether she should wait for them to come out or rush to Lucy with this dreadful news.
The longer she sat, the more her anger faded.
What good would it do, telling Lucy that Henry had some new fancy? They had four children, and Mrs. Green, who now rarely left the house, and Lucys mother had her own health issuesHenry had thrice taken her to London already for treatment. Too many obligations, too little certainty. Who was this woman? Maybe it was a passing infatuationlike her own husbands endless romances; here today, gone tomorrow. Would it help, if all this was but a fleeting fancy, and she tore apart a family for nothing?
Frustrated, Charlotte banged her fist on the steering wheel, making the car horn blare and scaring a flock of pigeons from the restaurant steps. The sharp noise jolted her back to herself. Henry was a scamp, to be sure, but werent all men the same? Did Lucy have to lose everything because of one mistake?
Charlotte drove home, swearing at traffic and dabbing at her eyes. No, she decided, she would say nothing to Lucy! Let them sort it out themselves. Perhaps she was being a bad friend, but if someone had announced her own husband was cheating, shed never have forgiven him once she knew for sure. Hearsay was one thing, certainty anothera line you couldnt uncross. Every word, every phrasesuddenly, theyre no longer yours but belong to someone else. And perhaps its nothing, just talk, but somehow those words mark the milestones of happiness. Rearrange them, and the road twistsyou never go straight to joy again.
Charlotte lingered in her car, plucking up the will to face her waiting children and their nanny, who she really should have let go an hour before.
It was then that Henry rang her.
– Charlotte? Yes, thats right. Wonderful, well see you then. Thank you for coming!
Setting the phone aside, Charlotte patted her hot cheeks.
What on earth? Shed just seen Henry with another woman, and now this invitation Of course, she knew it was Henry and Lucys anniversary, a significant one. Shed already bought Lucy a gift, but she certainly wasnt expecting an invitation to a party. Henry and Lucy always kept their anniversary privatea getaway for just the two of them.
Of course, Charlotte said shed attend. What kind of friend would she be if she didnt support someone so dear?
With her new dress and shoes, hair done and makeup perfect, she was ready to go. Her husband James, admiring her openly, winked:
– Why the long face? Well have our own anniversary, and Ill throw you a bash that’ll knock your socks off!
Charlotte turned away, fishing for her lipstick.
Yes a bash. Of sorts.
Henry had spared no expense. The hall was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers and silver candles, white linen, and porcelain. Lucy, delighted, kept discovering new delights.
– Henry, its all my favourite colours! Blue and silver! Its wonderful, thank you! Lucy accepted Charlottes gift and bouquet, and beckoned to her. Come on, lets touch up our noses!
The ring on Lucys finger caught Charlottes eyea sparkling new one.
Thats Henry, making up for his sins Trust him.
The ladies room was in the basement, and Charlotte dawdled, fussing with her skirt on the stairs.
– Need a hand?
The woman coming up the steps made Charlotte gasp.
– You?!
– Sorry, do I know you? The woman frowned curiously.
She looked completely differentneat suit, sensible shoes, tidy hairdo.
– What are you doing here?! Charlotte hissed, abandoning her worries about her hem.
Just let Lucy hear none of this!
– Me? Im working.
The woman flashed such a sincere smile that Charlotte was silenced a moment.
– Working?
– Thats right. I organised tonights eventMr. Henry Morley gave my little company its first big contract. So, please judge gently! Did you like the arrangements?
Charlottes fingers went numb on the clutch of her skirt.
– Yes yes, its really beautiful.
– Im glad! Mr. Morley was anxious we wouldn’t manage everything in time, but I even enlisted my husbandhe helped put up all the garlands. I cant climb ladders anymore, you know.
– Why not? Charlotte blurted, desperate to say something.
– OhIm expecting. Just found out. Terrified, to be honest! Do you have children?
– Yes. Two.
– Hard?
– Very! For the first time all week, Charlotte felt warmth tingle through her fingertips. Dont worryyouve got the right spirit, and thats what matters. If you need a good doctor, just ask. Lucy had all hers with the same one.
– How many has she got?
– Four!
– Goodness! Thats a house bursting with happiness!
– Exactly right!
– Oh, sorry! The woman caught a distant sound and hurried away. Were starting. Are you coming?
– Just a moment
Charlotte went up, pushed the door open and, for the first time since it all began, smiled honestly at her friend.
– Lucy! Youre taking forever! Theyve already married you offwell, you know what I mean! Hurry up, everyones waiting!
And all that evening, raising glasses to her friends, Charlotte marvelled at how easily one can destroy everything dear: a single careless word, a mistaken conclusion, and happiness can be lost forever. The little error that could have cost this whole celebration, the joy in Mrs. Greens voice, shouting Kiss! louder than the rest, and the laughter of Henry and Lucys children as they chanted little rhymes
– A mistake Charlotte drank her champagne in one gulp and turned to her husband. Is ours sweet or bitter?
– Bitter, Charlotte! Its always bitter!
