Lizzie couldn’t settle. Little Katie had fallen asleep in her arms, yet she remained rooted by the window. Over an hour had passed since she’d started staring into the courtyard.
A few hours ago, her beloved husband Anthony had come home from work. Lizzie was in the kitchen, but he never joined her. Venturing into the living room, she found him packing suitcases.
“Where are you going?” she asked, bewildered.
“I’m leaving. Leaving you for the woman I love.”
“Anthony, are you joking? Did something happen at work? A sudden trip?”
“God, can’t you understand? I’m fed up. It’s only Kate in your head, you never notice me, you don’t look after yourself.”
“Don’t shout, you’ll wake Katie!”
“See? Again, it’s only her you think about. Your man is walking out, and you—”
“A real man wouldn’t abandon his wife with a baby,” Lizzie said quietly and walked away to their daughter.
She knew his temper. Continuing this would spark a blazing row. Tears threatened, but she refused to show him. She lifted Katie from the cot and retreated to the kitchen, where he wouldn’t follow—nothing of his was there.
She watched through the window as he got into his car and drove off. He didn’t look back, but Lizzie couldn’t tear herself away. A foolish hope lingered that his car would reappear, that he’d laugh it off as a stupid joke. It never happened.
She couldn’t sleep all night. There was no one to call about her troubles. Her mother hadn’t needed Lizzie for years, practically forgetting her once she’d married. Mum seemed to have only Lizzie’s younger brother as her child. Friends? Other mums like her, probably resting now. What help could they be?
Lizzie finally dozed near dawn. She tried calling Anthony; he cut her off and texted her never to bother him again.
Katie started fussing just then. Lizzie went to her. No time for wallowing. He was gone, good riddance. She had her daughter, her responsibility. She had to figure things out.
Checking her purse and bank account horrified her. Even if the landlady gave her a five-day grace period until her benefits payment, it wouldn’t be enough. Food wasn’t optional. Remote work was possible, but Anthony had taken his laptop.
She had two weeks’ paid rent left to conjure a solution. She needed to think fast.
But phoning everyone she knew confirmed the worst. No one would hire her with a young child. Even mopping floors meant needing someone to watch Katie for an hour or two. No one was available. Moving flats wouldn’t help either; they already rented one of the cheaper ones. Her only option seemed her parents’. But while she’d delayed settling down, her brother had married young and lived with Mum, squeezing his family of four plus twins into a semi-detached. Five people already; adding Lizzie and Katie? Pure chaos.
Lizzie told the landlady she’d vacate when the rent ran out. She felt utterly lost. She could rent a room in shared housing, she had looked some up. But the neighbours she saw were awful, a nightmare. She messaged Anthony begging financial help for Katie, but he didn’t reply. Not even a read receipt. She was blocked.
Katie was napping, and Lizzie began packing. They had little, but it kept her busy. Then the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, Lizzie stood stunned. On her doorstep stood Valerie – her mother-in-law.
“Can things possibly get worse?” Lizzie thought wearily, stepping aside to let her in.
“Right, pack your things quickly,” Valerie said without greeting. “You and Kate don’t belong here.”
“Valerie, I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”
“What’s to understand? Pack, I said. You’re coming to mine.”
“To yours?”
“Where else were you going? To your mother’s, cramped like sardines?”
“You… you know everything?”
“Of course! Wish I’d known sooner that wastrel only told me today. I’ve a three-bedroom house. Plenty of room.”
Lizzie had no choice. It was worth a try.
Arriving at Valerie’s house was nerve-wracking at first. Valerie showed her the room she’d share with Katie. After unpacking a little and settling Katie to sleep, Lizzie ventured to the kitchen.
“Lizzie, I know our relationship hasn’t been ideal. But try to understand me… and forgive me if you can.”
“Valerie,” Lizzie began, “you just wanted what was best for your son.”
“Best for him? Pfft!” Valerie cut in. “I behaved like a selfish cow. Today he called and told me everything. Forgive me for raising such a son, too. I don’t know where I went wrong. His father walked out when Anthony was three months old. He should have known how hard it is for a single mum to cope. But the miserable git repeated his father’s mistake. You’ll live here for as long as you need.”
Lizzie could never have imagined her mother-in-law siding with her. Now, words failed her. Only silent tears dropped onto the kitchen table.
“And stop that snivelling,” Valerie said sharply. “It’s just… gratitude,” Lizzie managed.
“Don’t need that either. Call it making amends. Don’t worry, we’ll manage. We’ve got a roof. When you find work, I’ll mind Katie.”
From that day, they became inseparable. Valerie’s sharp edge occasionally surfaced, but she’d check herself, offering advice gently rather than with force.
Today was Katie’s first birthday. Mum and Gran decorated the living room with balloons. An aromatic apple crumble sat on the table.
Katie, spotting the balloons, wobbled towards them. “Lizzie, look! Her first steps!” Valerie exclaimed, beaming with joy.
They scooped up the birthday girl after she plopped down, deciding she’d walked enough for one day. As they sat at the table, the doorbell chimed. Valerie answered. The last person she expected was her son.
“Alright, Mum?” Anthony said casually, stepping inside with a young woman.
“Well, well. To what do I owe this? Five months without a word. Must be important?”
“Mum, can’t I just visit?”
“Anthony, I’ve no room. I’m not alone, you see.”
“You keeping a bloke now?”
“Even if I were, it’s none of your business. Watch your mouth.”
Anthony pushed past into the living room, seeing his ex-wife and daughter at the birthday table, surrounded by decorations.
“Son, you’re not welcome. We’re busy.”
“What’s *she* doing here?”
“*She*, as you so charmingly put it, is still legally your wife. The final hearing is tomorrow – which you doubtless won’t attend. It’s your daughter’s first birthday. Seems you forgot.”
“I thought that divorce went through,” Anthony mumbled, looking uncomfortable.
“Would have happened faster if you’d bothered showing up. Doesn’t matter now. Lizzie and my granddaughter live here now. Traitors aren’t welcome. Doubting she’s yours? Refusing child support? Fine, get a DNA test. Waste your money. Now, get out.”
“Mum, if I walk away now, I’m gone for good.”
Valerie didn’t answer. She simply pointed at the door
Valentina treasured every moment with her chosen daughter and the grandchildren she claimed as her own, her heart full and always hoping for more to come.
Abandoned and Alone: A Mother’s Unexpected Turn of Fate
