“Are you kidding me?” James exclaimed in disbelief, “How is that possible? You’re only twenty-one! And why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”
Alice leaned against her husband, gazing into his eyes with devotion.
“I was afraid you’d stop loving me and change your mind about getting married…”
“And now? What are you hoping for now?!”
***
Their meeting had been accidental. Alice had stocked up heavily at Sainsbury’s and stepped outside with two gigantic bags, only to find the pavement treacherously icy. She would have certainly fallen if a pair of strong hands hadn’t caught her mid-slip.
“Careful there,” came a warm male voice beside her, “hold onto me…”
Finding her balance, Alice looked up at her rescuer.
“Thank you so much…”
“Why carry so much in this weather?” the stranger smiled, “Are you going far? Can I give you a lift?”
“No, it’s fine. You’ve already helped me. I’ll manage on my own. See, my house is just around the corner.”
Carefully stepping forward, Alice headed towards her home while the man went his own way…
All day, he found it impossible to focus on work; the image of this beautiful stranger kept replaying in his mind. That’s what he had come to call her in his thoughts.
“What a sweet creature,” he mused, “such an open gaze, barely any makeup, maybe no lipstick at all. That blush… so gentle, barely there… and her voice… A melody… I must find her. She said she lives nearby…”
James was no ladies’ man; on the contrary, he approached women with caution, always expecting some catch.
His first love had left scars; it ended with a typical betrayal. For years, since he was ten, James had loved his classmate, who, after waving him off to the army with promises to wait, married some businessman’s son within months.
When James came back, unbothered by what she’d done, she boldly stated:
“James, don’t be so upset. If it helps, know that I still love you. But loving someone and marrying them are different. What can you offer me? Life in a rented flat, maybe a dorm? An empty wallet? No, thank you. I want a proper life. I hope you understand…”
James understood. He suffered for a long time, even began drinking. But eventually, he got his act together, found a job, and enrolled in night classes at a university…
And now, here he was—a single, successful thirty-year-old—dreaming of a girl he’d glimpsed only once.
He was smitten because he felt warmth in his heart. He’d longed for it for years. And now that warmth was sparked. Yet, he didn’t even get her name…
James spent two weeks frequenting that Sainsbury’s. He waited for the beautiful stranger. And she appeared.
Alice wandered in after work to pick up something for dinner… She was startled when a man practically threw himself at her feet exclaiming:
“Finally! I found you!”
Recognizing her savior, she smiled:
“Why were you looking for me?”
“We forgot to introduce ourselves! I’m James, and you are?”
“I’m Alice,” she watched the excited man with curiosity, “so what’s next, James?”
“Next? Next, we have an excellent dinner at a restaurant! Are you in?”
“I’m not sure, this is sudden…”
“Please, say yes, Alice!” he urged, “There’s so much I need to tell you…”
He spilled his life story to her. About first love, years of loneliness, how happy he was to have met her and how he believed it was fate.
Alice listened intently… This man, so tender and a bit naive, was growing on her more and more…
They began seeing each other, nearly every day. The more time they spent together, the closer they became. They enjoyed each other’s company, even though Alice turned out to be quite conservative and didn’t allow James to get too close.
Initially, it surprised him, but then it enchanted him. Now he was utterly convinced Alice was destined for him and had been waiting just for him!
He introduced Alice to his mother. In return, Alice took James to meet her family in the countryside.
James loved it there. The simple way of life, the straightforward relationships. The warm and welcoming hosts.
It was there, in the presence of her family, James proposed to Alice…
The wedding was small and intimate, just as Alice wanted. No grand celebration, but she did dream of a genuine honeymoon. James agreed. He bought the tickets. Their journey was planned for a month post-wedding.
And for two weeks now, the newlyweds had been living together. James couldn’t believe his luck. Every day after work, filled with excitement, he flew home on wings…
One of those lovely family evenings, James noticed Alice seemed troubled.
“What’s wrong, my love?” he asked gently, “Are you feeling okay? Everything alright?”
“We need to talk,” his young wife replied quietly…
“Go on, I’m listening.”
“I don’t know how you’ll react,” Alice began, struggling for words.
“I’ll react fine,” James tried to reassure her, seeing how worried she was, “No matter what. You know how much I love you…”
“I know I should’ve told you sooner… But I couldn’t…”
“Alice, stop beating around the bush,” James was starting to get anxious, “Have you fallen out of love with me?”
“Of course not. It’s just… I’m sorry… I have children… Two of them…”
“What? You must be joking?” James was astonished, “How can that be?”
“I’m not joking…”
“But you’re only twenty-one! When did all this happen? And why didn’t you say anything earlier?!”
Alice leaned closer to her husband, looking into his eyes faithfully.
“I was scared you’d stop loving me and not want to marry me…”
“And now? What do you hope for now?!”
“I don’t know. I hope you understand and forgive me…”
“Forgive?! Me?!” James still struggled to believe what he had just heard…
“You see, I had a painful past too, like you. We loved each other deeply. But when he learned I was pregnant, he left me. Got cold feet. I was only seventeen then. When my son was born, he came back, begged for forgiveness. I forgave him. We started living together again. A year later, my daughter arrived. While I was pregnant, he found someone else. When Aria was six months, he left me again—now with two children.”
“And where are your kids now? It’s shocking… I visited your family… Your parents didn’t say anything. They hid it too, it seems…”
“The children are with relatives now. They couldn’t have kids of their own, so they offered to take mine in.”
“And your parents, how do they feel? Are they not concerned about their grandchildren?”
“They visit regularly, but they refuse to take them in. They say they can’t manage.”
“Got it. Quite the family…”
“Why say such things? I didn’t mean for this to happen. Note, I wasn’t imposing myself on you. You found me…”
“Yes, indeed… and played your innocence well… I even believed in your decency…”
“I just hesitated to get too attached to you. I worried: what if it didn’t work out between us…”
“And did it work out?”
“Certainly! We love each other!”
“And you can say that after such a monstrous lie? You could’ve told me this a hundred times before the wedding! But no! Now you choose to share this when we’re already married!”
“And what changes? That was the only thing I kept from you. Now you’re my husband, and I don’t want to deceive you anymore. Whether you can accept what I’ve told you depends on your love.”
“So, if I agree to raise your children, it means I love you. If I refuse, it means I don’t?”
“If you refuse, they’ll stay with my relatives. That’s all. If you prefer, I won’t even visit them.”
“In other words, you’re ready to abandon your own kids for my sake?”
“I’m ready.”
“But that’s horrendous! Can’t you see?!”
“I just love you very much…”
James couldn’t listen to any more of this. He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the apartment.
He wandered the streets for hours, trying not to think, attempting to calm himself.
Eventually, he decided to visit his mother. He desperately needed someone to talk to…
“I don’t know what to say, son,” his mother said thoughtfully after hearing him out, “This is something you need to decide for yourself.”
“What’s there to decide, Mum? I know whatever I choose—if I agree, I’ll be miserable, if I refuse, I’ll rob those kids of their mum, and they’ll all be unhappy.”
“Then don’t rush into any action. Think it over. Though… I can’t imagine living with someone capable of such…”
“Neither can I…”
“Perhaps divorce is better for you both?”
“But I love her, Mum…”
“In that case, I don’t know…”
James chose to stay with his wife. He suggested bringing the kids home, but Alice refused:
“I don’t want to burden you like that,” she said quite calmly, “Let them stay with the relatives; we can visit them.”
“In what capacity, though?” James asked wearily, “They probably call your aunt Mum already.”
“And that’s okay. They’re well cared for there; I’m convinced. And that’s what counts most.”
“Suit yourself,” James replied and dropped the subject.
They visited the children a few times. Watching his wife with them, James couldn’t help but think:
“I wonder what’ll happen when we have a child? What if something happens to me? And then what? Will she send our child there too?”
A year later, James filed for divorce…
He couldn’t live that way…
His love seemed to have vanished…
