**Diary Entry – A New Chapter**
“Hello, Mum,” Emily said, trying to sound casual, but the words came out stiff and hollow.
“Oh, Emmeline! I wasn’t expecting you today,” Margaret replied, not looking up from her task.
Emily studied her mother. “Wasn’t expecting”—those words clung to her heart like a burr, then echoed loudly in her mind. Lately, it seemed no one ever expected her.
“Well, don’t just stand there like a statue! Come in, I’m just bottling the pickles. Did you drop by for a reason? Everything alright with James?”
“Everything’s fine, Mum. James is settled. We found him a flat—Michael paid three months upfront. They’ll manage after that.”
Emily glanced at her mother, busy as always. It had been this way since childhood—Margaret always rushing, always late. “Hurry up,” “I’ll just pop to the shops,” “Stay here, I’ll go,” “Not now, love, I’m busy.” Practical matters mattered most to Margaret. Emily had learned to wait.
“Pour yourself some tea, dear. I haven’t sterilised the jars yet. Alright?”
“Fine, Mum.” Emily filled a cup, though she had no appetite for it.
“So, why *are* you here?”
“Mum…” Emily hesitated. “Did you ever think about leaving Dad?”
“What? No, why would I? Swapping one problem for another. They’re all the same, men. Why?”
“I think I want a divorce.”
Margaret nearly dropped the jar in her hands. “What? What’s happened? Has he—has he strayed?”
“No, nothing like that. We’ve just… grown apart. James is grown now, living with his girlfriend. Maybe it’s time Michael and I…”
“But *why*?”
“Today’s our twenty-fifth anniversary. He didn’t even mention it. Just asked where his socks were and how long until breakfast. That’s all.” Her voice cracked.
“That’s *it*? Good Lord, Emmeline, you’re being ridiculous! A wedding anniversary? So what? Your father never gave me so much as a daisy, and I never bothered either. What’s the point in wasting money on nonsense?”
Emily swallowed hard. She should’ve known better than to expect understanding. A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, don’t start! Do you know the mess a divorce will cause? Splitting the house, the cottage, the car… And what about your savings? I’ve always kept mine in cash, hidden at home. You’ll have to sell that lovely three-bed, and after all the money you’ve sunk into it—”
Emily tuned out. Margaret was tallying assets, dividing imaginary shares. The weight in her chest grew heavier.
“Listen, love—go home and forget this nonsense. If you want flowers, I’ll cut some peonies. They’ll wilt soon anyway.”
“No, thank you.”
“Suit yourself. Off you go, then. Oh! Sand’s on sale at the garden centre—need any?”
Emily shook her head and left quickly. The air in her childhood home was suffocating.
She headed for the bus stop but changed her mind, veering onto the footpath toward the riverside. Her phone buzzed. Emily hoped, foolishly, that it was Michael remembering their anniversary. Instead, James’s name flashed on the screen.
“Hi, Mum. Got a minute? Need to talk.”
“Of course. Meet me at The Rose Café in an hour?”
“Perfect. I’ve got something to tell you too.”
Twenty minutes later, she sat nursing a coffee. James arrived, looking harried.
“Mum, listen… Milena’s pregnant.”
Emily’s thoughts scattered. James had only just moved in with his girlfriend. At forty-five, she wasn’t ready to be a grandmother.
“Mum?”
“It’s just… sudden. Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Course. You’ll help, won’t you? What did you want to say?”
“James… How would you feel if Dad and I divorced?”
“You’re *serious*? Why?”
“We’re strangers now. Today’s our silver anniversary, and he forgot.”
James shrugged. “Do what you want. I’m not a kid. Gotta run.”
Emily paid and walked home—though “home” felt less familiar by the minute. She mechanically stopped for groceries, cooked dinner.
Michael returned late, ate while complaining about his boss and his mate Andy’s new car. Emily nodded along.
The next morning, after he left, she washed the dishes, still torn. His neglect stung, but twenty-five years wasn’t nothing. Was she overreacting? Then James called again.
“Mum, about the divorce—I’ve been thinking. You should divide the assets *before* filing. Sell the three-bed, buy two one-beds. The cottage too—split the cash, and Milena and I could get a two-bed. It’s the smartest way.”
“Maybe. Let’s talk later.”
She hung up, changed, and walked to her favourite bench by the river. A man sat there already.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Not at all! Lovely day, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Emily agreed.
“You seem down,” he remarked.
“Just… life.”
“Well, I know a cure.” He disappeared, returning minutes later with two ice creams. “They say ice cream has happiness hormones. Fancy testing the theory?”
Emily laughed awkwardly but accepted. The cold sweetness briefly made her feel like a child again.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t mention it. I’m William, by the way.”
“Emily. Pleasure.”
“Fancy a stroll?”
As they walked, William spoke of his recent divorce, his dreams of travelling, his ex-wife’s materialism. Emily listened, imagining a new life beside him.
She returned home to find Michael waiting.
“Where’ve you been? No dinner.”
“There won’t *be* any. I’m leaving you.”
“Suit yourself.”
“Just like that?”
“Not gonna beg.”
The next day, Emily rented a flat. The lift was broken, so she lugged her suitcase up the stairs.
On the third floor, a voice called, “Need a hand?”
She turned. “*William*?”
“Emily! What are you doing here?”
“I live here now. Seventh floor.”
“What a coincidence—I’m on the eighth!”
He carried her case up, then left. Moments later, James called.
“Mum, found a buyer for the cottage! Lucky, eh?”
“If you’re happy, sell it. Your dad can handle it.”
She spent the day unpacking, lighter than she’d felt in years. That evening, William knocked with a bouquet.
“Happy new home.”
“Lilies! My favourite.”
“I had a feeling.”
“Come in. I’ll put the kettle on.”
Three months later, the divorce was final. Michael and James sold the cottage, short-changing her, but she didn’t fight it. When her grandson arrived, she visited occasionally—keeping James at arm’s length.
She and William married, bought a cosy flat. On their first anniversary, he baked a cake and brought lilies.
Emily finally understood—it’s never too late to start anew.
