“Never mind, Dave! Dont be down! At least you had a smashing New Years Eve!
Here was his hometown at last. Dave stepped off the train platform, crossed the station square, and made his way to the bus stop. He hadnt told his wife hed be back today.
His mood was sour, knowing hed soon have another unpleasant row with Emily. Shed scold him again, complain he was a selfish, uncaring brute.
Uncaring? Hed tried ringing her at midnight to wish her a Happy New Year, but shed switched off her phone. That was her being petty!
Three days hed tried calling, and still she wouldnt pick up. So, finehed stopped trying. And come to think of it, she hadnt even bothered to wish his parents or sister a happy Christmas, let alone him. Hed bring that up the moment he walked in.
She wasnt blameless herselfshe had her faults too. And wasnt it said that the best defence was a good offence?
Dave squared his shoulders, striding into the building with a fighting spirit.
The flat was silent when he entered.
“Oi! Anyone home? Em, Im back!” he called, but no answer came.
He checked the kitchenempty. The first bedroomnothing. The secondstill nothing. Then he noticed the changes. The cot by the wall was gone. The chest of drawers with the changing mat on top, the pram his in-laws had gifted themvanished.
He hurried to the wardrobeher side was bare.
“Has she lost the plot? Left me?” Dave thought.
He rang his mother-in-lawno reply. Next, he tried Katy, Emilys friend. Silence. Finally, he got through to Michael, Katys husband.
“Mike, mate! Pass me to Katy, cant get hold of her,” Dave said.
“Katys down in the village with the little unwe saw in the New Year there. Signals rubbish.”
“I got back yesterdayhad to be on shift today. Theyre still relaxing,” Michael replied. “Why dyou need Katy?”
“Thought she might know where Ems got to. Came back from Mum and Dads, flats empty. All the baby stuffs gone too,” Dave said.
“Hold onyour wife was due any day, wasnt she? You swanned off to your folks for the holidays and left her alone?” Michael sounded incredulous.
“She didnt want to come! The due date was the tenth or eleventhwed have been back in time.”
“Congratulations, Dave, youre a proper berk,” Michael chuckled.
“Why?”
“Because youre likely a single man now. Blithering idiot! Ring the hospitalshes probably there,” Michael advised.
Ten days earlier
“I dont get it, Dave,” his mother had said over the phone. “Why sit at home over Christmas when she wont come? If Ems stubborn, come alone. Shes not due for nearly two weeksyoull be back in time.”
“Besides, nearly all the familys gathering: Aunt Vera and Uncle Steve are coming, Natasha and Victor, Olivia and Paul. And us, of courseyour dad, me, Vicky and Glen.”
“Vickys booked us rooms at a country hotelright in the woods. Four nights, from the thirtieth to the second. Banquet on New Years Eve with live music. Ive paid your shareyou can settle me later. Stay till Twelfth Night, then head back. Youll make it before shes due.”
Emily had refused to go.
“Dave, I could go into labour any day. Imagine how itd lookeveryone celebrating while Im screaming for an ambulance. And that hotels miles from townwould a paramedic even reach us in time?”
“No. Im not going anywhere.”
“Your mums right about one thingwomen these days treat pregnancy like an illness, and childbirth like some heroic feat. She had three of you and barely took maternity leave!”
Of course, Dave saw her point. But the thought of a dull New Years Evejust the two of them, a modest spread (Em had already said she wasnt cooking much)made him miserable.
Meanwhile, his whole family would be dancing, singing, making merry.
So hed gone alone.
The country hotel had been brilliant fun. Around half past midnight, after the countdown, Dave slipped into the lobby to call Emilybut she didnt answer.
“Fine. Be like that. You couldve been here enjoying yourself too,” hed thought.
The next morning, his mother had a grievance.
“Your Emily didnt even call to wish us a Happy New Year. See how spiteful she is? Youve let that wife of yours run wild, son.”
“She doesnt understand family. Thats why were all here together, and shes there alone. Let her stew.”
But Emily hadnt been thinking of them that New Years Eve. If anyone crossed her mind, it was Davecertainly not his parents or their endless relatives.
Her parents, hearing shed be alone, had invited her over. No grand feasther brother worked shifts in London and couldnt get time off, so it was just them.
At nine on New Years Eve, as Emily and her mother laid the table, her waters broke.
An ambulance was called. Her mother went with her; her father followed in the car.
That year, Emily welcomed the New Year in a hospital bed, her parents in the waiting room below. She became a mother to a son
Dave took Michaels advice and rang the hospital.
“Harris? Discharged yesterday,” the receptionist said.
“Already? The babys here?”
“Yes. First of January, half past midnight.”
“Who collected her?”
“Sir, we dont log that in the register!”
Dave realised only her parents couldve picked her upso she and the baby were at theirs now.
He bought a bouquet of roses and set off.
He knocked. Her father answered.
“Can I help you?”
“Hello. Im here for Emily,” Dave said.
“Why?”
“Im her husband.”
“Emily!” her father called. “Some bloke here says hes your husband. Want a word?”
“No. Send him away,” Emilys voice came from inside.
Her father shrugged.
“She doesnt. Good day, sir.” The door closed.
Dave stood there a minute, then knocked again.
This time, his mother-in-law opened ittall, sturdy, sharp-tongued. Truth be told, she intimidated him.
“Didnt you get the message?” she demanded.
“Let me in,” Dave said bravely. “Ive got rights”
He didnt finish. She snatched the roses and whacked him across the face with them.
“Your rights? A solicitor will explain those soon enough! And dont call againmy grandsons sleeping.” She flung the bouquet at his feet and slammed the door.
Dave trudged home, rubbing his faceroses were lovely, but the thorns stung.
Back home, he rang his mother first.
“Would you believe it? They wouldnt even let me see my own son.”
“Dont fret, Dave. Shell come crawling back. Wheres she going with a baby? Dont call her, dont send money.”
“Let her parents foot the bill if theyre so clever. A week or two, shell be back. Now get some sleepwork tomorrow.”
Dave obeyed: ate shop-bought pies for supper and turned in.
He slept soundly, unaware it was his last night in that flat.
The next evening, returning from work, he found his belongings boxed up in bin bags on the landing.
He knocked. His mother-in-law answeredshe owned the two-bed flat theyd lived in.
“Well, dear son-in-law? Remember your hostel address, or shall I remind you? Take your junk. Whatevers left, the cleaner bins tomorrow!”
So Dave moved back to the hostel.
They divorced through court. Sick of hostel life, he nearly rented a flatbut when his first post-alimony pay came in, he saw thered be little left to live on.
“Be thrifty! Youre saving for your own place now,” Michael advised. “Never mind, Dave! Dont be down! At least you had a smashing New Years Eve!”
Emily stayed with her parents three years while they helped with little Jack, renting out their flat. When she returned to work, she and Jack moved backnow refurbished, no trace of Dave or his family left.
Sowhat do you make of Daves choices?”
