**Diary Entry**
Nothing to worry about, Dave! Chin upat least you had a cracking New Years Eve!
Back in my hometown now. Dave stepped off the platform, crossed the station square, and headed for the bus stop. He hadnt told his wife, Emily, he was coming home today. His mood was sourhe wasnt looking forward to the inevitable row with her. Shed scold him again, call him selfish, accuse him of not caring.
Not caring? Hed tried ringing her on New Years Eve to wish her well, but shed turned her phone off. Bloody typical. Hed spent three days calling, and she hadnt picked up once. Fine, thenhed stopped trying too. And lets not forget, she hadnt even bothered to wish his parents or sister a happy new year, never mind him. Hed make sure she heard about that the second he walked in.
She wasnt exactly faultless either. Plenty of mistakes on her side too. Best defence is a good offence, isnt it?
Dave squared his shoulders and marched into the building, ready for battle.
The flat was eerily quiet.
“Oi! Anyone home? Emily, Im back!” he called out. No reply.
He checked the kitchenempty. The bedroomsboth deserted. Then he noticed something odd. The baby cot by the wall was gone. So was the chest of drawers with the changing mat on top. And the pram his in-laws had bought themvanished.
He hurried to the wardrobe. Emilys side was completely bare.
“Has she lost the plot? Left me?” he muttered.
He rang his mother-in-law. No answer. Next, he tried KatieEmilys best mate. Silence. Finally, he got through to Michael, Katies husband.
“Mike, mate! Put Katie on, will you? Cant get hold of her,” Dave said.
“Oi, Katies at her parents’ place with the little onewe saw New Years in there. Receptions dodgy out there,” Michael replied.
“I only got back yesterdayhad work today. Theyre still lazing about,” he added. “Why dyou need Katie?”
“Thought she might know where my Emilys got to. I just got back from my folks, and shes not home. All the baby stuffs gone too,” Dave said.
“Waityour wife was due any day now. You went off for the holidays and left her alone?” Michael sounded stunned.
“She didnt want to come! The due date was the 10th or 11th of Januaryplenty of time!”
“Congratulations, Dave. Youre a proper numpty,” Michael laughed.
“What?”
“Because youre probably single now, you daft git. Ring the hospitalshes probably there.”
**Ten days earlier**
“I dont get it, Dave,” his mother had said over the phone. “Why should you sit at home over the holidays? If Emily doesnt want to come, you come alone. The babys not due for nearly two weeksyoull be back in time.”
“Besides, the whole familys gathering: Aunt Vera and Uncle Steve, Nat and Vic, even Olga and Paul. And me and your dad, of course, and Vicky with Glen.”
“Vickys booked us rooms at a countryside hotelright in the woods. Four days, from the 30th to the 2nd. New Years Eve banquet, live entertainment. Ive paid for your spotyou can pay me back later. Stay till Christmas, then head back on the 8th. Just in time for the baby.”
Emily hadnt wanted to go.
“Dave, I could go into labour any day. Imagine the sceneeveryones celebrating, and suddenly Im in agony. And that hotels miles from townwhat if the ambulance takes ages?”
“No. Im not going anywhere.”
“Your mums rightwomen these days treat pregnancy like an illness and childbirth like a bloody miracle. She had three of you and still managed everything without fuss.”
Deep down, Dave knew Emily had a point. But the thought of a dull New Years Eve at homejust the two of them, a modest spread (Emily had already said she wasnt cooking anything fancy)made him miserable.
Meanwhile, his whole family would be dancing, laughing, toasting under the lights of a proper celebration.
So he went alone.
The countryside hotel was brilliant. Just past midnight, after the countdown, Dave slipped into the lobby to call Emily. She didnt answer.
“Fine then. Stay mad. Your own faultyou couldve been here having fun with the rest of us,” he thought.
The next day, his mother made her displeasure clear.
“Your Emily didnt even call to wish us a happy new year. See? Shes sulking. Youve let that woman walk all over you, son.”
“She doesnt understand family. Thats why were all together here, and shes alone there. Let her stew.”
Emily hadnt been thinking about them at all that New Years Eve. If anything, shed thought of Davecertainly not her in-laws and their endless relatives.
Her parents, hearing shed be alone, had invited her over. No big feast plannedher brother worked shifts in London and wouldnt be around, so itd just be the three of them.
At nine on the 31st, as Emily and her mum set the table, the contractions hit.
An ambulance was called. Her mum went with her; her dad followed in the car.
That night, Emily welcomed the new year in a hospital bed. Her parents waited in the lobby below. By half past midnight, she was a mother.
**Back to the present**
Dave took Michaels advice and rang the hospital.
“Emily Carter? Discharged yesterday,” the receptionist said.
“Already? But the baby?”
“Yes. Born January 1st, half twelve.”
“Who picked her up?”
“Sir, we dont log that in the register!”
Only her parents couldve taken her. She and the baby would be at theirs now.
He bought a bouquet of roses and headed over.
Knocked. The door opened. His father-in-law stood there.
“Yes?”
“Im here to see Emily,” Dave said.
“Why?”
“Im her husband.”
“Emily!” her dad called over his shoulder. “Some bloke here says hes your husband. Want to talk to him?”
“No. Tell him to leave,” Emilys voice came from inside.
Her dad shrugged.
“She doesnt. Goodbye, lad.” The door shut.
Dave stood there a moment, then knocked again.
This time, his mother-in-law answeredtall, sturdy, loud. Frankly, she scared him a bit.
“Did you not get the message?” she snapped.
“Let me in. Ive got rights”
He didnt finish. She snatched the bouquet and whacked him across the face with it.
“Rights? Your solicitor will explain those soon enough. And dont call againmy grandsons sleeping.” She tossed the roses at his feet and slammed the door.
Dave trudged home, rubbing his faceroses were lovely, but those thorns stung.
Back at the flat, he called his mum first.
“Would you believe it? They wouldnt even let me indidnt even let me see my son.”
“Dont fret, Dave. Shell come crawling back. Where else is 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, and shell be back. Get some sleepyouve work tomorrow.”
Dave did just thathad some shop-bought dumplings for dinner and went to bed.
He slept soundly, unaware itd be his last night in that flat.
When he got home from work the next day, all his belongingsboxed and baggedwere piled on the landing.
He rang the bell. His mother-in-law answered. The two-bed flat had been in her name all along.
“Well, dear son-in-law? Need me to remind you of your hostel address, or do you remember? Take your rubbish. Anything left goes in the bin tomorrow.”
So Dave moved back into the hostel.
For the next three years, Emily stayed with her parents, who helped with little Jake. The flat was rented out. Once she returned to work, she and Jake moved back in. After renovations, not a trace of Daveor his familyremained.
And as for Dave? Well, at least hed had a cracking New Years Eve.
