**Diary Entry**
I heard my husband call from the living room: *Anna, get in the kitchen!*and something inside me snapped.
Emily glanced at her phone screen. For the fourth time in half an hour, Daniel had texted: *Airhead, pick up the phone.*
She was behind the wheel of the learners car, her instructor explaining parallel parking. The phone buzzed again.
*Can I take this? My husbands worried.*
*Go ahead.*
*Daniel, Im driving*
*Why arent you answering? Ive been calling!*
*I cant talk while*
*Right. Getting your license is more important than your husband. When will you be home?*
*An hour.*
*Whos making dinner? Am I supposed to do it myself?*
The instructor turned away, pretending not to hear.
*Ill cook when I get back.*
*Good. Thought Id married a career woman now.*
At home, Daniel scrolled through his phone on the sofa. Three months unemployedhe insisted it was temporary, but the job hunt dragged on.
*How was driving school? Mastering rocket science?* That familiar mocking lilt in his voice.
*Fine. Practised parallel parking.*
*Oh, very serious. A whole academic pursuit, is it?*
Emily walked into the kitchen. The sink was full of unwashed disheshis breakfast.
*Daniel, maybe we could finally unpack those boxes? Its February, and we might as well have moved in yesterday.*
He looked up from his screen. *Whats there to unpack? You can manage.*
*We could do it together. Tidy up while were at it*
Daniel stood, stepping closer. Something cold flickered in his eyes.
*Get in the kitchen.*
Quiet, but deliberate. Not a shoutjust a command. The hush of it was worse than any scream.
Emily froze. *What did you say?*
*You heard me. Make dinner.*
*We were talking about the boxes*
*Talking? You were whinging. I said handle it yourself.*
Something inside her broke. Not from hurtfrom clarity. She remembered New Years Eve at his mates, where hed been the life of the party. Flirting with every woman, joking, helping the hostess. Then, in the car afterward:
*Why were you so quiet all night? Embarrassed me.*
*Im not going to the kitchen.*
He raised his eyebrows. *What?*
*Im not.*
*Emily, dont push me. We were having a normal conversation.*
*Normal? When was the last time you spoke to me normally?*
Daniel set his phone down. *Whats your problem? I was joking.*
*Joking? Airhead, pick up the phonethats a joke?*
*Cant I text my wife?*
*You can. Just not like that.*
*Christ, does it matter? You know I didnt mean it.*
*I know. Thats why Ive stayed quiet this long.*
Emily sat on the edge of the bed. *Know what my instructor said today? Youve got steady hands. Steady. At home, Im afraid to ask for help with bloody boxes.*
*Afraid?* Daniel laughed. *Oh, give over.*
*I am. Because I know youll twist itmake me feel useless.*
*Thats bollocks! Youre imagining things.*
*Am I? Remember when you told your friends I was playing at driving school?*
*It was funny!*
*To you. To me, it was humiliating.*
Daniel sat beside her. *Look, if you dont like how I talk*
*Then what?*
*The doors where its always been.*
Silence. Emily studied him. No apology. No explanation. Just a nod toward the exit.
*Right.*
She stood, pulled a suitcase from the wardrobe, started packing.
*What are you doing?*
*What you suggested.*
*Where will you go?*
*Lydias.*
*Youll sulk a bit, then come back. Like always.*
*Like always?*
*Women love a drama. Slam doors, cry to their girlfriends.*
Emily folded documents, her charger, toiletries.
*Then crawl home!*
She reached for the wedding album, pulled out a photothe registry office, both of them beaming.
*Would you have spoken to me like this then?*
Daniel glanced at it. *People were watching.*
*And here?*
*Here, its family. I can relax.*
She slid the photo back, zipped the suitcase.
*Relax. Right.*
*Wait. Lets talk.*
*Talk about what? Youve made it clear who I am at home.*
In the hallway, she shrugged on her coat. Daniel stood barefoot in joggers.
*Dont be daft! All couples argue.*
*We werent arguing.*
Her hand gripped the doorknob. *You just decided you could.*
The door slammed. His voice chased her: *You wont get far!*
Two weeks later, a text: *Ill swing by tomorrow when Ive got time.*
Her friend Lydia shook her head. *Why even see him?*
*To be sure Im right.*
A café by the station. Daniel was half an hour late.
*Howve you been?* No apology.
*Fine.*
*Where are you staying?*
*With Lydia for now.*
The for now slipped outold habit, softening the blow.
*Place is a mess. Dishes piled up, laundry rotting. Thank God for the neighbour bringing groceries.*
A waitress approacheda pretty brunette, mid-twenties.
*What can I get you?*
*Two coffees,* Daniel said, smiling. *Whats sweet here?*
*Our cakes are lovely*
*Bring the best ones, then.*
He slid off his wedding ring, set it on the table.
*Now that theres no one to nag about chores, Ill treat myself.*
The waitress giggled. *Can you cook?*
*Course! A mans got to eat. Just nice not having someone moan about socks on the floor.*
Emily stared at the ring.
*Or beg for help unpacking.*
He carried on. In that moment, she realisedhe was turning their marriage into a punchline for a stranger.
*So,* he turned back, *ready to end this act? Its boring without you.*
*No.*
*No?*
*Im not coming back.*
For the first time, he really looked at her. *Seriously?*
*Yes.*
She stood, left cash for the coffee.
*Wait. You know what youre doing?*
*I do. For the first time in months.*
*Emily! Were adults!*
*Exactly. Thats why Im leaving.*
Outside, sleet fell. Through the window, Daniel was explaining something to the waitressprobably complaining about his unreasonable wife.
A month later, Emily rented a flat. Passed her test. Started a new job.
Once, she spotted Daniel in Tesco with a younger woman. Laughing, picking groceries. She walked past unnoticed.
She wondered: *How long before he tells her to get in the kitchen? A month? Two?*
That evening, Emily stood by her window, tea in hand. Her phone lay silent on the table. No more *Airhead, pick up.*
She thought of women who stay. Who believe *he doesnt mean it, all men are like this*. Not pityjust sorrow.
The screen lit upa colleagues message about tomorrows meeting. Polite. Professional.
Emily smiled, replied. Then sat on her sofain her home, where she could ask for help without fear.
