Mum revealed a secret to usshed purchased a flat.
The flat was just outside the city. She asked us to keep the address to ourselves, so nobody would accidentally drop bynotably, my wifes parents, who were notorious for their drinking.
I wasnt sure if I should be angry or happy about it. No one gave me any say. Like burglars, we moved our belongings early one morning, careful not to attract attention. I had to hunt for a new job closer to our home, while my wife struggled to adjust to this unfamiliar place. Both of us were restless. The worry gnawed at us: what if her parents found us and started visiting again?
I managed to get a job as a lift operator. The very next day, my colleague and I had to rescue a woman who was stuck in a lift between floors.
We pried open the doors and helped her out. She was shaking, terrified by the ordeal. I spoke softly to comfort her, offering kind words. It was immediately clear she was different from others Id met. I didnt want to let her leave.
Since then, Ive come to believe in love at first sight. I insisted on walking her home. She leaned on me, her legs barely able to carry her. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and she trembled from fright. All I wanted was to reassure her, to hold her close. She disappeared into her flat, the door shutting quietly behind her.
That night, as I tucked my daughter in and my wife disappeared into the bathroom, I was haunted by the memory of the day’s eventssadness and longing warring inside me. I couldnt get that woman out of my mind. She was beautiful, gentle, and heartbreakingly vulnerable.
The next evening, after work, I found myself standing outside her door again. I told our neighbour I was a distant relative from her hometown. Within ten minutes, I learned her husband was an alcoholic, lazy as can be, and they had two children.
Oddly, this brought me relief. It meant I could return to my own wife and daughter with a clear conscience. I didnt need other peoples troubles, or their childrenI only wanted my own life, my own family.
A deep sense of peace settled in my chest.
