The man walked through the front door and, without even taking off his coat or shoes, blurted out, “Emma, we need to have a serious talk.”
His eyes widened as he inhaled sharply, not pausing for a second. “I’ve fallen in love!”
*Oh dear,* Emma thought, *here we gomidlife crisis has arrived. Welcome to the club.* She gave him a careful glance, something she hadnt done in yearsfive, six, maybe even eight?
They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die, but for Emma, it was her entire life with her husband that flickered past. Theyd met the most ordinary wayonline. Emma had shaved three years off her age, her future husband had added three centimeters to his height, and somehow, despite the little white lies, theyd matched each others search criteria and found one another.
She couldnt remember whod messaged first, but she knew his words had been free of vulgarity, laced instead with light self-deprecationsomething shed liked immediately. At thirty-three, assessing her chances on the “dating market,” Emma had soberly understood her position. She wasnt at the very back of the queue, but close enough. For their first date, she opted not to overdress, choosing instead a smart outfit, a pair of rose-tinted glasses, fashionable lingerie, and a handbag stuffed with homemade biscuits and a copy of Jane Austens *Pride and Prejudice.*
Their first meeting went surprisingly well (*dressing appropriately really does work*), and their romance unfolded with enthusiasm and speed. They enjoyed each others company so much that, after six months of steady dating and relentless parental pressureher parents had nearly given up hope of ever seeing grandchildrenhe finally proposed. They introduced their families, planned a small wedding, and, afraid of overthinking things, booked the first available date.
Life together was good. Their home had a steady, temperate climateno fiery outbursts, but a quiet, respectful harmony. Wasnt that happiness?
Her husband, a typical Englishman, practical and consistent, had shed his awkward “emotionally sensitive, hopeless romantic with a heart of gold” persona within weeks of marriage. What remained was a straightforward, hardworking man in comfortable joggers.
Emma, as the woman in the relationship, had loosened the corset of her own image”the unseen, intelligent, quietly sexy homemaker”gradually, almost imperceptibly. But an unexpected pregnancy sped things up, and within a year, she too had shed her old self, slipping into a cozy dressing gown with relief.
The fact that neither of them missed their former personas, nor resented the other for it, only confirmed to Emma that shed made the right choice. Their bond felt unshakable.
Raising two childrenborn one after the othersometimes rocked the boat, but it never capsized. When the storm passed, they sailed smoothly again, supported by doting grandparents, steady careers, shared hobbies, and each other.
Twelve years into marriage, her husband had never once been caught flirting, let alone cheating. Emma wasnt the jealous typehe couldve gotten away with itbut the idea of him trying to charm someone else made her smirk. Early on, hed admitted that traditional compliments werent his forte, so hed developed his own method: wide-eyed, silent admirationlike an owl staring in wonder.
Over the years, Emma had learned to read his emotions purely from the roundness of his eyeswild enthusiasm, quiet approval, stunned amazement, sudden confusion, deep frustration, or utter outrage. Now she pictured him showering some woman with compliments, his eyes growing comically wider with each one
Her throat went dry. With a nervous smile, she asked, “So whats her name, then?”
His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Howhow did youhow did you know it was a *her*?” He fidgeted, then burst out, “I just couldnt walk past her! Shes incrediblesoft, beautiful she reminds me of you, actually.”
From his pocket, he produced a small, greyish-brown guinea pig with pink-tipped ears, a little pink nose, and beady black eyes.
Emma said nothing. She watched her husband cradling his new love, their mutual affection, and felt an overwhelming happinessbecause hed fallen for *this* guinea pig, the one that looked just like her.
