Matthew returned home, only to be met with an unsettling silence. His wife was nowhere to be seen, and their one-year-old son was also absent. An anxious knot formed in his stomach, and he could feel a cold prickle run down his spine. Driven by worry, he hurried across the terrace to his neighbours house, planning to ask after his wife. Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door swung openand there stood Mrs. Johnson, holding Matthews little boy.
It transpired that his wife, Alice, had left their son in Mrs. Johnsons care and had rushed out due to some urgent affair.
Although Matthew had plenty of experience looking after their baby, he couldnt stop his mind from racing: what could have possibly prompted Alice to leave so abruptly? Still, he couldnt help but feel grateful that she had thought to leave a hot meal ready for him in the microwave.
As the minutes dragged onhalf an hour, an hour, then two, then fiveMatthews anxiety became almost unbearable. He tried ringing Alice again and again, each call ringing out to voicemail. With every passing hour, his fears grew heavier, settling in his chest like damp fog. After finally settling his son into his cot for the night, he sat in the dimly-lit lounge, phone in hand, staring at the front door and longing for her to come back.
At last, the phone rang. Matthew snatched it up, his voice trembling as he fired a stream of questions: Where are you? What is going on? Why did you leave? But Alice avoided his questions, her voice distant and cold. Instead, she told him that she had no intention of coming backand that shed decided Matthew should care for their son from now on.
Stunned and heartbroken, Matthew clung to the receiver, unable to accept the words he was hearing. This had to be some cruel joke. But as the silence stretched out on the line, he was forced to face the dreadful reality: he was now alone, carrying the overwhelming weight of raising his son as both mother and father from that moment on.
