He wasn’t the prince she thought he’d be…
Lucy met Aaron just after he returned from his military service. Tall, athletic, with mesmerising emerald-green eyes and tousled dark curls, he looked like he’d stepped straight off the cover of a glossy magazine. Next to him, Lucy felt ordinary, though she was pretty in her own way—soft blonde hair, a slender frame, and a sweet, dimpled smile. She could hardly believe her luck when, out of all their friends, he’d chosen her.
“What does he even see in you?” her friends whispered. “Guys like that don’t stay. He’ll break your heart and move on.”
But Lucy just smiled, certain their love was real. They went to the cinema, danced at pubs, met up with mates. Aaron wasn’t one for grand declarations, but his presence alone made her pulse race, his touch sending shivers down her spine. When she finally brought him home, her mother—Margaret—frowned. Later, alone with Lucy, she murmured,
“Handsome men are rarely faithful, love. Hold off on wedding plans. Test him. He’s… too polished.”
Lucy bristled. She trusted Aaron’s feelings, refused to entertain doubts. Yet her mother’s words planted a seed of unease.
Slowly, Aaron changed. First, it was the gym, then swimming, then new crowds. Lucy joined to stay close but felt painfully out of place beside toned, confident women. Aaron’s gaze lingered on them, while she slipped away early, blinking back tears.
“You’re pathetic,” he scoffed when she caught a cold after the pool. “Stick to your books.”
The words stung. She remembered her mother’s warning. The spark between them was fading. He vanished more often—no calls, no explanations. Then, one day, he was just… gone. Radio silence.
“Still nothing?” her mother asked.
“No,” Lucy whispered, turning her face to the wall.
“Up you get, then!” Margaret ordered. “Hair appointment first. A fresh cut for a fresh start. Then we’ll sew you a new dress—you’ve got the knack for it.”
They bought fabric. Lucy sketched designs, forcing herself to focus. Rumours reached her—Aaron with new women, here and there—but she held firm. Weeks later, she stepped into the local dance hall, transformed: radiant, confident, effortless. Heads turned.
One quiet bloke, Oliver, unremarkable but earnest, began courting her. No heartthrob, but his eyes never strayed—warm, adoring. A month later, he proposed.
“Now that’s a proper man!” Margaret said. “In love and ready to commit. Well?”
“I’ll marry him,” Lucy said softly.
“Do you love him?”
“How could I not? He’s kind, hardworking, loyal. He wants me—only me.”
Their wedding was simple, full of heart. They started from scratch—first table, first plates. A daughter arrived within a year, a son three years later. A family, a home, happiness.
Lucy didn’t think of Aaron anymore. Only in passing, when whispers said he’d left his wife, run off with someone new, still chasing thrills. She’d just smile.
“He was never mine. Just a passing fancy. Let him be happy, if he can.”
At home, her children and husband waited. And her mum—wise, loving, irreplaceable. The one who’d shielded her from true disaster. The one who’d led her to this quiet, real joy.
Mum… stay with me a little longer. Without you, the light fades.
