What do you mean, youre not taking his surname? shrieked my mother-in-law at the Registry Office.
Ellie never actually wanted to get married. At nineteen, shed found herself unexpectedly pregnant after three years of dating Harry, a lad from her college class. She felt as if fate had dealt her a dud handhow could she let her baby grow up fatherless? So, wedding bells it was, whether she liked it or not.
Thing is, Harry might have been a couple of years older, but he was hardly a paragon of maturitythe kind who still rang his mum when the washing machine made a funny noise. To his credit, though, he didnt leg it when things got serious. Alright, he said, Lets get married and raise the little one together. Which sounded wonderfully responsible, if not exactly inspired. So, preparations must commence.
Ellie would have been quite content to slip into marriage quietly, maybe with a nice cup of tea afterwards. But her relatives had other ideas: grand bash, endless relatives, and enough guests to fill a country pub twice over. Ellie saw her future babys pram, car seat, and a mountain of nappies vanishing into thin airall for a party she didnt even want. No one listened, naturally. Her mother-in-law and her own sister simply took over, choosing the venue, the dress, and even the guest list.
When summoned to her dress fitting, Ellie would have paid actual pounds sterling to avoid it. She couldnt help imagining herself swathed in a meringue monstrosity, wreathed in frills and rhinestones. Her future mother-in-law and sister werent exactly displayed in the “Best Dressed” section of Cheshire Life, after all. When she tried to object, they called her ungrateful and acted like shed kicked the royal corgi. Ellie didnt care, thoughshe had more pressing things on her mind, like A-levels, revision, and the small matter of growing an entire human.
She arrived at the Registry Office in a plain white dress, no fuss, just something simple that made her feel like herself. Thats when the real circus kicked off.
The families had absolutely no clue that Ellie had decided to keep her own surname. Harry knew, of course, and just shrugged. But his mum, Mrs. Jenkins, promptly lost the plot and bellowed loud enough to rattle the Queens china, What do you mean, youre not changing your surname?
Ellie just gave her best Mona Lisa smile and discreetly edged away. Shed need to conserve her energy for tomorrows knees-up in Harrys home village, surrounded by his entire extended clan, including great-aunt Doris and her infamous trifle. No point getting into an argument now.
The marriage itself didnt last long. Harry turned out to be the sort of husband for whom family time meant marathon sessions on his computer, headset glued to his head, ignoring both wife and child. After a few years, Ellie had reached her limit. She packed her bags and left.
As youd expect, her mother-in-law was beside herselfthe scandal! The neighbours! But Ellie? She felt as if someone had lifted the Tower of London from her shoulders. At last, she was free and genuinely happy.
