flat, watching telly. And they didn’t even answer the phone when I rang them.’
‘Oh, Emily …’
‘I don’t want to see Mum at the minute – either of them, really. I mean, it’s all in the past and I don’t think I need to talk about it. Yes, I’m over it, Dylan. I’ve moved on. I just feel afraid sometimes, that’s all. I feel afraid that you’ll get bored of me the way they did. And then I get annoyed with myself for projecting all the time, because I know I should just stop worrying and let things happen. But it’s so hard for me to let go of my self-doubt. It feels like jumping out of an aeroplane, every time.’
‘Oh, Emily,’ Dylan said again, wrapping his big strong arms around her.
Then he kissed her softly on the lips. It was a serious-about-you sort of kiss. Emily’s eyes were moist with tears.
‘I don’t think you have moved on,’ he said softly. ‘Not yet.’
‘Well, I want to move on,’ she said defiantly.
‘And I want you,’ he replied.
Arabella phoned her solicitor for the sixth time that week to see if there had been any developments in her case.
‘There is nothing to report as yet. We said we would let you know if anything happened, Mrs Harrington,’ the solicitor told her patiently.
‘So he hasn’t been in touch? Really, not even an email? I can’t believe he hasn’t been in touch yet,’ Arabella said.
‘After the baby is born, maybe?’
‘But he’ll be even busier then.’
‘I think we should give it another while. I’ll turn up the heat in May or June.’
‘I can’t believe he hasn’t called you. It’s like he’s trying to deny I exist,’ Arabella said darkly.
‘People sometimes react like that, by going into denial until they’re ready to deal with the issues.’
‘But I forward all his personal mail to the office, so he can’t have forgotten me completely. He’s still paying the mortgage on our house.’
‘Yes, and that’s all good news. It shows that he’s aware of his responsibilities.’
‘What about his responsibility to me? This is ludicrously unfair.’
‘Mrs Harrington, please don’t concern yourself any further. We’ll discuss a divorce just as soon as the baby is born and your husband can concentrate on other matters.’
Other matters, Arabella thought to herself.
That’s all she was to David nowadays: other matters.
At the beginning of June Arabella’s solicitor finally summoned her to his office, and told her that David had agreed to a divorce. Arabella was very upset – even when she was informed that David was signing over his share of the equity in their home to her, along with a very generous cash settlement. It would be enough to pay off the mortgage. David had told the solicitor he wanted a clean break with no protracted negotiations, and that he wished to have no further communication with Arabella.
‘All you have to do is sign these papers,’ the solicitor said, sliding them across the desk towards her and offering her a pen.
‘I still feel kind of short-changed,’ Arabella said, looking over the papers and accepting a cup of tea. ‘I just wish I knew why he left me.’
‘Do you want me to give you some details about David’s situation?’
‘Might as well.’
‘We had a civilized little chat, actually. David said he was very sorry to have hurt you the way he did, but he had fallen in love with a woman called Mary Barone. And he didn’t feel able to tell you about it.’
‘That figures; I’d have stabbed him.’
‘Quite … He said he hadn’t planned to have an affair, but when it began he could do nothing to prevent it,’ the solicitor added.
‘Bully for him,’ Arabella said.
‘And there’s more. David and Mary are now the proud parents of twin girls named Venice and Paris.’
‘They had twins? Venice and Paris … oh, my word … what silly names, actually …’
‘And so David and Mary want to get married just as soon as they are legally free to do so. And then they are
‘Oh, Emily …’
‘I don’t want to see Mum at the minute – either of them, really. I mean, it’s all in the past and I don’t think I need to talk about it. Yes, I’m over it, Dylan. I’ve moved on. I just feel afraid sometimes, that’s all. I feel afraid that you’ll get bored of me the way they did. And then I get annoyed with myself for projecting all the time, because I know I should just stop worrying and let things happen. But it’s so hard for me to let go of my self-doubt. It feels like jumping out of an aeroplane, every time.’
‘Oh, Emily,’ Dylan said again, wrapping his big strong arms around her.
Then he kissed her softly on the lips. It was a serious-about-you sort of kiss. Emily’s eyes were moist with tears.
‘I don’t think you have moved on,’ he said softly. ‘Not yet.’
‘Well, I want to move on,’ she said defiantly.
‘And I want you,’ he replied.
Arabella phoned her solicitor for the sixth time that week to see if there had been any developments in her case.
‘There is nothing to report as yet. We said we would let you know if anything happened, Mrs Harrington,’ the solicitor told her patiently.
‘So he hasn’t been in touch? Really, not even an email? I can’t believe he hasn’t been in touch yet,’ Arabella said.
‘After the baby is born, maybe?’
‘But he’ll be even busier then.’
‘I think we should give it another while. I’ll turn up the heat in May or June.’
‘I can’t believe he hasn’t called you. It’s like he’s trying to deny I exist,’ Arabella said darkly.
‘People sometimes react like that, by going into denial until they’re ready to deal with the issues.’
‘But I forward all his personal mail to the office, so he can’t have forgotten me completely. He’s still paying the mortgage on our house.’
‘Yes, and that’s all good news. It shows that he’s aware of his responsibilities.’
‘What about his responsibility to me? This is ludicrously unfair.’
‘Mrs Harrington, please don’t concern yourself any further. We’ll discuss a divorce just as soon as the baby is born and your husband can concentrate on other matters.’
Other matters, Arabella thought to herself.
That’s all she was to David nowadays: other matters.
At the beginning of June Arabella’s solicitor finally summoned her to his office, and told her that David had agreed to a divorce. Arabella was very upset – even when she was informed that David was signing over his share of the equity in their home to her, along with a very generous cash settlement. It would be enough to pay off the mortgage. David had told the solicitor he wanted a clean break with no protracted negotiations, and that he wished to have no further communication with Arabella.
‘All you have to do is sign these papers,’ the solicitor said, sliding them across the desk towards her and offering her a pen.
‘I still feel kind of short-changed,’ Arabella said, looking over the papers and accepting a cup of tea. ‘I just wish I knew why he left me.’
‘Do you want me to give you some details about David’s situation?’
‘Might as well.’
‘We had a civilized little chat, actually. David said he was very sorry to have hurt you the way he did, but he had fallen in love with a woman called Mary Barone. And he didn’t feel able to tell you about it.’
‘That figures; I’d have stabbed him.’
‘Quite … He said he hadn’t planned to have an affair, but when it began he could do nothing to prevent it,’ the solicitor added.
‘Bully for him,’ Arabella said.
‘And there’s more. David and Mary are now the proud parents of twin girls named Venice and Paris.’
‘They had twins? Venice and Paris … oh, my word … what silly names, actually …’
‘And so David and Mary want to get married just as soon as they are legally free to do so. And then they are
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