“Leave and never return.”
“Stephen, last night I was scrolling through the listings. There’s a threebedroom flat in the part of town we both wanted, right where the new tube line stops. We have just enough saved for it, dont we? If we sell the house we can help Emily settle her mortgage. Lets go see it,” Kate said, her eyes bright with impatient hope. Stephen brushed her aside with a tired sigh.
“Not today. I was up until midnight finalising a report yesterday, and Ill be late again tonight,” he replied, downing the last of his coffee, snatching the car keys and a folder of papers, and walking out the door.
Kate exhaled, disappointment heavy on her chest, but she kept quiet. Lately Stephen had hardly been home arriving late, working weekends, though his salary was good. Kate dreamed of moving closer to Emily, to live in the city and work at a grand Arts Centre. For years they had scraped together every pound they earned, depositing it in a joint account, while living off his mother Margarets state pension and Kates wages as the manager of the village community hall, where she also ran a dance class. It was a hard life, but the thought of a city life with her daughter kept her going.
Kate and Stephen had first met in the county town. He was a finalyear university student, she a pupil at the local dance academy. Their love was swift; as soon as Stephen received his degree they married and moved to his parents village. Kate left her studies after a year, not regretting it Stephen was now her husband, and she believed they would share a long, happy life.
But the honeymoon was short. Within weeks of moving in, Stephen was called up for a year of service in the British Army. Kate was already upset at the impending separation, and then Margaret, Stephens mother, entered the picture. From the moment she saw her son return with a wife, she loathed Kate, refusing to speak to her and reminding Stephen of a promise hed made. Kate tried everything extra chores, offering help but Margarets cold rebuke lingered: “You promised!”
When Kate pressed Stephen, he finally disclosed the tragedy that had hardened his mother. Two years earlier his younger sister, Lily, had died at seventeen after a reckless romance with a man fresh out of prison. The pair had taken a motorbike to a neighbouring village; the lover was drunk, lost control, and Lily was killed. The man went back to prison for a long stretch. After Lilys funeral, Margaret forced Stephen to swear never to marry without her blessing. He broke that vow, and Margarets resentment festered.
Still, Kate refused to leave. She vowed she would win Margarets favour, and within weeks the old womans heart softened. Kates tireless work, cheerful spirit and genuine love for Stephen melted Margarets icy demeanor. Margaret even confided that her own daughter Kates mother had died eleven years before, and her father had remarried a woman with two small children who had told the stepdaughter she must fend for herself. Kates honesty touched Margaret, and she embraced her daughterinlaw as her own.
One evening, under Margarets stern gaze, Kate whispered, “Its not because of you that I married Stephen. I was given a council flat, a scholarship for my studies. I cant live without him; I love him deeply.” Margarets eyes filled with tears a mix of sorrow and relief and she hugged Kate, feeling a weight lift from her heart.
A year later Stephen returned, taking a post at the district office, commuting daily on shift work. Kate became the organiser and head of the dance club at the new town arts centre. Their salaries were modest, and soon Emily was born. Money was tight, but Margaret helped, shuttling her granddaughter around and spoiling her. After a few years Stephen switched to a reputable firm, travelling for business and climbing the corporate ladder. His pay multiplied, and the small village hall was replaced by a spacious Arts Centre, where Kate was appointed manager. She kept her beloved dance class, taking the girls to competitions where they often placed. Their lives settled into comfort: a nice car, a renovated home, holidays on the coast.
Everything stayed bright until Emily left for university in the county town and got married. Kate, missing her daughter and still yearning for a position at the grand city Arts Centre, suggested they save to buy a flat in the city where Emily lived, sell the house, and help her with the mortgage. Stephen hesitated, then agreed, noting that their firm had a branch there, so he could transfer. He warned that they would have to live on Margarets pension and Kates earnings while his entire salary went into a savings account. The family council approved, and they began to save.
Life grew harder. Stephen stayed later and later at work, claiming extra responsibilities for extra pay. Kate, trusting him, tried to voice her concerns, only to be met with his angry outburst: “I work from dawn till dusk to earn more. Stop nagging me. Decide do you want me at home or a flat near Emily? Do you want a grandchild or just a bus ride? Calm down and endure.”
She endured, but the tension boiled over one night when Stephen trudged in at half past one. She exploded, demanding he stay home, that they spend evenings together, that they be a couple again, not strangers sharing a roof. Stephen listened, stripped off his coat, and lay down facing the wall in silence. The next morning he was late again. Then, without warning, he vanished. He left for work in the morning and never returned. His phone was switched off; Kate could not contact any colleague. Panic seized her. She called every morgue and hospital, her voice cracking with fear. Finally, she decided to drive to the city office where he worked.
As she packed, Margaret stood nearby, breathing heavily, eyes rimmed with sleeplessness. “Mother, dont worry,” Kate whispered, trying to steady herself, “hell be found, alive.” She hugged Margaret, who clung to her as tears streamed down both faces.
Outside, a familiar voice called to her from a bus stop. “Hey, you heading into town? We could go together. You said you wanted a new car? Maybe you could sell yours cheap?” Kate stared, bewildered. “What are you talking about?” she asked. The woman, her old friend Lucy, explained, “Stephen withdrew a large sum from his savings account at the bank a few days ago. I saw him paying a bill for the council tax. Did you know?” Kates skin went cold; the money must have been the cause of his disappearance.
She rushed to his firm, only to learn from the receptionist that Stephen had resigned the week before and his whereabouts were unknown. Determined, she filed a missingperson report. The police took her seriously, noting every detail, but the next day an officer questioned her: “Why didnt you tell us you and Stephen divorced three months ago?” He handed her a copy of a court decree and a marriageend certificate. Shocked, Kate realized she knew nothing of the divorce.
Back home, she told Margaret. The old woman gasped, pressed a hand to her mouth, and whispered, “Im sorry. It was my fault.” She confessed that Stephen had warned her a court summons would arrive in Kates name over a fraudulent loan. Margaret had hidden the papers, hoping to spare Kate grief. Stephen had arranged for a friendly judge to grant the divorce, and Margaret had been unaware. “He left with another woman, planning to marry her,” Margaret added, tears streaming. “He took all the money it was his salary.”
Kate stood, trembling, and walked out into the courtyard. The cold bit not from the wind, but from within. She recalled planting lilacs and birch trees by the fence years ago, the sturdy trunks now mirroring the fragility of her marriage. She thought of winter sled rides with Stephen, the runaway pig they once chased, and her heart cracked open with sobs.
She turned back, confronting Margaret. “I wont let you go, Mum,” she said, voice firm. “Stephen betrayed me, not you. I love you as my own mother, and I know you never meant to hurt me.” She embraced Margaret, their shared tears washing away months of pain.
Later that night, Kate and Margaret called Emily, spilling everything. Emily, horrified by her fathers betrayal, swore she would never forgive him. She then offered her grandparents a place with her and her new husband, expecting twins soon. “Were expecting twins, so we need you both. Sell your house, move here. Our threebedroom flat has room for everyone. Will you?” Kate and Margaret exchanged glances, smiled through tears, and agreed.
Stephen did return once, hoping to see his daughter, but Emily barred him from her flat. He never reentered their lives; even Margaret no longer waited for him.
The story ended in a quiet English suburb, where love, loss, and resilience had reshaped a familys fate, leaving the echo of a promise: Leave and never return.
