Mildred Sutherland was folding her husbands laundry when her fingers brushed a thick piece of paper tucked into the inner pocket of his blazer. She pulled out an envelope and, with a flutter of curiosity, opened it to find two airline tickets. The departure was in two weeks, the return ten days later, firstclass. One ticket bore the name Andrew Sutherland, the other read Poppy Sutherland.
Her heart skipped a beat. Poppy? There was no Poppy Sutherland anywhere in the family tree. Twentyfive years of marriage and suddenly a stranger called Poppy.
Could it be a typo? she thought, but the second name was printed clearly, no mistake. Mildred slipped the tickets back into the envelope, shoved it into the blazer pocket, and tried to steady her shaking hands. Andrew would be home from work in an hour, and she needed to decide what to do next.
She padded into the kitchen, poured herself a cup of tea, and perched by the window. Over a quartercentury together theyd weathered arguments, cold spells, and the occasional bout of forgetfulness, but infidelity? Mildred had never entertained the notion. Andrew had always seemed dependable and faithful. Theyd met on a group trek up BenNevis, bonded over a shared love of travel, and later explored the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and the Scottish Isles. After they married, trips became rarer work, bills, the endless grind.
The last holiday theyd shared was three years ago, a twoweek escapade to Cornwall. Andrew had promised a foreign adventure the following summer, but life kept getting in the way. Now, it seemed, he was heading for the Maldives without her.
She dialed her old friend, Olivia.
Oi, Olivia, can you talk? Mildreds voice trembled.
Mildred? Whats happened? Olivias tone was instantly worried.
I found two Maldives tickets in Andrews blazer one for him, one for a Poppy Sutherland.
There was a pause, then Olivia asked cautiously, Maybe its a work trip? Some corporate thing?
Corporate trip to the Maldives? And why would it be to a Poppy? Mildred laughed bitterly.
Youre right, thats odd. What are you going to do?
I dont know. Wait until he tells me? Maybe he has an explanation.
What if he doesnt? Olivia replied gently. Youve been together forever, but people do change, especially men after a certain age.
Andrew isnt that kind of man, Mildred insisted, though doubt was already nibbling at her.
Everyone says that until reality knocks, Olivia sighed. Why not just ask him directly? Show the tickets, demand an answer.
And if he lies?
Youve lived with him twentyfive years. Youll know when hes fibbing.
Mildred mulled it over. After all, theyd learned to read each others moods or so she thought.
Alright, Ill think about it, she said, hanging up. She sat there a while longer, replaying recent memories: Andrews late nights at the office, mysterious weekend meetings, his sudden interest in sharp shirts, pricey cologne, and a trendy haircut. Hed never cared much for fashion before.
She straightened up. No point spiralling into fantasies; she needed facts. She headed to Andrews study a tidy room he kept immaculate. She knew his computer password (their wedding day, 12072000) and, feeling slightly guilty, opened his email. Nothing suspicious: work correspondence, newsletters, a note from an old schoolmate.
Then she checked his browsing history. There it was: searches for Best couples hotels in the Maldives, Romantic Maldives getaway, and the final one, Gift for beloved woman in the Maldives. Beloved woman? Not wife.
She closed the browser, wiped a tear away, and forced herself not to sob in front of him.
When Andrew walked in, shed already composed herself and set the table. He slipped off his coat, planted a kiss on her cheek, and sniffed the air.
Smells amazing, love. Whats for dinner?
Mushroom casserole, Mildred replied, trying to sound normal. Your favourite.
Great, Im starving, he grinned, heading to the sink.
At the table they chatted about the weather, the news, weekend plans. Mildred tried to catch any hint of guilt, but Andrew was his usual self chatting about work, asking about her day, cracking jokes.
So any business trips coming up? she asked casually while pouring tea.
Nothing set in stone yet, he shrugged. Why?
Just thinking we could maybe get away together sometime. Its been ages since weve had a proper break.
He looked at her oddly, as if something were bubbling up, then said, Yeah, it has been a while. We should figure something out.
Mildred felt a knot tighten. He was lying, right there, looking her in the eye.
What about the Maldives? she prodded, keeping her tone light. Ever thought of going?
Andrews smile flickered. Maldives, eh? Whered that come from?
Just an example, she shrugged. People say its beautiful.
Its probably too pricey and far, he muttered, averting his gaze.
Whos this Poppy then? she asked suddenly, thrusting the tickets onto the table.
What Poppy? Andrew asked, brow furrowing. Mildred, whats going on?
She stood, fetched the blazer, and placed the envelope in front of him.
I found these while doing the laundry. Explain, please.
Andrew stared at the tickets as if they were brand new, then met her eyes.
Mildred, its not what you think.
Then what do I think, Andrew? That youre flying to the Maldives with another woman? That twentyfive years mean nothing to you?
No! he snapped, standing up. Its completely different!
How? she demanded, tears finally spilling. Who is this Poppy and why are you lying to me?
He moved to hug her, but she stepped back.
Dont. Just tell me the truth.
He sighed heavily. Alright, the truth is I booked a surprise for our silver wedding anniversary. I bought the tickets a month ago for us. The airline messed up the name on my wifes ticket and put Poppy instead of Mildred. I was going to tell you tonight, but I panicked.
Mildred scanned the email on his laptop. It indeed confirmed two tickets for Andrew and Mildred Sutherland, with a note from the travel agency apologising for a clerical error and promising corrected tickets within three days.
So these are for us? she whispered.
Absolutely! I wanted to surprise you for our 25year milestone. Ive been saving, picking hotels, everything, he said, taking her hands. Ive just been a bit secretive about the whole thing.
Why hide it? she asked.
Because I wanted the surprise to be perfect, he admitted, sheepish. The Poppy mixup is just a system glitch. I have no idea how it happened.
Mildred stared at him, trying to sort fact from fantasy. Had she overreacted? Had she turned a simple misunderstanding into a drama?
Im sorry, she said softly. I was foolish.
No, Im sorry too, Andrew replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. I should have been more open. I understand why you doubted me with the new shirts and the late evenings.
She felt a warm blush of embarrassment. I just I thought youd changed, that you were
I was just preparing to look decent next to my beautiful wife on a tropical beach, he joked, earning a reluctant smile.
Later that night, after Andrew left for work, Mildred called the travel agency. The operator confirmed the name error and said the corrected tickets would be delivered by courier that afternoon.
Do you know where the Poppy came from? Mildred asked.
Its a known glitch when the system is overloaded, the woman explained. We had a surge of Maldives bookings that day. Some data got crosswired.
Mildred thanked her and hung up, feeling the weight lift like morning fog under the sunrise.
When Andrew returned, the dining table was set with candles and a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket.
What are we celebrating? he asked, bewildered.
Were celebrating us and our upcoming Maldives trip, Mildred replied, sliding the fresh envelope across the table.
He opened it, revealing two pristine tickets in their names. Thank you, he said, eyes shining. For believing in me after all these years, and for the next twentyfive ahead.
They clinked glasses as snow fell outside, blanketing the town in white, while the flat was warm and cosy. Mildred glanced at Andrew and thought how lucky she was, and how fragile happiness can be a single misstep can topple a house of cards.
Two weeks later, they boarded a plane for the Maldives. As the aircraft climbed, Andrew squeezed Mildreds hand.
I was scared youd refuse, he admitted. You never like surprises.
I love you, she said simply. Everything else is fine.
He smiled, and together they watched the endless sky, as boundless as the love that had survived a little doubt and a lot of paperwork.
Back at home, in a drawer of Andrews desk, lay another envelope containing a diamond ring the promised gift for their silver anniversary, waiting for the perfect sunset on a tropical shore.
The Maldives trip turned out to be one of the happiest chapters of their lives. But that, dear reader, is a story for another day.
