If anyone had ever warned Emma that she’d become the cause of gossip and a rift between father and son, she would have told them to take those words back. Emma was a simple, country girl, but she could stand up for herself when she needed to. Still, everything unfolded exactly as it did, and even in the worst of nightmares she never imagined that to find happiness she would have to endure seven circles of hell.
Emma had only just moved to the city, though shed begged her mother not to send her to her aunt. At the family council it was decided that Emma would be the one to go to Aunt Gillian Thompson, because there was no one else. John, the patriarch, worked as a tractor driver and now the fields kept him busy from dawn till dusk. Mother kept the farm running, while the brothers and sisters were either still at school or in nursery.
With a small suitcase packed with the essentials, Emma set off for the aunt shed only ever seen once, at a distant christening. People said Gillians sharp temperament had never allowed her to get along with any of her three husbands. She had no children, so no heirs, and Emmas parents secretly hoped shed leave her flat to a niece. That turned out to be the case, but the aunt treated Emma kindly enough, yet always kept her at arms length. She never asked about Emmas life and let no one into her own world. One wonders why she kept Emma around at all. The truth was simple: she was afraid shed die alone and nobody would even notice. She imagined herself rotting in the flat until the foul smell drifted up the corridor and someone finally called the police to break the door down.
Gillian had been fighting a terminal illness for years, knowing that she wouldnt live much longer. To her, Emma was a convenient ticket to a timely funeral and wakes. Emma sensed the aunts anxieties and never pried. She washed, cooked, cleaned, shopped she did every task demanded of her. With no friends, the girl who was used to sitting on a village bench with her peers after a hard day felt a crushing loneliness. In the city she rarely left the flat; the only solace was the balcony, where she could watch young mums strolling with toddlers or elderly ladies gathering to discuss their woes. Emmas life seemed split in two: the unpleasant part, running errands for her ailing aunt, and the pleasant part, which began when Gillian fell asleep after her painkillers. Then Emma could brew a strong cup of tea, step out onto the balcony, and savour a few moments of peace.
Soon she met a charming neighbour, Andrew Collins, who also liked the balcony at the same hour. At first they nodded silently, pretending not to notice each other, then exchanged brief greetings, and before long their encounters felt like a teenage crush. Both hurried to the balcony hoping to catch a glimpse of the other, just to share a few stolen minutes. By the time Gillian passed away, Emma and Andrew were already close, having confessed their feelings. After the funeral Emma didnt return to the village; she stayed in the city, telling her parents she wanted to study, though they saw through the pretense but didnt argue.
Emma was certain of her love and of Andrews, so she readily accepted his courtship and proposal. Andrew lived alone. His mother, after a divorce, had remarried and moved to the United States. His father, a doctor, worked in Kenya and only visited once a year, on holiday. Their wedding was modest but full of laughter, and the bride and groom were the happiest theyd ever been, knowing they would spend the rest of their lives side by side.
Andrew followed his fathers footsteps, trained as a doctor, and now worked as a junior surgeon at the city hospital. Emma wanted to match him a little, so she signed up for a nursing course and passed it with ease. She imagined the two of them going to work together, saving patients, but not all dreams come true.
Emma, dads arriving next week! Get ready, her sister shouted.
Yes? What does he like? We need groceries, a menu, a deep clean
Relax, love. Hes not a king of Nigeria, just my dad, a regular bloke.
Still, Emma worried. Shed seen pictures of him tall, tanned, a bit like a Spaniard or a Turk but looks can be deceiving. What if he turned out to be a snob or a perfectionist, finding fault in everything? What if Andrew thought she wasnt good enough and left her? Yet Igor Vasilyev, Andrews father, proved to be a different man. He greeted his son and daughterinlaw at the door, congratulated them, apologised profusely for missing the wedding and brought a heap of gifts. He praised the stew Emma had prepared, saying it was the best hed ever tasted, then left to visit old friends. A month flew by and Igor returned to Kenya, leaving the newlyweds on their own.
Sometimes Emma didnt understand why her motherinlaw seemed eager to replace Igor with someone else. The man cooked wonderfully, even waking early to make delicate pancakes that most housewives would struggle with, and he often helped Emma with the housework, offering his son this advice: Youve got a good wife, lad look after Emma, help her in every way or youll miss out on your own happiness.
Andrew smiled silently, thinking, Where could she possibly go? Emma isnt the type to abandon everything. Even if he cheated, she would forgive and carry on as if nothing had happened. In the countryside life is simpler; people endure for their children. He believed that was the whole truth, so when a nurse began flirting with him, Andrew dove into a new romance, untroubled by the fact that Emma at home was suffering a nasty pregnancyinduced nausea that left her unable to cook. He arrived home full, dined with Karina, drove her home, then pretended to be exhausted and went to bed.
Emma, meanwhile, basked in the mixed feelings of joy at becoming a mother and fear of failing, even though she had such a caring husband. When the baby arrived, the demands multiplied. Milk ran short, the child woke often and cried. Andrew snapped, demanding Emma calm the infant while he retreated to the lounge. When Igor visited again, he barely recognised Emma. The oncecheerful, rosy girl was now pale and gaunt, a shadow of herself, while his son had thinned and returned home late.
Help your wife, why dont you? Igor asked.
Dad, she spends all day at home, at least let her look after the child.
Did someone new appear in your life?
Why do you ask?
I can see how cheerful you are when youre out, and how irritable when youre back.
Nothing serious, Dad.
Make sure nothing serious turns into a disaster.
Its Emmas own fault. Shes stopped looking like a woman. Look at her hair, her face.
Youre the one to blame, she hardly rests.
Off I go, work wont wait!
Andrew seemed deaf to his fathers pleas, believing Emma should manage everything at home, while only Igor truly understood her without words and tried to help where he could.
Emma, go to bed, Ill watch the granddaughter, he said.
What if she gets hungry?
You think I cant mix a formula and feed the baby? Remember I raised your… husband.
Thanks to her fatherinlaw, Emma finally got a few hours of sleep. Igor walked the granddaughter, fed her, and put her to bed when Emma was occupied, allowing her a moment of rest. Grateful, Emma prayed nightly that God would give Igor a partner who could share his happiness. It was lonely for him, stuck in Kenya while his son and granddaughter lived in England, and Emma found herself thinking more and more of Igor. He became more than just a fatherinlaw; he was a father, brother, friend, even a confidante. He listened to any topic, always ready to support. The thought of him leaving haunted her.
Emma, you look downcast.
Just something.
Here, take this money, go to the salon, get a haircut, colour, makeup, manicure. Then do a bit of shopping for yourself. Dont worry about the little one; Ill look after her.
In a flash Emma kissed Igor on the cheek, raced to the salon, and emerged looking radiant. That evening, feeling like a queen, she decided to surprise her husband and turned toward the hospital where Andrew worked.
Good afternoon, Im looking for Dr. Andrew Collins.
Hes in, please come in.
Emma imagined his delighted face at the sight of her new look, but what she saw made her stomach drop. A young nurse sat on his lap, her coat halfunbuttoned, clearly not for a routine checkup. Emma bolted from the room, hailed a taxi, and wept all the way home.
What happened, love?
Andrews cheating
Who told you?
I saw it with my own eyes
Igor drew Emma close, rubbing her head gently.
Cry, love, itll ease the pain. Ill speak to him, make him come back.
I dont want to stay here. Ill take the baby and leave.
Dont be foolish, where will you go? Life in the countryside isnt easy, work is hard, and you have a little one.
No one had held Emma like that for ages. She and Andrew had been sleeping in separate rooms for months, and the scent of his aftershave and his soothing words had knocked her off balance. Igor too felt an inexplicable pull toward Emma she was fragile, vulnerable, and he wanted to protect her, to kiss her, to whisk her away. In a sudden rush he lifted her and carried her to the bedroom, and she didnt resist. They now shared a secret they guarded closely, something that would have been obvious if Andrew had paid any attention instead of being lost in his own world with Karina. When Andrew finally returned, he made no apology, acted as if nothing had happened, and Emma kept quiet. She felt both shame for her fleeting weakness and a strange joy that she was loved and cherished.
Soon Emma realised she was pregnant again. She didnt know what to do; they had only been intimate for three or four months, and Andrew would instantly suspect infidelity.
What are you worrying about? Its wonderful! I never thought Id be a father at fifty. Its up to you now will you marry me?
And Andrew?
What about Andrew? I know we both did wrong, but hes also at fault. Hell eventually leave you, and I love you; I cant live without you.
After the divorce, Emma and Igor married and moved to Kenya. Their families couldnt understand the decision; villagers whispered that shed only pretended to be modest, but in truth Andrew kept telling anyone whod listen how badly his wife and father had treated him. They didnt care, though; they were happy to have found each other and treasured every moment they spent together.
