Emily pushed the door open and froze when she saw her daughter Lucy standing there with an unfamiliar young man, who gave her an awkward but warm smile.
“Mum, hi! This is James,” Lucy blurted out, as if afraid the silence would stretch too long. “Thought it was time you met. Is Dad home?” She nudged the boy forward gently. “Come on, James, don’t be shy—my parents are lovely!”
“Hello,” James murmured, stepping inside with a hint of bashfulness.
Emily smiled back, trying to ease the tension.
“Mum, sorry for dropping in unannounced,” Lucy went on, “we’ll just have a quick cuppa, then we’re off to the cinema.”
James stayed polite but reserved—smiling softly, keeping the conversation light, never letting the pauses drag.
“Mum, where’s Dad? Wanted him to meet James too,” Lucy asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Where else would he be? Tinkering in the garage, of course,” Emily replied with a faint smirk. “Says he needs to clean the car seats, vacuum it all out. You know him—won’t set foot in a car wash, insists on doing everything himself.”
Soon, Lucy and James were ready to leave. The lad thanked her for the tea, said his goodbyes politely.
“Such good manners,” Emily thought as she closed the door behind them, though an uneasy feeling tugged at her heart.
Lucy was already in her third year at uni. Grown up. Emily hadn’t even noticed the years slipping by. Her daughter kept asking more questions lately—about life, choices, how to avoid mistakes. Emily did her best to answer, though sometimes she’d just shrug and say,
“Lucy, not everything’s black and white. Sometimes life sets traps just to remind us—everything happens when it’s meant to.”
Fate has its own way with people. Emily, married to David for over twenty years, had always felt like she was standing at a crossroads. She still remembered how her friend Sophie had introduced them.
“Em, this is David—mate of my Tom’s,” Sophie had said, steering her toward a tall, slightly awkward bloke who looked like he’d wandered in by accident. “They work together, and Tom’s been meaning to set him up for ages. Right, you two chat, I’ll leave you to it,” she winked before vanishing into the crowd.
The student party at the local pub was in full swing. Sophie and Tom were already planning their wedding. David, though, seemed out of place—hunched slightly, like he was self-conscious about his height, glancing around like he was searching for an exit.
“David, do you study somewhere?” Emily had ventured.
“Nah, been working as a mechanic for a couple years now,” he’d answered, gaze drifting. “Did my time in the army before that.”
*Odd*, she’d thought. *Finished his service but still so… uncertain. Army lads usually come back tougher*. Her cousin had returned completely changed—solid, decisive.
“Tom and I served together, stayed mates,” David went on. “Got jobs at the same garage after. You and Sophie at uni, then?”
He’d looked her in the eye then, and his smile—simple, almost boyish—made her smile back before she could stop herself. But deep down, she’d already decided: *Not my type*. If anyone had told her he’d be her husband one day, she’d have laughed.
But fate doesn’t take no for an answer. Life would be too predictable if we knew what waited around the corner. David kept asking her out, and every time, Emily would think, *This is the last one. Just a quick drink, then done.* But she never said no. Partly, she pitied him—this kind, clumsy bloke. Partly, there wasn’t anyone else she fancied seriously.
“Em, so how’s it going with David?” Sophie would prod.
“Fine, I suppose,” Emily would shrug. “Don’t even know how it happened.”
They’d been at Sophie and Tom’s wedding, where Emily and David were witnesses. Emily had graduated, started her job. The dates with David kept happening. She’d grown used to him—started noticing how steady he was. Eventually, she brought it up with her mum.
“Mum, you’ve met David,” she’d begun. “He’s talking about marriage now, and I don’t know what to do. He’s kind, looks after me, but… not exactly bookish, couldn’t care less about poetry or—”
“Love, stop overthinking,” her mum had cut in. “Doesn’t read? So what? He’s loyal, looks at you like you hung the moon. You’ll grow into each other. Fancy degrees aren’t everything.”
And then there was David, flushed and fumbling with a ring box, popping the question.
“Emily, I want you to be my wife,” he’d mumbled, staring at the floor. “Will you?”
Emily had studied the ring, silent, before finally smiling and saying,
“Yes. But where’s my bouquet?” She’d slid the ring on while David blinked in panic.
“Blimey, Em, I forgot!” he’d yelped. “I’ll get you flowers, promise—the biggest, prettiest ones!”
Later, Emily would wonder—*How did I end up married to him? He’s so… ordinary*. Maybe it was because her friends were all settling down, and she didn’t want to be left behind. She was pretty but always thought herself too curvy, even if it neBut as the years passed, she realised that ordinary love—steady, quiet, and true—was exactly what she’d needed all along.
