Waiting for Something
Emily sat on the bench in her garden, nibbling on a Bounty bar—her favourite chocolate since she was little. Their house was big, two storeys, built quickly because her dad was a builder. Emily had an older sister, Lucy, who was seventeen. The two were close, and Lucy, being the eldest, always looked out for her, helped her, even stood up for her when needed.
Emily finished the chocolate and sighed deeply. The girl, nearly fifteen, had been struck by an unfamiliar trouble—she’d fallen in love. You’d think, what’s the big deal? Girls fall in love at twelve or thirteen, never mind fifteen…
*”It’d be one thing if I’d fallen for a boy in my class or even for Jake from the year above—the one all the girls fancy, even the older ones, because he’s tall and handsome. But no, I had to go and fall for Dad’s friend, Daniel. Oh, what am I going to do?”* Emily fretted, even envying her classmates who gushed about crushes on boys their own age, not grown men.
Just then, their guests arrived: Uncle Daniel, his wife Sophie, and their daughter Lily, who was two years younger than Emily. Their families had been friends for generations, starting with their grandparents. Emily’s dad and Daniel were close, and their wives got on well too.
Emily knew Aunt Sophie was kind, decent, and loved her husband—but that didn’t make it any easier. She didn’t even understand what was happening to her until one day, Lucy grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the house to the garden shed. It was their mum’s birthday, and both families were celebrating.
*”Emily, what’s going on with you?”* Lucy asked, sounding worried.
*”Nothing, what do you mean?”* Emily put on her best innocent face.
*”Oh, come off it. You’ve got a thing for Daniel, haven’t you?”* Lucy’s eyes widened in horror.
*”So what if I have? Jealous?”* Emily shot back before bursting into tears.
She’d been in love with Uncle Daniel for three months, ever since his birthday party at their summer house. He’d been so happy, laughing and dancing with her mum. But she’d wished it were her. The whole thing made her feel strange, embarrassed.
And now Lucy had figured her out. She was mortified—she’d thought no one knew. At first, Lucy looked cross, but then she suddenly hugged her little sister and said softly, *”Oh, you silly goose. It’s alright. It’ll pass.”*
Emily stopped sulking instantly as Lucy wiped her tears. But then, as luck would have it, their mum came over, looking concerned.
*”Emily, love, what’s wrong?”*
*”Nothing, Mum. She got scared by a wasp—nearly got stung on the face,”* Lucy covered smoothly.
*”Oh, right. Be careful, there’s loads of them about this year,”* their mum said before walking off.
Time passed, but Emily’s crush on Daniel didn’t fade. She did well in school, had friends, got plenty of attention from boys—she was pretty, after all—but she never returned their interest. She went to school dances, let boys buy her drinks, even got valentines. Later, in sixth form, she even went on a few dates. But deep down, she knew—Uncle Daniel was the one her heart belonged to.
By Year 13, she’d grown up a lot. *”I need to get over this stupid crush,”* she told herself. *”It’s just first love, and they say first love is always unhappy.”* But it clung to her. *”It’s like I’m living two lives—one with my family and friends, the other with Daniel in my head. It’s not right. Lucy said it would pass, but it hasn’t.”*
Then came the time to leave school and choose a career. She thought about psychology but remembered she’d always wanted to be a doctor. That won out. She’d done well in her A-levels, so getting into med school was easy.
One day, Lily—Daniel’s daughter, whom Emily had never warmed to—rang her. Emily was in her third year at uni.
*”Hey, Emily,”* Lily said. *”Mum asked me to call—it’s her birthday on Saturday. She wants you and your parents to come to the summer house.”*
*”Thanks, Lily. I’ll be there,”* Emily replied automatically.
Aunt Sophie was the perfect hostess—her cooking was divine. Everyone loved visiting them. Daniel, meanwhile, was the king of the barbecue; his kebabs never burned.
There weren’t many relatives, mostly friends—about ten people, not counting the hosts. After a big meal, Emily stepped outside. It was autumn, and the cool air felt good after the stuffy dining room. She stood by a little table, admiring the well-kept garden. Some flowers lasted late into the season.
*”Here’s your favourite,”* came a voice behind her, making her jump.
Daniel was holding a plate of raspberry cheesecake and a cup of tea.
*”Oh, thanks. Just put it on the table—I’ll drop it otherwise,”* she said, blushing. *”How’d you know I love raspberry?”*
*”Not sure. Just noticed, I suppose,”* he smiled. *”I notice a lot of things.”* Then, not wanting to embarrass her further, he went back inside.
*”What else has he noticed?”* Emily wondered. *”Does he know how I feel? And why won’t this go away?”* She sat on the bench, eating the cheesecake without even tasting it.
Lily joined her. *”Nice, isn’t it? Mum’s a brilliant cook. She sent Dad out to make sure you got some.”*
*”Yeah, lovely,”* Emily mumbled. *”It was stuffy inside. Dad wanted to eat on the veranda, but Mum said no—she’s always cold.”*
The girls chatted away. Lucy couldn’t make it—she was married now, living in another city. Emily hadn’t thought much about marriage, though she’d dated. Boys flirted, took her out, bought her gifts—some even proposed. Once, she got engaged, but she called it off, saying she wasn’t ready. Truth was, she didn’t want any of it. She had friends, went on holidays, weekends away—but none of it moved her. She even worried she was depressed, but digging deep, she found nothing.
In her final year of med school, she learned Aunt Sophie was seriously ill. Her mum broke the news. *”Love, Sophie’s been diagnosed with something awful—late stages. Daniel’s beside himself. Lily’s devastated. I wish I could help.”*
Emily felt a twinge of guilt—like she’d somehow caused it. *”Did my stupid crush do this?”* But then she dismissed it. *”What nonsense. Life’s just unfair.”*
Sophie refused treatment, saying there was no point. Daniel called in a therapist, but she wouldn’t budge. She only worried about Lily, who was writing her dissertation.
A year later, Sophie passed. The funeral was bleak. Life felt cruel. Emily watched Daniel, aged overnight, and Lily, red-eyed. A week later, she still felt off.
*”I’m not right. Headaches, tiredness, a million thoughts. I’m diagnosing patients on autopilot—that’s dangerous. I need rest.”* So on her day off, she slept in.
She woke late afternoon, feeling lighter. Then it hit her—the weight was gone. Even thoughts of Daniel had vanished. Just… quiet. She couldn’t believe it. All the worry, the fear—gone. She was just waiting for something, though she didn’t know what.
Life settled. She treated patients, made new friends, old ones drifted.
Three years flew by. Emily was a cardiologist now, always busy. She understood women who couldn’t cope with heartbreak—they came to her complaining of chest pain. Men rarely did.
On her twenty-eighth birthday, colleagues and patients wished her well. *”Twenty-eight and still single,”* she mused. *”Mum and Dad want grandkids—where am I supposed to get them?”* She was relieved when her last appointment arrived.
A knock—polite, she noted. In walked Daniel, holding flowers.
*”Robert?”* she asked, glancing at her list.
*”Daniel,”* he corrected, smiling. *”Hi, Emily. And drop the ‘uncle’, yeah?”*
She stood. He gave the nurse a look, and she left. Emily stepped back, but he took her hand and kissed it.
*”We need to talk. Oh, and happy birthday,”* he said, handing her the bouquet.
They sat in a café. He did most of the talking. Eventually, he glanced out the window.
*”I want to ask your parents for your hand,”* he said seriously.
*”I… need to think,”* she
