Emma, how could you do that? James loved you, hed been making plans, youd even started living together.
And you justover a joketear it all apart, leaving him with no chance at all.
Mrs. Clarke, I already gave him a chance. You heard what he said to me then, didnt you? He was speaking right in front of you
A sharp series of beeps cut through the silence.
The line is unavailable or out of service, a detached female voice announced. Emma pressed the hangup button, steadied her shaking hand, and dialed another number.
Calling an elderly neighbour at three in the morning wasnt ideal, but when a man who never stayed out late or vanished without a word wasnt home at that hour, something was terribly wrong.
If something had happened, only family could intervene and Emma wasnt even considered family yet.
She and James had only moved in together a month ago, never registered the relationship, and she had no authority to call any official services. What could she possibly be told? That she wasnt his wife, therefore she could do nothing. Only if his mother started digging would the situation change.
The phone rang. Emma barely managed to say Hello? before Jamess voice crackled through the speaker.
Hed been asking his mother something, shed been distracted for a heartbeat, then she turned back to the young woman on the line.
Whos this?
Mrs. Clarke? Its Emma, Jamess girlfriend. Is he home? Could you put him on?
Its James, love, a sudden burst of noise, then a calm voice replied a few seconds later. Im listening. Whos calling?
Its me. James, whats happening? You could have at least told me you were staying over with your mum, or not turned your phone off.
Im fine, Emma. I just Ive had enough. Im moving to Manchester, dont call me again. Ive taken my things, sort out the flat yourself.
The line went dead. Emma sat on the edge of the bed, mouth open, her ear still pressed to the handset, trying to absorb the blow.
Shed been dumped, plain and simple. It didnt feel strange, nor particularly painful. After all, theyd only been together a month; shed halfexpected a line like, Were not right for each other, sorry. She could even have said it herself. After a month, you discover a partner hides dirty socks under the pillow, or has a bizarre fascination with garden snakes, or whatever else.
Emmas previous breakups had always ended with a conversation, a clear line drawn, a mutual understanding that both could move on. This this was the first time shed been abandoned over the phone, on a strangers line, with no warning.
For the next three weeks she clung to her best friend, Katie, who tried desperately to piece together hypotheses.
Maybe he was scared youd expose him, or start a fight? Katie suggested.
Who? Me? Emma asked, bewildered.
At fortyfive pounds, Emmas halfsize nickname meant she could barely spar with anyone, let alone men twice her weight and thirty centimetres taller.
Even if that were true he could have arranged a meeting in a public place, or at least answered his own phone. Or sent a text. We both have three messaging apps each.
No, ending things by text isnt manly, Katie sniffed.
So it was manly, then? No explanation, no proper goodbye, just this?
Emma could only mutter a handful of curses. She didnt even know what shed done wrong.
Whatever you think you did, youre no match for Mother Nature, Katie grinned, then, with genuine concern, added, Just forget him. He was only a month, you were together for a month before that. Its nothing.
Right, it was rubbish. He even cleared his own stuff out of the flat.
It wasnt yours, it was a rented place.
But you liked it, didnt you? You bragged when you first moved in.
If I hadnt been stuck in that cramped council flat, Id have moved somewhere nicer even if I paid the rent myself. Katies tone softened. Honestly, without a solid reasonIm moving in with my boyfriend, its inconvenient living in the cityId never have left. And I wouldnt have left that flat either, psychologically.
You see, something good can come out of a bad relationship. Well find you a proper boyfriend, dont worry. Our time is coming!
Katie kept her word. A week later Emma went on a date with the brother of a friend, a decent enough match for casual company if not for longterm plans. She returned, armful of flowers, when James suddenly barreled out of the apartment block, shouting from behind the postboxes.
Boo! Scared you, didnt you?
Emma stared, stunned. What are you doing here?
I dont get it By the way, whats that bouquet for?
The new guy gave them. You dumped me, I think Ive got a dissociative episode, and you told my mum on the phone, didnt you?
Emma, are you serious? I was only joking! I needed to spend a few weeks with my family.
Couldnt you have left a note, sent a message? You didnt realise that if you tell someone youre leaving, theyll stop hoping?
If I had just vanished, you would have been calling me for weeks. I wanted peace and quiet.
My mum told me how she ran away at thirteen and lived with her grandmother. Thats the story youre copying? Emma snapped, feeling the absurdity of his teenagelike behaviour at twentysomething.
She sent James on his way, far off to a remote Welsh village, and that very evening his mother, Mrs. Clarke, stormed into Emmas flat.
Emma, how could you? James loved you, he was planning a future, youve ruined it over a joke, leaving him no chance.
Mrs. Clarke, I already gave him a chance. You heard what he said to me, didnt you? He was talking right in front of you
Sure, he said something. A joke gone wrong. He has quirks, but they dont make him secondclass, do they?
Im not sorting people like that, Im living my life. I wont have someone who creates chaos.
I get it, you think hes a good lad, but most women I knowmyself includedwont put up with that.
A loving woman accepts a partner as he is, flaws and all.
Good luck to James, then.
Emma, he does love you. Think of his feelings.
Emma finally saw why James was so dependent. His mothers constant coddling had taught him he was the centre of the universe, everyone else merely background. Life, however, would teach him otherwise, perhaps one day.
Emma never intended to shoulder his problems, and she made that clear to his mother with a string of profanity, sending James to chase his son in that Welsh hamlet.
Whether his mother ever caught up with him is unknown, but the fact that they never returned to Emmas doorstep suggests the route was right.
Five years later, now married to Stuart, Emma heard from mutual friends that James still lived with his mother, still hadnt found a suitable partner, and always blamed everyone but himself.
So he never learned. Perhaps thats for the bestsome people are better off not starting families or reproducing at all.
