You brought her to us yourselfKeith, youre a real find! A bloke who can tinker with a motor and whip up a decent roast? Thats extraordinary. Alice, youve hit the jackpot with that husband, Ill tell you that.
Victoria slumped back in her chair, flashing a grin as bright as a freshpainted kitchen wall. Alice caught the look her friend was throwing at her husband and felt something shift just under her ribs. She quickly dismissed it: Nonsense, Im just the new girl in town trying to fit in.
Victoria had moved into their lives a month earlier. The new friend seemed sweet, a little lost in a city that wasnt her own. How could anyone resist lending a hand?
Dont flatter him too much, Alice said, smiling at Keith. Keith only learned to make a proper shepherds pie after seven years of marriage.
Still, what a pie! Victoria leaned forward, touching Keiths elbow. Id have married a chef like that in a heartbeat.
Keith grunted, puffing his chest out in pleased spite. Alice noticed his ears turning a shade pinkersure sign the compliment landed.
Just trying, he replied.
…Victorias first visit stretched well into the evening. She admired the flats renovation, the kids photographs on the mantel, Keiths collection of vinyl records. With every subject she found a reason to ask him: Keith, where did you get that? Keith, youve got such taste! Keith, tell us more about that.
Alice kept the tea flowing, watching closely. Victoria sat a shade too close to her husband, laughed a touch too loudly at his dry jokes, reached for his hand whenever she spoke.
Mum, whos that aunt?
Sam, their twelveyearold son, peeked into the kitchen while Alice was washing dishes after the guest had left.
Just a mate. New one.
Bit odd. He was staring at dad the whole time.
Alice froze, plate in hand. If even Sam noticed
Just your imagination, she told him.
She told herself the same thing for weeks afterwards. It was her imagination. She was exaggerating. Victoria was simply outgoing.
The friend kept reappearing. One time she dashed in for a recipe, another she turned up with tickets to an exhibition that had mysteriously become available, sometimes she just passed by. Each time Keith was home, and each time Victoria seemed to blossom in his presence.
Youre something special, Keith, not like any other, she said, perched at the kitchen table. Alice, where did you dig him up? Men like that dont just appear on a rainy Tuesday.
We met on the Tube, Alice answered matteroffactly. Fifteen years ago. On the escalator.
Romance!
Victoria clapped her hands, Keith smiled, and Alice forced a smile of her own.
After one visit Keith lingered in the hallway, seeing the guest out. Alice heard their muffled chuckles behind the door.
What took you so long? she asked when Keith returned.
She was telling a joke. A funny one.
Right.
Alice let the topic drop. She didnt want to look like a jealous drama queen
…Everything changed two weeks later. Keiths phone lay on the nightstand, screen up, while he was in the shower. Alice wasnt planning to look, but as she passed the glowing screen a message blinked in.
I miss you. Youre a proper charmer and a brilliant conversationalist. from Victoria.
Alice perched on the edge of the bed. Her hand drifted to the phone. She knew the passwordnothing was ever secret between them.
Their texting had been going on for weeks. Victoria complained about loneliness, about how hard it was in a new city, about how lucky she felt to have met someone as understanding as Keith.
And Keith replied. He encouraged her, called her wonderful, promised shed find happiness. He sent a parade of emojis.
Alice set the phone down. From the bathroom came the splash of water and a forced whistlingKeith was in a good mood.
Keith.
He emerged from the shower, towel wrapped around his shoulders, and froze when he saw Alices face.
Whats wrong?
I saw your messages with Victoria.
A pauseshort, but enough.
Oh, that nothing special, love.
Nothing special?
Shes just sociable. A lonely girl in a strange city. You yourself invited her over.
Alice stared at him, trying to find even a hint of guilt. Keith looked genuinely surprised.
Youre jealous? Seriously? Weve been together twelve years, we have two kids, and youre jealous of your own friend because of a few emojis?
Shes flirting with you.
She talks to everyone like that. Youre blowing this out of proportion.
Alice wanted to argue. She wanted to say that normal friends dont write to other men at night, dont call them charmer, dont say they miss you. But Keith was already slipping into his bedroom in a Tshirt.
Victoria didnt back off. On the contraryshe showed up more often. She found excuses to help: watching the kids while Alice was at work, cooking dinner when Alice ran late. Molly, their eightyearold daughter, gushed about Aunt Vicky who made the best pancakes and let them stay up watching cartoons.
I was just trying to help, Victoria said with an innocent look. Its hard for you to manage alone.
I have a husband.
Of course, of course. Keith is a brilliant dad. Youre lucky to have each other.
Something in those words sounded hollow, a little offkilter. Alice couldnt pinpoint it, but the feeling lingered.
Keith now clung to his phone. He took it to the loo, tucked it under his pillow at night, answered every buzz. At dinner he spoke less, eyes glued to the screen, a smile tugging at his lips whenever a notification popped up.
Dad, are you listening to me?
Sam asked three times before Keith finally tore his eyes away.
What? Oh, yeah, son. Whats up?
I was talking about the swimming competition. Will you come?
Absolutely. When is it?
Saturday. Ive told you three times already.
Keith ruffled Sams head apologetically and went back to his phone. Alice silently cleared the plates. Sam glared at his father, feeling slighted. Molly poked at her meatball, bewildered by the sudden quiet.
Meanwhile Victorias flirtation grew bolder. She no longer hid behind polite compliments. She brushed Keiths collar, brushed an imagined dust speck from his shoulder, grabbed his hand when she laughed, stared into his eyes a little too long, licked her lips as she looked at him.
Alice watched the little theatre from the corner of her kitchen, as if she were a spectator to a play where she didnt exist. Victoria behaved as though Alice were an unwanted prop, a temporary nuisance that could be ignored.
Keith, could you show me that photoediting program on the computer? You promised.
Now?
Whats the holdup?
They disappeared into Keiths study, closing the door behind them.
That day Alice decided to surprise her husband. She made his favourite lunchstuffed peppers he could never say no to, a shrimp saladpacked everything in a container and drove to his office.
The office was quiet. Lunch break, most staff had drifted to cafés. The receptionist gave Alice a nodshe was known here.
Keith Anderson is in his office. Hes
Alice didnt catch the rest. She walked down the corridor to his office. The door was ajar.
She pushed it open and froze on the threshold.
Keith sat at the edge of his desk. Victoria was perched between his knees, arms wrapped around his neck. They were kissingdeep, hungry, the sort of kiss you reserve for people whove been together a while.
The food container slipped from Alices hand and crashed to the floor. Both startled. Victoria looked more annoyed than embarrassed. Keiths face turned pale.
Alice its not what you think.
Not what?
Alice heard her own laughdry, cracked.
Alice
Come on, Keith. Explain. Tell me how she accidentally ended up on your chest.
Victoria adjusted her blouse deliberately and gathered her handbag from the chair.
I suppose Ill be off.
Wait.
Alice stepped in front of her. Victoria stared back, unrepentant, unapologetic.
You knew he was married. You came into my home, ate at my table, played with my children.
Adults are responsible for their own actions.
Victoria shrugged and walked past Alice, her heels clicking. At the door she turned:
Give me a ring when youre free, Keith.
Alice faced her husband. Twelve yearstwelve bloody years of building this family. Sleepless nights with newborns, his promotions celebrated together, a threeyear renovation, holidays by the sea where Molly learned to swim solo, Christmas trees, birthdays, childrens illnessesall reduced to a shrug.
Keith, Im sorry. I know. We can fix this.
We can?
I she dizzydizzied me. But I love you, love the kids
When you get home, your things will be packed. You can collect them and go to your Victoria.
Alice turned and left. She didnt crythere were no tears left to shed. Everything inside turned to ice.
At home she worked methodically. A suitcase from the storage cupboard. Shirts from the wardrobe. Socks, underwear, tiesall in one heap. Razor, toothbrush, deodorant. Twelve years condensed into one suitcase and three bags.
When the kids returned from school, their fathers belongings lay by the door.
Mum, wheres Dad? Molly peeked into the bedroom.
Dad will be living elsewhere.
Sam said nothing. He looked at his mother, at the empty mens closet, and retreated to his room.
That evening Alice called her mother.
Mum
She wanted to speak calmly, but the words broke on the first syllable and tears finally bursthot, angry, helpless.
Sweetheart, Im on my way. Wait for me.
Eleanor arrived an hour later, hugged her daughter, made tea, and settled her at the kitchen table.
Tell me everything.
Alice recounted the whole sagaVictoria, the messages, the confrontation. Her mother listened in silence, not interrupting.
You did the right thing, she said when Alice fell silent.
The right thing?
Absolutely. Betrayal isnt something you forgive. You can forgive a mistake, a weakness, a foolishnessbut not this.
Alice rested her head on her mothers shoulder.
The divorce dragged on for half a year. Papers, court dates, splitting up the house. Keith tried to come backshowed up, called, texted.
Alice never opened the door.
The children stayed with her. Sam visited his dad reluctantly, every other week, because it had to be done. Molly missed him but quickly found distraction in dance and drawing.
Two years flew by faster than expected. Alice returned to work, enrolled in night classes, shed six kilos just by stopping stresseating. Life gradually fell back into place.
David entered the picture by accident at a parentteacher meeting for Samturns out his nephew was in Sams class. They chatted while waiting for teachers, then met again at the school café, and David later called to ask how she was doing.
Youve got me, he said on their third date. Im not great with flowery words, but thats the truth.
Alice laughed; David was the polar opposite of Keithsteady, reliable, the kind who says little but does a lot.
The kids didnt warm to him immediately. Sam watched him like a hawk, Molly was wary of her mums new partner. But David never rushed, never pressured. He helped with homework, taught Sam to fix a bike, drove Molly to her dance competitions.
A year later they married. Quietly, no big banquetjust close family, those who truly celebrated their happiness.
Darling, did you hear?
Eleanor called on a Saturday morning. David was frying pancakes, the children were racing around the flat.
Whats up?
I ran into Tanya Morris yesterday. Remember her?
Of course.
So, she told me about your ex. Keith and Victoria split ages ago. He dumped her six months after your divorce.
Alice slipped into the bedroom and shut the door.
He left?
Yes. Found someone younger.
Right.
Thats what I saypeople dont change. A dog stays a dog. She got what she deserved. As they say, you reap what you sow
Alice hung up and sat on the bed. Shed expected some schadenfreude, some sweet revenge. Nothing of the sort. Just a light relief and the thought, Good, its no longer my problem.
Alice, the pancakes are ready!
David popped his head in, holding a plate of steaming pancakes.
Im coming.
She rose, took his hand.
Everything alright?
No. All good.
Keith was now a chapter in the past. Victoria got what she earnedloneliness and broken hopes. And here, in this kitchen, the smell of pancakes filled the air, Molly argued with Sam over the last banana, and David looked at Alice with a love that made her want to smile.
Life went on. And this new life was, frankly, rather nice.
