The key turned in the lock, and Emily, careful not to make a sound, slipped into the flat. The hallway was dark, save for a sliver of light creeping from under the kitchen door. Her parents were still awake, though it was well past midnight. Lately, this had become the normtheir hushed late-night conversations behind closed doors. Usually quiet, but sometimes rising to muffled arguments.
Emily kicked off her heels, set her laptop bag on the hallway table, and tiptoed to her room. She wasnt in the mood to explain why she was late, even though she had a good reasonwork deadlines had kept her at the office far longer than usual.
Through the wall, she heard their muffled voices.
“No, James, I cant keep doing this,” Mum said, her tone low but strained. “You promised last month.”
“Claire, love, nows not the time,” Dad replied, sounding defensive.
Emily sighed. Lately, her parents had been arguing about something, but whenever she was around, they pretended everything was fine. They were in their fifties, and she was long grown up, but it still hurt to think something might be wrong between them.
She washed up, changed into her pyjamas, and climbed into bed, but sleep wouldnt come. Her thoughts kept circling back to the same worries. Her brother, Oliver, lived in Manchester and rarely visited. If her parents divorced, who would stay with whom? What would happen to the flat? And why were they keeping secrets?
The voices next door didnt stop. Emily reached for her nightstand, fumbling for her earphonesanything to drown out their private conversation. Her hand hit her phone, and it clattered to the carpet. As she picked it up, the recorder app accidentally opened. Her finger hovered over the screen.
What if she recorded them? Just to know what was really going on. If she asked outright, theyd brush her off with another “everythings fine.”
Guilt prickled at her. Eavesdropping was wrong, let alone recording someone. But then again, these were her parents, her family. Didnt she have a right to know if something serious was happening?
Making up her mind, she pressed record, placed the phone closer to the wall, and pulled the duvet over her head.
The next morning, as she got ready for work, she noticed how tired both her parents looked. Breakfast was a quiet affair, just polite small talk.
“You were late last night,” Mum remarked, pouring tea. “Working again?”
“Yeah, project deadline,” Emily nodded. “Why were you two still up?”
“Oh, just watching a film,” Mum said dismissively, not meeting her eyes.
Dad buried himself in the newspaper, pretending to be engrossed.
“Dont wait for me at dinner tonight,” he said without looking up. “Client meeting. Might run late.”
Mum pressed her lips together but said nothing.
All the way to the office, Emily fought the urge to listen to the recording. The Tube was too crowded, and it felt wrong. Shed wait until evening.
The day dragged. Finally back home, she found a noteMum had gone to a friends and wouldnt be back till late. Dad was still at work, just as hed said. The perfect moment.
Curled up on the sofa with a blanket, she hit play.
At first, only fragments of conversation came through, then the voices grew clearer.
“…should we tell Emily?” Dad sounded uneasy.
“I dont know,” Mum sighed. “What if she doesnt understand? After all this time.”
“But she deserves to know.”
“Of course she does. But how do we explain why we kept it from her for so long?”
Emily froze. What were they talking about? What truth had they hidden?
“Remember how it started?” Dad asked, and she could almost hear him smiling.
“Like it was yesterday,” Mum chuckled. “I thought itd be temporary. Turns out, its for life.”
“What a life its been,” Dad said with a grunt. “Not always easy, though.”
“Especially when Emily came along.”
Her heart clenched. What did that mean? Had she been unwanted? Or was it something else?
“But we managed,” Dad went on. “And she turned out brilliant.”
“She did,” Mums voice swelled with pride, and Emily relaxed slightly. “But now we need to decide whats next. Im tired of this double life, James.”
Double life? Emilys stomach dropped. Was one of them having an affair? Or were they both keeping secrets? The thought made her sick.
“Claire, lets just wait for Oliver. Well talk as a family.”
“Fine,” Mum agreed. “But no more delays after this. Either we make the change, or… I dont know what.”
The recording cut offperhaps theyd left the kitchen or the phone stopped.
Emily sat stunned. What was happening to her family? What double life? Why did they need Oliver here to explain?
A thousand questions, no answers. Record them again? That would be too much. She should talk to Oliver. He was oldermaybe he knew something. Or Aunt Lydia, Mums sistershed always been honest with Emily.
Decision made: tomorrow, shed call Oliver. This weekend, shed visit Aunt Lydia.
Oliver didnt answer all day, finally calling back in the evening.
“Em, hi! Sorry, was on-site, left my phone in the van,” he said, sounding cheerful as ever.
“Ollie, when are you coming down?” she asked bluntly.
“This weekend, why?”
“Parents are acting weird. Whispering at night, pretending everythings normal. Mum said something about a double life.”
A pause.
“Ollie?”
“Yeah, sorry. Look, dont overthink it. People have secrets, even parents.”
“So you know whats going on?”
“I… have an idea,” he hesitated. “But if theyre not telling you, theyre not ready. Wait for me, yeah? Well talk Saturday.”
“Fine,” she muttered. “Should I go see Aunt Lydia?”
“Dont,” he said too quickly. “Keep her out of it. Lets keep this between us.”
After hanging up, her unease only grew. So he did know something. And he wanted Aunt Lydia kept in the dark. Was it an affair? Some family scandal they didnt want spreading?
That evening, Mum returned from her friends in high spirits, cheeks flushed.
“Youll never guessSarahs selling her flat!” she announced. “Moving to the countryside. Says shes had enough of the city.”
Emily nodded, unsure how to respond.
“Would you want to live in the countryside?” she asked suddenly.
Mum froze, then answered carefully,
“I dont know… sometimes, yes. The peace, fresh air, a garden.”
“And Dad?”
“What about him?”
“Would he want to?”
“Ask him yourself,” Mum said, suddenly serious. “Hell be late tonight. Dont wait up.”
Luckily, Dad came home earlier than expected. Emily was making tea when she heard the front door.
“Dad, want some?” she called.
“Please,” he replied, appearing moments later, loosening his tie. “Wheres your mum?”
“Upstairs, watching a film.” She fetched another cup. “How was work?”
“Fine,” he sank into a chair. “Client agreed to our terms, so the projects a go.”
“Great.” She set his tea down. “So… you and Mum have something to tell me?”
He stiffened. “Whered you get that idea?”
“Ollie let it slip,” she lied, avoiding his gaze. “Said youd explain when hes here this weekend.”
James rubbed his forehead.
“Yeah, theres a conversation. But lets wait for Oliver, alright? Its better that way.”
“Is it bad?” she pressed. “Are you two splitting up?”
“What? No!” He looked genuinely shocked. “Why would you think that?”
“Youre always whispering, arguing. Mum mentioned a double life.”
His expression shiftedconfusion, then realisation, then relief.
“Em, youve got it all wrong,” he sighed. “No ones splitting up. Quite the opposite…” He trailed off. “Just wait till the weekend, yeah? Promise, its nothing bad.”
“Swear?”
“Cross my heart. Now, lets have that tea before its cold.”
That night, sleep wouldnt come. She tossed, piecing together fragments of conversations, tones, half-truths. If not divorce, what? An illness? Money trouble? Moving? The last thought unsettled her. Shed just started building a career, made friendsshe loved London.
Still, something didnt add up. Why had Dad said “the opposite”? The opposite of divorce was… marriage? But theyd been married thirty years. Renewing vows? A second honeymoon?
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
“Still up?” Mum peered in.
