The man I loved, came to me unexpectedly. He wore his heart on his sleeve from the very first day that I met him. I remember it well, it was at the doctors surgery, the one place you daren‘t look at the person next to you for fear of what you might catch! I ignored his stare as I moved across the room to reach the last empty seat, the seat that just so happened to be next to him. I turned my head away, focusing my attention to the posters cast along the wall and when he spoke, I could hear the smile in his voice but I still didn’t look at him.

He made such an effort that in the end I couldn’t help but look andthat’s when I noticed just how charming hewas with his dark hair and blue eyes. The trouble then was thatI couldn’t look away! I hadn’t intended it to happen as it did, I never would have planned such a thing!

I wasn’t sure forwhat reason he wasat the doctors for but he managed convinced me, “It’s only a cold!” Of course, when I came down with the flu I knew better of it. After a delayed few weeks in recovery I met him along the green in the park. He was a gentle man. His hand felt so lovely in mine, such smooth and silky skin! Oh, how I loved him!

Harry’s voice came thick and fast, interrupting my train of thought. But that tone didn’t strike a cord with me anymore, not like it used to. His face looked bitter, he frowned with disapproval and I had to turnto hide my smirk, the man looked like a caricature of him self when he got angry like that!

Harry expected things to happen like magic, the dinner, the washing, the kids! “The dinner,” I told him “is going to be late because our son Jacob, turned the gas off again!” I looked back at him, now able to control myself and watched him turn his head toward the open door of the kitchen.

“Jacob?” he called for him with that same tone that he’d used on me. I casually lent against the kitchen side, whipping my hands on my piny.

Jacob entered the kitchen in his little grey school shorts and white shirt, adorable I thought though you couldn’t see his shoes! Jacob, was also into mud and creepy crawlies. He’d been playing alone in the back garden and his hands and legs were masked with dirt!

“What did I tell you yesterday that you’ve seemed to have forgotten?”

Jacob didn’t answer, only shook his head and waited it out.

“Do you need me to remind you again about touching the over?”

I watched Harry - this changed man that I once loved, the man threatening our child and I knew in my heart it was time. Letting him continue I quietly moved to the oven to check the leg of lamb. It was perfectly cooked, as I’d expected. I cut the meat as fast as I could without making any noise and laid it out on the dinner plate with the vegetables and trickled the gravy over the meat, just as he liked it.

I turned and saw him point his finer at Jacob. I placed the plate down on the table in front of him and moved away before he could catch my eye.

“What’s that?” he gestured at the dinner “Can‘t you see I‘m busy with the kid?”

I smiled softly and then looked at Jacob, “Run along now and let your father eat” I told him.

Harry turned in his seat and lent back looking at me with a turned up lip, he was angry with me for doing that. He waited for me to react but got nothing, instead I turned back to the lamb and continued to cut it until it was done. When I heard his knife scrapped into the plate, I knew I’d managed to fool him, just enough for me to excuse myself from the kitchen.

“Come on now,” I whispered hastily “quickly, I will meet you at the front door.” I watched him nod and shuffle the heavy case, the bottom corner dragging along the floor.

I went to the main bedroom and pulled my case from under the bed. Harry wouldn’t notice such a thing like that, he only ever used the room to sleep in, which was never a problem as far as I was concerned! He was always ignorant to my needs, he usually spent his free time in the garage, working on car engine parts. He was lazy otherwise, and never paid any attention to me.

I stood and lifted the suitcase off of the floor and began to carry it out. I turned at the door and a moment of sadness washed over me. Not for him, but the familiarity of my home. With a sigh, I walked on toward the front of the house, edging past the door to the kitchen that still stood open. I caught a glimpse of him andI knewit was to late to turn back now, and with the last few steps I began to run!

“At your service, beautiful!” he said peering out of the car window and winking at me.

“Did it work?” he asked me bravely.

“Good, let’s get out of here before anyone see‘s us!”