Is your wife really the person you believe she is?
Andrew, I didn’t want to tell you this on your wedding day… but, do you know that your newlywed wife has a daughter? My colleague at work had me pinned to the drivers seat with his words.
What do you mean? I refused to believe such news.
My wife spotted your Rebecca at your wedding and whispered in my ear: “I wonder if the groom knows his bride has a daughter in a childrens home?” Imagine that, Andrew! I almost choked on my salad. My wife says she herself documented the surrender of the newborn. My Daisy shes a doctor at the maternity hospital she remembered your Rebecca because of a birthmark on her neck. She also recalls that Rebecca named her daughter Emily and gave her her own surname, Smithson, I believe. This was about five years ago, my colleague watched me, waiting for my reaction.
I sat there, stunned behind the wheel. What a thing to find out!
I decided to get to the bottom of it myself. I didnt want to believe such rumours. Of course, I wasn’t ignorant Rebecca wasnt a naive eighteen-year-old, she was thirty-two when we met, and surely had her own life before. Still, why would someone give up their own child? How could you live with that?
Thanks to some contacts, I quickly found the childrens home where Emily Smithson was registered.
The manager introduced me to a lively little girl with a radiant smile:
Meet Emily Smithson, he said to her, how old are you, love? Tell this gentleman.
You couldnt help but notice her pronounced squint. My heart went out to her at once. I already felt protective of her, as if she were my own. After all, this was my beloved wifes daughter! My nan always said: “A child may be flawed, but is always a miracle to their parents.
Emily walked over confidently:
Im four. Are you my daddy?
I was taken aback. What could I say to a child who saw a father in every man she met?
Emily, lets have a chat. Would you like to have a mum and dad? A silly question, really, but I couldnt help wanting to scoop her up in my arms and take her home straight away.
Yes! Will you take me? Emily looked up at me, her eyes searching mine.
I will, but not just yet. Can you wait for me, sweetheart? I felt close to tears.
Ill wait. You wont lie, will you? Emily grew serious.
I wont lie, I kissed her on the cheek.
I went home and told my wife everything.
Rebecca, I dont care what happened before me, but Emily needs to come home right away. I want to adopt her officially.
Did you ask me? Do I even want this child? And shes cross-eyed as well! Rebecca raised her voice.
Shes your own daughter! Ill get her eyes seen to. It can be fixed. Emily is a little miracle! Youll fall in love with her at once honestly, Rebeccas reaction baffled me.
In the end, it took some persuading nearly forcing her, really but I got Rebecca to agree to adopt Emily.
We had to wait a year before Emily could come home. I visited her regularly at the childrens home. In that time, Emily and I became close friends. Rebecca, meanwhile, seemed less and less interested in having a child, even wanting to stop the adoption halfway. I convinced her to see it through to the end.
Eventually, the day arrived when Emily stepped over our doorstep for the first time. She was fascinated, delighted by all the things we take for granted. Not long after, specialists corrected her eyesight. The procedures took a year and a half. I was relieved she didnt need an operation.
As she grew, Emily became the very image of her mother Rebecca. I was happy. My home was now shared by two beauties my wife and my daughter.
For almost a year after leaving the home, Emily seemed unable to satisfy her hunger. Shed always walk around with a packet of biscuits, even sleeping with it. I could never prise it from her hand. The child, inevitably, knew hunger. Rebecca found it irritating; I found it heartbreaking.
I tried constantly to bring our family together, but sadly… My wife was never able to love her own daughter. Rebecca only truly cared for herself, attached stubbornly to her own ego.
Tensions and conflicts grew between us, always because of Emily.
Why did you bring this wild child into our home? Shell never be normal! my wife snapped one day.
I loved Rebecca dearly I couldnt imagine my life without her. Yet my mother once said,
Son, its your life, but we saw Rebecca with another man once. Youll never find happiness with her. Shes clever, sly, never truly sincere. Shell deceive you without a second thought.
But when youre in love, you dont see faults. Your happiness seems to outshine the stars. Rebecca was everything to me. Only after Emily arrived did I begin to notice the cracks.
And perhaps, Emily opened my eyes to the reality of our home. Rebeccas refusal to care for the child was shocking.
Part of me tried to fall a little out of love with Rebecca, to cool towards her, but I just couldnt manage it. Then, a friend offered me a strange piece of advice:
Listen, mate, if you want to view a woman differently, size her up with a tailors tape. Old saying.
Youre joking? I replied, bemused.
Measure her bust, waist, hips. Like that, youll get over her.
It seemed absurd, yet I decided to try the experiment nothing to lose.
Rebecca, come here, let me measure you I called.
Rebecca was surprised.
Should I expect a new dress?
Yes I replied, measuring her bust, waist, and hips quite ceremoniously.
The experiment was over. It didnt change a thing I still loved Rebecca. We laughed about my mates wisdom.
Soon after, Emily fell ill with a cold and fever. She whimpered pitifully, tissues constantly in hand, following Rebecca everywhere with her doll Molly. I was glad she now carried Molly, not her biscuit packet.
Emily adored dressing up her doll, but now Molly was naked a sign Emily was too ill to manage. Rebecca suddenly snapped at her:
How much longer will you whine? Cant I have a moments peace? Go to bed!
Emily hugged her doll, still crying. All at once, Rebecca snatched Molly from Emily, ran to the window, threw it open and, with a flourish, tossed the doll outside.
Mummy, that’s my dearest Molly! Shell freeze out there! Please, can I run and fetch her? Emily sobbed, dashing for the door.
Without hesitating, I rushed downstairs after the thrown doll. Of course, the lift was out of order. I tore down eight flights. Molly was dangling headfirst from a tree branch I grabbed her, brushed off the snow. Melting snowflakes on her rubber face looked like tears. On my way back up I thought I might burst into tears myself.
Rebeccas actions bordered on the inexplicable. I went to Emilys room. She was kneeling by her little bed, head on the pillow, sleeping, sniffling and shivering. Gently, I laid Molly next to her.
Rebecca sat in the living room, reading a magazine, completely unconcerned about Emily. That was the moment my love for my wife finally dried up, evaporated. I realised Rebecca was like a pretty sweet wrapper lovely, but empty inside.
I think she knew it too.
We separated. Emily stayed with me, and Rebecca didnt resist.
Later, when I ran into my ex, she grinned and said:
You, Andrew, were just a springboard.
Rebecca, you had sparkling eyes but a heart as black as night I finally voiced what I felt.
Rebecca soon remarried, choosing a wealthy businessman.
Poor bloke, my mum said, a woman like that should never be a mother.
At first, Emily was heartbroken about her mum; she just wanted a touch, a hug.
But then my new wife, Alice, won Emilys heart and helped her to heal. It seemed to Emily as if her own mother had left her for the second time. I could never comprehend it.
Alice cared for Emily and our son Simon with remarkable patience and boundless love.
