Listen, love, Ive got to tell you whats been happening with Kate and Sam. One night Kate snapped, Go back to your folks, youre useless anyway! Sam, fed up, shouted back, Fine, Ive wanted out for ages. I dont need you either, and started stuffing his stuff into bags. He was a right mess, stumbling all over the flat, asking Kate for help every few minutes because he couldt remember where anything was. In a fit of fury Kate swore, grabbed all his belongings, shoved them into a huge duffel, and tossed it out the door. She stood in the hallway, arms crossed, watching Sam wrestle with his sneakers and jacket, his hat slipping off three times as he tried to get it on properly.
She stared at the ceiling, thinking, Hes still a child at heart, so small and helpless. How did I ever agree to marry him? Maybe it was that vulnerable, kidlike charm my motherly instincts, you know?
Kates mum, Olivia, couldnt stand Sam either. After shed met him over tea, she told her best friend, I cant believe my daughter brought home a grownup baby as a husband. Hes a wannabe scientist who cant even manage his own life. Her friend laughed, Opposites attract, they say. Olivia snapped back, Dont be silly. Kates as stubborn as a mule. That trait helped her succeed at work, but it also means she wont listen to anyone, not even her late father. The friend doubted, When was she still listening? Shes 28 now, not a schoolgirl.
Four months later Olivia was chatting over lunch with her friend, Svetlana, whod just returned from a long business trip. They actually got married, Olivia said, pulling a takeaway meal from the fridge. I warned you, you cant change Kates mind. Shes already told Sam, I love you, leave me alone.
They both ate in silence, each lost in thought. Finally Svetlana asked, Where do they live now? Olivia replied, In the flat we bought for Kate. Its a tidy twobedroom place we renovated ourselves. My husband, Greg, always said a woman should have her own space in case of a divorce. So we offered Kate a roof over her head. When Sam moved in, Kate started cooking, washing, ironing even ironing his shirts. His bellys growing fast, and Kate keeps saying he needs a gym, but the fitness club costs a fortune and their budget is tight.
What Kate didnt realise was that Sam, whod never dealt with a household budget before, suddenly had to hand over his salary to a family account. Hed spent his whole life under his parents roof, the Vassals, whod treated him like a miracle child after a long, hard pregnancy. His mum Vera quit her job after his birth and spent a decade raising him. Sam was smart but slow to learn, and once he got something, it stuck with him like cement. His maths teacher once called him a future genius the highest praise Vera ever heard.
Vera never involved Sam in the daytoday chores. Study, Sam, well sort the rest, shed say while ironing his crisp white shirts, the kind with a tie and a blazer a look that made him look like a politician because his dad, Greg, was a towering twometre man. When Sam graduated, his dad used old contacts to land him a comfortable research post with a decent salary and a slowpaced environment.
Before the wedding, Vera handled all the bills and shopping. Sam hated it endless aisles of clothes hed never wear. I already have two shirts, why do I need another sweater? hed protest. Vera would smile, Your shirts are worn out, you need this. After the wedding, Kate took over the household finances, figuring Sam couldnt even read a utility bill. When Kate asked Sam to pick up groceries, hed come back with frozen octopuses, a massive cod, and a packet of dumplings. How long am I supposed to defrost this? she joked, holding the fish like a hockey stick. Sam, offended, retorted, Seafood is healthy! and tried to convince her to cook it.
The chores stayed Kates domain. Sam spent his evenings slumped on the sofa, scrolling on his phone, while Kate cleaned, cooked, and ironed. One day she noticed his brandnew smartphone. Whered you get that? Ive barely stretched the budget for the car repair and insurance, she said. Sam claimed his parents had given him the money for a laptop hed been eyeing for work. Shouldnt that go into the family pot? Kate muttered, thinking he was dodging his responsibility. Greg chimed in, Your parents have plenty, why not use it? and then later, sadly, admitted their pension was thin, so they couldnt help with a gym membership or a new phone.
Kate wrestled with her feelings, wondering why shed ever thought Sam was such a romantic, gentle soul. She realised it was her motherly instinct talking, not love. She confessed to herself, I dont love him, not really. Our marriage was a mistake. They argued more and eventually Sam moved back with his parents. Vera tried to mediate, but the divorce was inevitable.
Kate told her mother, I dont want a child, I want a husband. Sams a big kid, sixtysomething on paper but practically a toddler. Why would I want to raise another? Vera slammed the door, shouting, Sams a genius, but he cant handle this. Goodbye!
In the end, Kate climbed the career ladder, becoming a senior manager and spending almost no time at home. Olivia warned, Dont expect grandkids soon. Kate replied, All in good time, Mum. Im not in a rush to marry again. Meanwhile, Sams dad remarried within six months to a sweet, uncomplicated girl named Lucy. They bought a modest flat with Lucys parents help, and Lucy threw herself into caring for Sam, hoping one day hed achieve his scientific breakthrough. A few years later, Gregs work finally landed a headline in the national press.
When Kate saw the news about Sams discovery, she smirked, Maybe I rushed the divorce, she thought, but added, I could never be the perfect scientists wife like those old stories. Her new husband, Alex, walked in and asked what she was smiling about. She shrugged, Just thinking about my motherly instincts that led me down a strange road. Alex teased, Maybe we should put those instincts to better use? She laughed, Im actually starting to feel ready for a baby now.
