Christopher broke the news to his wife that he wanted a divorce. Emily received this revelation with an unsettling calm, but she set one condition.
When Christopher returned home from the office, he found Emily in the kitchen, preparing supper. He braced himself for the conversation hed dreaded all day, steeling his nerves before he spoke.
I need to talk to you about something important, he announced.
Emily said nothing. But in her eyes, he caught a glimmer of tension, heavy with sadness.
Unable to find the right words, Christopher blurted out his wish to separate.
Emily, composed and almost distant, didnt flare up or seem taken aback. She simply asked, Why?
Christopher dodged her question. The truth was, he couldnt bring himself to explain the real reason their marriage was crumbling. Should he confess hed fallen out of love long ago, that all he felt now was emptiness, and that someone else had captured his heart?
He left the conversation there and retreated to the bedroom. He couldnt endure hearing Emilys quiet sobs in the kitchen.
The next morning, guilt gnawing at him, Christopher handed her the divorce documents. He was prepared to leave her both the house and the car.
Emily tore the papers apart and replied softly, I dont want anything from you. Then, she dissolved into tears again.
Christopher felt a stab of regretthis woman, with whom hed shared so much of his life, suddenly seemed like a stranger. He pitied her, but still, his thoughts ran only to the other woman, and the new life that seemed to beckon.
That evening, he came home late, skipped dinner, and went straight upstairs. As usual, Emily sat at the table scribbling into a notebook.
He awoke in the small hours to see Emily still working at her desk. He barely registered it; her very presence now stirred nothing in him.
Come morning, she handed him a few pages.
These are my terms for the divorce, she said.
He replied wearily, What terms?
Emily took her time to explain:
Id like us to hold off on filing for a month. Our son is sitting his A-levels, and I dont want to cause him extra stress right now. Lets just keep up appearances a little longer.
He agreed.
And your second condition? he asked, tiredly.
Every morning, youll carry me in your arms from the bedroom to the front door, she said.
Thats nonsense, Christopher protested, incredulous.
I only want us to share one last lovely ritual, Emily replied, unruffled.
Christopher let her have this.
The next day, feeling foolish, he carried out her peculiar request. It all seemed surreal until their son grinned and clapped, while Emily nestled her head on Christophers shoulder and smiled.
Day after day, the strangeness faded. Slowly, Christopher began to notice once more the things about Emily hed once cherished. He took in her weariness, the lines on her face. Despite everything, she was still so beautiful.
On the fourth morning, the weight of memory crashed over himeverything shed done for their family.
How have I ever shown her gratitude? he thought, bitterly.
Each day, Emily seemed lighter in his arms. Then, one afternoon, he found her standing in front of the wardrobe, gazing at her dresses.
All my clothes are far too loose, she murmured sadly.
A sharp pang of guilt cut through him.
He realised how much she had changed: her frailty, her melancholy. It was as if she were fading before his very eyes.
On the final day of the month, Christopher made up his mind. He went to the other woman and said, Im staying with my wife. Weve simply forgotten how much we matter to each other.
On his way home, he stopped at a flower shop, carefully chose a beautiful bouquet, and penned a note:
For me, happiness is carrying you in my arms for the rest of my days.
When he got home, Emily was lying in bed. And she was gone.
In time, he learned that Emily had been terminally ill for some while. She had kept her sickness a secret, wanting their son to remember a happy, complete family.
Now he sat alone in a quiet house, hollow and lost. At last, he understood: love never truly diesif you continue to nurture it.
