**Diary Entry 14th May**
I came home today and, without even taking off my coat, blurted out, We need to talk.
Stepping through the door, still in my shoes, I barely paused for breath before saying, Emily! We need to have a serious conversation
Then, wide-eyed and breathless, I added, Ive fallen in love.
For a moment, I saw the flicker of panic in Emilys eyesprobably thinking, *Oh great, here comes the midlife crisis.* But she stayed quiet, studying my face closely, something she hadnt done in years.
They say your life flashes before your eyes before you die. Well, Emilys mustve spun like a reel of their shared history. Theyd met the modern wayonline. Shed lost three stone; hed gained a few inches in height. Neither was a perfect match on paper, but somehow, against the odds, they fit. She couldnt remember who messaged first, but she knew his reply wasnt crassjust self-deprecating enough to charm her.
At thirty-three, with average looks, Emily knew her prospects werent endless. So on their first date, she wore rose-tinted glassesmetaphoricallypinned her hopes on homemade biscuits in her handbag, and hoped for the best.
Unexpectedly, it went well. Their romance burned fast and bright. Six months in, under pressure from parents whod given up on ever seeing grandchildren, he proposed. A small wedding followedquick, before anyone could change their mind.
Life settled into something comfortable. Their marriage was warm, if uneventfulno fiery rows, just steady companionship. He was straightforward, shedding his early sensitive romantic act for an honest, hardworking bloke in joggers. She relaxed too, swapping her mysterious sophisticate persona for a cosy dressing gown, especially after two back-to-back babies.
Twelve years on, theyd built a quiet, happy life. Hed never so much as glanced at another woman, though Emily wouldnt have minded. The thought of him flirting was laughablehed never been smooth. Instead of compliments, hed just widen his eyes, like some baffled cartoon character.
Over time, she learned to read every flicker in those eyesdelight, approval, shock, even annoyance. So when he stammered, *How how did you know it was a rat?!* her throat went dry.
He fumbled in his shirt, pulling out a tiny grey creature with pink ears and beady eyes. *Look at herso soft, so perfect she reminds me of you.*
Emily stopped listening. She just stared, heart swelling, absurdly happy that of all the rats in the world, hed fallen for this onethe one that looked like her.
**Lesson learned:** Love doesnt always make sense. Sometimes its messy, ridiculous, and comes in the form of a rat. But if it fits, it fits.
