The moment James walked through the door, still in his coat and shoes, he blurted out, “We need to talk.” His eyes were wide, almost breathless. “I’m in love.”
Emmas first thought was, *Oh great, here comes the midlife crisis.* But she stayed quiet, studying his face closelysomething she hadnt done properly in years.
Theyd met online, the most ordinary way these days. Back then, shed been thirty-three, realistically assessing her odds on the marriage marketnot last in line, but close. Shed worn rose-tinted glasses to their first date, packed homemade biscuits in her bag, and decided to ignore any red flags. Surprisingly, it had gone well. Their romance moved fastsix months of dates, nagging from parents desperate for grandchildren, and then a rushed wedding, just in case either of them changed their minds.
Life together was comfortable. James was straightforward, ditching the “sensitive romantic” act after the honeymoon. He was just a bloke in comfy joggers, reliable and kind. Emma, in turn, shed her “mysterious, sophisticated homemaker” persona, especially after pregnancy made pretence impossible. She embraced fluffy dressing gowns and didnt look back.
Twelve years in, their marriage had no scandalsno affairs, not even a hint of flirtation. Not that Emma wouldve minded much, but the idea of James trying to charm someone was laughable. Hed given up on words early on, resorting to *wide-eyed staring* as his only form of flattery. Emma had learned to read his emotions purely by how round his eyes gotastonishment, approval, panic, or sheer outrage.
Now, imagining him batting his lashes at some other woman, Emma smirked. “So whats her name, then?”
Jamess eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Howhow did you know its a *her*?!” He fumbled in his coat, hands shaking, before pulling out a tiny grey hamster with pink ears and shiny black eyes. “Look at her! So soft, so perfect just like you.”
Emma didnt hear another word. She stared at her husband, at his new little love, and burst out laughing. Of all the things he couldve fallen forit was a hamster. A fluffy, pink-nosed, *her*. And she couldnt have been happier.
