One ordinary afternoon I was having a game with my son, just like we always do. Out of nowhere there was a knock at the front door. I opened it and there stood someone I hadnt thought about in years my exwife.
Sarah and I had been married for seven years at the time, and our little lad, Oliver, was six. Life was pretty decent; we loved Oliver and were dreaming of having another kid, preferably a daughter.
As the years went by Sarah started to act a bit distant. I could feel something was off. Eventually we ended up sleeping in separate beds. She blamed it on fatigue and a lack of mood
A couple of mates later called me out on it. They told me theyd seen Sarah getting a lift to work from some other bloke, a real gentleman who held the door open for her.
I didnt want to believe it I kept hoping our love would pull us through, especially for Olivers sake. I decided not to put it off any longer and confronted Sarah that evening, asking her straight up if shed been unfaithful. She couldnt give me an answer, packed her things and left, leaving Oliver with me.
Ill be honest, I was relieved to have Oliver around, but I was also shocked at how indifferent his mother seemed. Was she really such a bad mum? Did she not love her own child?
The start was rough. There were countless moments with Oliver where I felt clueless. I asked family and friends for advice and read a ton of articles online. At first Oliver missed his mum, but after a while he seemed to settle.
Four years on, things started looking up. I didnt skimp on anything for Oliver and we began traveling more trips to the Lake District, a few days in Brighton, even a weekend in Edinburgh.
Then, another typical gameplaying afternoon with Oliver, and again there was a knock at the door. I opened it to find Sarah, looking exactly the same as four years ago maybe even a little better. Oliver barely gave her a glance. She stood there, unsure what to do. She lunged at him, hugged him, kissed him, apologised and went on about how much she still loved him, but Oliver just turned away.
I thought the best way to defuse the tension was to invite everyone in for a cuppa. The first ten minutes were dead silent, terribly awkward. Then she started talking
It turned out she wanted to take Oliver with her. I gave the boy a chance to decide. I saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes, so I suggested he could spend a few days with his mum and see how it feels.
All the while, the thought of being alone kept nagging at me. If Oliver liked the idea, Id be on my own, right?
But the next morning Oliver came back, smiling. He said his mum wasnt alone and that he wanted to stay with me. Hell keep in touch with Sarah, but hes not ready to move.
So here we are, trying to make the best of this new normal, one cup of tea and a game at a time.
