“I told my husband not to come over any more,” I said, halfjoking, halfserious.
“My sister wants a tiny wedding, just close family, no extra faces,” Andrew muttered, leaning against the kitchen doorway as if he were looking for something in the cupboard. I could see his shoulders tremble, the way he kept shuffling the same shirts from one hangers to another.
“You know Ethel, right?” he went on. “Shes always well, a bit out there.”
Yeah, yeah I’ve been married to his brother for three years now, and I still feel like the odd one out. As they say, crystal clear
“Andrew,” I said calmly, “lets quit the games. Your sister invited everyone even that distant uncle you only saw at Grandmas funeral, even Aunt Vera next door who just waters Mums plants when she heads off to the cottage. But she didnt invite me. Not your wife. Why?”
“What do you expect me to do?” he snapped suddenly. “Go to Ethel and start a scene? Its her wedding, after all! She can invite who she wants!”
“And I have a right to know why my husbands family acts as if I dont exist!”
Andrews face fell. He slumped down beside me, took my hand with his cold, damp fingers, and started saying what I already knew. He talked about his mum thinking he could find someone better than me, about how Ethel was still sore that I missed her birthday two years ago Id been burning up with a fever, but who remembers that?
He went on to explain that their whole clan usually celebrates only in a tight circle mum, dad, him and Ethel. Any outsider feels like an intrusion on their cosy little world.
“So what are you proposing?” I asked when hed finished. “Do I sit around forever waiting for your family to finally accept me?”
“Not forever,” he tried to smile. “Maybe five years”
“Just five?” I laughed. “I was bracing for fifty.”
He gave a shy grin and looked away.
“Listen, Andrew,” I said, squeezing his hand, “heres the deal. Either we go to your sisters wedding together, or you dont go at all.”
“Christine”
“Exactly,” I said, looking him straight in the eyes. “Got that?”
He nodded, all teenagerlike, promising to talk to Ethel, to sort everything out. Promise after promise
Two weeks sprinted by in a weird tension. Andrew pretended everything was fine, that the issue was settled, but I saw him bite his nails a habit he never had before and linger in the bathroom with his phone forever.
One afternoon I stumbled on a text thread between him and Ethel. He hadnt said a word to her.
“Alright,” I thought.
Three days before the wedding I bought a dress an expensive, seagreen number that would turn heads in any room. When Andrew saw it hanging on the rack, he turned to me, eyebrows raised.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because were going to Ethels wedding,” I smiled sweetly. “You said youd sort it, right? Like we agreed.”
He fell silent, then tried to change the subject.
“Fine” I muttered under my breath, already knowing exactly how Id handle it.
On the wedding day I woke up at the crack of dawn, made breakfast, set the table, even arranged fresh flowers. Hed given me a bunch of white roses just the night before, probably trying to smooth over his looming guilt. I poured myself a coffee.
Andrew shuffled into the kitchen, spotted me in my robe with my hair loose, scrolling through my phone. He actually seemed pleased to see me.
“You’re uh not going?” he asked cautiously.
“And you?” I replied calmly.
He tensed, realizing Id set a trap, but halfasleep he couldnt quite work out his next move.
“Sit down, breakfast is getting cold,” I said.
He dropped into the chair opposite me and started:
“Christine, listen Ive been thinking maybe I should just go alone. Just pop in for the ceremony and head straight back. You know its my sister, I cant just bail.”
I finished my coffee, placed the cup gently on the saucer.
“Of course you cant,” I said, voice as warm as possible. “Its your sister. Get ready or youll be late.”
He planted a quick kiss on my cheek, raced to the shower, then started rummaging through the flat for his cufflinks, tie, shoes hopping over to me every few seconds with a new request.
I watched his frantic little dance with an amused grin. When he finally stood, fully dressed, at the door, I whispered:
“Do us a favour and leave the keys on the table.”
“The what?” he blurted.
“The flat keys. Just leave them. You can grab your stuff later. Dont worry, Ill collect them.”
Everything went oddly still. Even the tick of the big bedside clock seemed to pause. Andrew stood in the doorway, all dressed up and looking a bit lost.
“Christine” he began, voice plaintive. “Youre not serious”
“Im dead serious,” I replied. “You made your choice, Andrew, and Im sticking with it. Go to your sisters wedding, have a good time, but dont come back.”
“But thats absurd!” he shouted. “All because of some wedding you want me to”
“Its not the wedding,” I said. “Its that you never tried to do anything for me. You just pretended youd sorted it, hoping Id back out at the last minute. Same old story.”
“Christine, stop” he smiled weakly. “Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? Youve never been the drama queen.”
“Andrew,” I said, “do you really get it, or are you just putting on a show? Your family never made me feel welcome. For three years theyve made it clear Im the extra. And you have you done anything to change that?”
He muttered, I talked with Mum
“And what did you say? Please accept my wife, shes good, really good, honestly good?”
“Christine” he tried to step closer, but I stepped back.
“You promised to talk to Ethel, to fix things. Yet you didnt. Right?”
He flushed and dropped his eyes.
“Go on, Andrew, say hi to Ethel for me.”
“Well you want me to stay?” he asked, making a lastditch effort.
“Do you want to stay with me?” I shot back. “Can you defy your family and skip the ceremony? When the phones start ringing, will you tell them youre only coming with me?”
After a brief pause he said, “Well its a bit awkward”
“Then drive away if its awkward. And dont come back to my flat,” I said firmly. “This is my place, and I can ask you to leave. You dont value me; your parents and sister mean more to you than your wife. So why should we keep living together?”
