It wont cost you a thing, Eleanor repeated, her voice low.
Again, where did you put the bracelet? Did you lose it, or pawn it? Whats happening? Victor asked, his eyebrows lifting as he sank onto the worn sofa. The room fell into a heavy silence, the kind that makes the air feel thick.
The my mother took it, Eleanor whispered, dropping her gaze.
Victor stared at her as if hed never seen her before. He knew Eleanor was gentlehearted, but this was a depth he hadnt imagined.
Taken? What does that even mean? he asked, the incredulity sharp in his tone. Explain.
She swallowed. She first asked to try it on, then said it suited her and I didnt want to argue. Shes my mum, after all.
Victors eyes widened, searching her face for a hint of the woman hed fallen for years ago. Hed always wanted Eleanor to never need anything, to be protected. Now the tables had turned, and he felt the sting of helplessness.
Theyd met in first year at university, introduced by a circle of friends. Victor, the son of a modest workingclass family, had promised himself that his future wife and children would never want for anything. He didnt yet know how, but the enthusiasm in his chest was fierce. Eleanor, with no grand ambitions, had a kindness that shone brighter than any ambition. He realized he loved her when she once showed up at his flat, a thermos of hot soup in her hands, while he lay shivering with a fever.
Sergei told me you were ill. I thought Id stop by, she had said, slipping off her shoes. Dont worry about it, youll both get better. Im not a sugarcube; I wont melt away.
Victor saw in her the woman who could hold the line, who gave without keeping score because she liked him and wanted to care.
A year later they were sharing a cramped rented flat in East London: a tiny kitchen, a humming fridge, a leaky tap, the occasional scuttle of roaches. They pulled allnighters before exams, took odd jobs sidebysideVictor hauling boxes at a warehouse, Eleanor serving tables at a café.
They scraped through everything. They discovered that instant noodles still cost a fortune on a tight budget. Eleanor sobbed when Victor landed in hospital with gallstones and they couldnt afford his medication. They borrowed from parents, from mates. Victors friends were generous, offering him a paintthefence job for a few quid, a helper spot on a construction site. He took any work that came his way; Eleanor tried not to overburden her own shoulders.
I want to help, she said one evening as he prepared for another shift. What can I do? Carry coal? Ill break myself.
Victor grunted, Youll tire yourself out, and then your treatment will cost more. Yet he valued her spirit, never leaving her out of the fight, even when money poured into the family.
Step by step he climbed. First they earned their diplomas. Victor drifted through temp agencies until a contact landed him a junior role at a large logistics firm. The schedule was brutallate nights, weekend calls. Eleanor kept the home afloat, cooking his favourite dishes, cleaning, tending to the ageing Labrador when it limped.
Nothing lasts forever, shed murmur when times were hardest.
When Victor became head of logistics, responsibilities multiplied, but the love waiting at the door steadied him.
Their lives entered a new chapter. They moved into a proper threebedroom house in Surrey, bought a modest hatchback, a modest garden. No longer hunting for bargains on Gumtree; they bought new furniture from IKEA, fresh clothes simply because they wanted them, holidays abroad instead of staying with relatives.
Victors gifts grewcashmere coats, leather handbags, gold jewelleryno special occasion needed, just a Friday night or a bright mood. Eleanor still blushed at price tags, but she loved the break from their old thrifty routine.
At first everything glittered. She adored the new perfume, the designer coat, the multicooker with a dozen functions. Then the old habits resurfaced. She dug out a battered slow cooker, wore a cracked handbag, misplaced her perfume. Victor wondered why she kept wearing shoes that blistered her feet when a new pair waited in the closet.
He decided to test her resolve. When his colleague Simon invited them to his birthday, Victor bought Eleanor a gold bracelet and sapphire earrings, a set hed picked out weeks before.
Wear the dress we bought on Friday and the jewellery I gave you, Victor instructed, his voice tight. Theyll look perfect together.
Eleanors eyes flickered. She stammered, The bracelet it broke. I gave it to a jeweller, but I cant recall where. My mum
Victors lips pressed into a thin line. So your mother has taken everything Ive given you? Seriously? Cant you push back?
Eleanor looked away. I tried. She says she raised me, that I owe her everything. She claims no one will ever give her gifts again, yet you keep buying things for me. She says it wont cost me a thing.
Victor covered his face with his hands, a wave of violation crashing over himnot the loss of metal, but the erosion of his respect, the theft of his effort.
Fine, he sighed, then Ill only give you things that wont end up in your mums hands within a week.
She stayed silent, her mouth a closed line. Victor realized she was too easily swayed by manipulation. He wanted to shake her, to tell her this was wrong, but he knew it would be futile. He resigned himself to accept her as she was.
He understood that to keep the warmth in their home, he needed to confront the leak, not Eleanor. The leak had a name: Vera Whitmore.
Vera, brash and clingy, had entered Victors life almost as soon as he started seeing Eleanor. I dont mean to intrude, but shed begin, then unload a barrage of unsolicited advice.
A bookkeeper by trade, her husband drifted wherever work was light. Their income matched the modest lifestyle they led.
From day one Vera tried to wedge herself into their marriage, dropping by unannounced at eight in the morning, sometimes interrupting a romantic evening. One night, when she arrived in the middle of a candlelit dinner, Victor stood his ground.
Yes, Mum, he said, nodding politely. But we werent expecting you. Please discuss visits with us beforehand.
From then on Vera didnt barge in through the door; she slipped in through guilt, planting seeds of obligation in Eleanors mind.
Oh, what lovely perfume you have! No one ever gives me anything. May I borrow it for a week? Lucys birthday is coming; I want to sparkle and make everyone jealous. You wouldnt mind, would you, dear? Ive always given you everything.
How to stop a thief when the theft is emotional? The day of Eleanors birthday arrived, and Victor prepared a new tactic.
At the dinner table he rose, placed a small envelope in Eleanors palm and said, Sunshine, this is for you. I know youve always wanted to see Italy. Take this for a holiday, on me.
Veras eyes lit up. Oh! How wonderful! Ive always dreamed of basking on the Italian coast, admiring the monuments!
Victor smiled wryly. Well, youre welcome to it, but the second ticket is mine. Youll have to travel with mebeware, I snore loudly, I blast music at night, I wander my room in the nude. Are you ready?
Laughter broke around the table. Eleanor lowered her gaze, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Veras cheeks flushed, she pursed her lips and turned away, silent for the rest of the evening. She left early, the house echoing with Victors quiet triumph. He had received two gifts that night: his wifes tentative smile and his motherinlaws retreat.
The tension lingered, but for now, the house felt a little less cold.
