Sample Chapter the Accidental Husband

7/29/2019 Sample Chapter the Accidental Husband

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April 2008


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1. Sylvie

Back then, when life seemed s simple, befre she knew

what life was capable f thrwing at her, Sylvie was a

natural wrrier. Anxiety fllwed her arund like a small

dark clud, cnvincing her that smething terrible was

just abut t happen. As a child she wrried abut her

mthers rages, which didnt stp them cming. As a yung

wman she wrried abut making enugh mney as a

textile designer, which meant she had t supplement

her incme by painting huses. As a yung mther she

wrried that Eve wuld rll nt her frnt and never

wake up, and when Jnathan was late hme frm wrk,she wrried that smething had happened t him.

She wasnt wrried, hwever, the mrning he sat n her

side f the bed, leaning ver t tie his cycling shes then

rlling gently n tp f her and kissing her, tipteing his

ngers up her inner thigh until she gave up all pretence f

being asleep and giggled, shving his hand away.

Nice arse, she called ut, pening ne eye as he

reached the drway, causing him t spin and adpt a

mdel pse befre blwing her a kiss and clmping dwn

the stairs.

Thirty minutes later she was cutting a piece f tast

int slices fr Eve, wh was meticulusly nibbling as far

as the crusts then giving each crust a name and persnal-ity and dancing it rund her small purple melamine plate.


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When a plice car pulled up utside the huse, Sylvie

frze. Eve, sensing smething, climbed nt her mthers

lap, curling up and sucking her thumb. There was n way

they culd have knwn, and yet they bth knew.Mments later, the drbell rang. She knew the plice

were n the ther side. Befre she even pened the dr

she culd see their expressins f sympathy, knew they

wuld gently ask her if she knew a Jnathan Haydn. When

she said she was his wife, they wuld lk dwn at the

grund fr a secnd, their faces wracked with sadness,

wishing they didnt have t tell this yung wife and mther

that her husband wuld nt be cming hme, wishing

right nw they were anywhere else but here.

Fr years afterwards she wasnt able t speak f it withut

her thrat clsing, r her eyes pricking, but nw the wrds

cme s easily. My rst husband died. Brain aneurysm.Yes. It was a tragedy.

Furteen years later, she can say the wrds withut feel-

ing a wave f lss wash ver her. She can, and des, stp

suddenly while walking dwn a street, r in a stre, because

she has seen smene wh has his walk. Or smell. Or

hair. But nw she can stp, remember, and keep mving,

withut being engulfed by lss, and grief, and pain.

She mved t La Jlla, fund friends thrugh Eves

kindergarten, and began building a new life in which she

was, if nt happy, cntent.

She wrked in an art gallery part-time, ccasinally

exhibiting her wn paintings in ne f the cafs in twn.

She had stpped wrrying, waiting fr the wrst t happen,because it had already happened and she had survived.


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On her wn fr three years after Jnathans death, she

had becme self-sucient, a tight unit with Eve. Dating

didnt really interest her, despite the kind ers t x her

up; neither did the prspect f merging her life with sme-ne elses. Dating, kissing, making lve with smene ther

than Jnathan wuld have been a betrayal; it was a step

she felt unwilling t take.

When she did take it, it didnt feel like a betrayal. It felt

right, as if Jnathan had given her his blessing. Eleven

years after meeting Mark, Sylvie des nt ften indulge in

memries f Jnathan. As the years have passed she has,

largely ut f respect fr Mark, allwed them t fade.

She was s yung when she was with Jnathan, s unaware

f the enduring nature f marriage, f the ups and

dwns, the highs and lws, the wrk required t keep yu

in the game.

She had nly fur years with Jnathan. When he died,they were still in the hneymn perid, never having had

a chance t reach the stage where they irritated each ther,

fught ver nthing, simply passed each ther in the huse

barely speaking a wrd.

Until she met Mark, and fr sme time afterwards,

Sylvie always felt Jnathan was watching ver her. She

wuld talk t him in the car, ask him smething, then turn

n the radi and nd her questin answered by the lyrics

f a sng; pick up a bk and turn t a randm page, t

nd the wrds that were exactly what she needed t hear.

There is n such thing as cincidence, she wuld think,

blwing a kiss f thanks t the heavens. This is Jnathan,

as lud and clear as he is able t be.When Mark came alng eleven years ag, she knew


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Jnathan had sent him t her, that it was n cincidence

their wrlds kept clliding; she knew that this was sme-

hw meant t be.

Even the fact that Mark has always travelled extensivelyhas been a psitive. It has allwed her t keep the clse

bnd with Eve, t be present fr her in a way that isnt

pssible when Mark is at hme.

This marriage is entirely dierent frm her rst. Frm

the beginning this felt less like a fairy tale, mre real. She

and Mark have never lain in bed whispering fantasies abut

their lives tgether, r shared the wnderment f giving

birth; they have nt had time tgether withut children,

lazing in bed all weekend making lve, nly ging ut t

run t the deli n the crner fr paninis and chclate.

What they d have is what Sylvie nw thinks f as

grwn-up, prper lve. She is, still, ercely attracted t

him, respects him enrmusly; she adres hw kind he is,hw he takes care f them.

She has watched marriages all arund them fall apart

in the last cuple f years. The wrds mid-life crisis are

whispered in knwing tnes, as husbands are discvered

sleeping with their secretaries, wives having aairs with

neighburs, r simply leaving t nd themselves.

Sylvie knew she was safe. Whatever else might cme

between them, Mark wuld nt have an aair. He was

appalled and dismayed each time anther cuple came

undne at the hands f smene else.

Thank Gd yu, at least, take yur marriage vws

seriusly, Sylvies friend Angie said. He, n the ther

hand . . . she added, narrwing her eyes as she glanced


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sideways at her husband, nt s sure. But he knws whatll

happen t him if he even thinks abut it.

They had all laughed, Sylvie with the security f knwing

her marriage was sacred. Nthing wuld ever g wrng.And yet fr the past few mnths a lt feels as if its

nt exactly ging wrng, but nt ging right. Eve will be

leaving hme t g t cllege in September, and Sylvie

isnt ready. She is starting t feel abandned, even thugh

ratinally, f curse, she knew this day was cming; she

knws Eve has t leave.

Her jb at the bkstre ended in Octber, and the last

six mnths have been spent attempting t lk after her

mther, ding the dd bit f painting, althugh it n

lnger hlds the thrill it nce did, and wrrying abut

what n earth she will d when Eve leaves.

She knws her hrmnes are playing a part, fr her

perids are erratic, and Mark has started referring t herPMS as OMS, fr Onging Menstrual Stress, which

Sylvie nds either hilarius r infuriating, depending n

the day.

She is ging thrugh changes; they are all ging thrugh

changes signicant nes, nes in which they will need

t supprt each ther but Mark seems utterly discn-

nected. He isnt wrking ut mre, hasnt bught himself

a new Ferrari r a new haircut, but he is distracted and

unsupprtive.

As a result they have started squabbling in a way they

never have until nw.

After years f knwing exactly where she std, inse-

curity has pushed its way thrugh the dr. Wh is she


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suppsed t be if nt a mther? If Mark didnt travel all

the time she wuld be ne, because she wuld have the

rle f wife t full. It didnt matter befre, while she was

a full-time mther. But with Eve leaving, and n jb, hwis she suppsed t dene herself?

Sylvie needs her husband, but, fr sme reasn, these

days he is away mre than ever. Sylvie is starting t

wnder if her mthers right: is Mark having an aair?

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Sample Chapter the Accidental Husband