Katherine swung the door open and froze at the sight of her daughter Emily standing beside an unfamiliar young man, who offered an awkward but warm smile.
“Mum, hi! This is James,” Emily babbled, as if afraid silence might settle between them. “Thought it was time you met. Is Dad home?” She nudged the boy forward gently. “Come on, James, don’t be shy—my parents are lovely!”
“Pleasure to meet you,” James murmured, stepping inside with quiet politeness.
Katherine smiled to ease the tension and gave a small nod.
“Mum, sorry for dropping by unannounced,” Emily continued, “we’ll just have tea, then dash off to the cinema.”
James remained reserved but courteous—smiling softly, keeping the conversation light, never letting the quiet stretch too long.
“Mum, where’s Dad? Wanted him to meet James too,” Emily asked, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“Where else would he be? Tinkering in the garage, of course,” Katherine replied with a faint smirk. “Fussing over that car of his. Says he needs to clean the upholstery, vacuum it out. You know how he is—won’t set foot in a car wash.”
Soon, Emily and James gathered their things. The young man thanked her for the tea and bid farewell politely.
“So well-mannered,” Katherine thought as she closed the door, though her chest tightened with an uneasy premonition.
Emily was already in her third year at university. Grown-up. Katherine hadn’t noticed the years slipping by. Lately, her daughter asked more about life—seeking advice on choices, paths, how to avoid mistakes. Katherine tried to answer, though sometimes she’d simply shrug and say,
“Emily, not everything in life is black and white. Sometimes fate lays traps just to remind us—everything has its time.”
Fate plays by its own rules. Katherine, married to Edward for over twenty years, had always stood at a crossroads. She still remembered how her friend Sarah introduced them.
“Katie, this is Edward—my Daniel’s mate,” Sarah had said, steering her toward a tall, gawky man who looked utterly out of place. “They work together. Daniel’s been meaning to set him up with someone. Go on, chat!” She winked and vanished into the crowd.
The university pub was lively that night. Katie and Sarah were final-year students, and Sarah was already planning her wedding to Daniel. Edward seemed lost in the noise—hunching slightly, glancing around like he wanted to bolt.
“Edward, do you study somewhere?” Katie ventured.
“Nah, been working as a mechanic for a couple years,” he answered, not quite meeting her eyes. “Did my service before that.”
*Strange,* she thought. *Done his service, yet still so… unsure. Most lads come back tougher.* Her cousin had returned from the army entirely changed—confident, steady.
“Daniel and I served together, kept in touch after,” Edward went on. “Got jobs at the same garage. So you and Sarah are at uni, then?”
He looked up then, and his smile—simple, almost boyish—made Katie smile back before she could stop herself. But deep down, she’d already decided: he wasn’t her type. If anyone had told her he’d be her husband, she’d have laughed.
Yet fate has its way. Life would lose all mystery if we knew what waited around each corner. Edward kept asking her out, and every time, she told herself, *One last date—then that’s it.* But she never refused. Partly out of pity—for this kind, awkward man—and partly because there was no one else she truly fancied.
“Katie, how’s it going with Edward?” Sarah pried.
“Fine, I suppose,” Katie shrugged. “Don’t even know how it happened.”
They attended Sarah and Daniel’s wedding as bridesmaid and groomsman. Katie graduated, started her job. The dates with Edward continued. She grew used to him, began to appreciate his steadiness. One evening, she broached the subject with her mother.
“Mum, you’ve met Edward,” Katie began. “He’s talking marriage, and I don’t know what to do. He’s kind, dependable, but… not exactly cultured, never reads, and—”
“Love, don’t overthink it,” her mother cut in. “Doesn’t read? So what? He adores you. You’ll grow into each other. A degree isn’t everything.”
So there Edward stood, fumbling with a small ring box, his ears burning.
“Katie, I want you to be my wife,” he blurted, staring at his shoes. “Will you?”
She studied the ring, silent, then finally smiled.
“Yes. Where are my flowers?” She slid the ring on as Edward gaped in dismay.
“Blimey, Katie—I forgot!” He flushed. “I’ll get you the prettiest bouquet, I swear!”
Later, she wondered, *How did I end up marrying him? He’s so… ordinary.* Maybe it was because her friends were all settling down. She was pretty enough, though she’d always considered herself too curvy—even if it didn’t ma…
The lesson? Life rarely follows the script we imagine. What begins as an unlikely match might just be the quiet, steadfast love that holds you together when storms come—and that, in the end, is worth more than grand gestures or perfect first impressions.
