Love, My Hell Life

A DREAM BECOMES A FANTASY

CHAPTER 3

A DREAM BECOMES A FANTASY

What a sweet dream it was, where Abigail was alone in the world with her dear Pat, where daily worries didn't exist, where the stress of her children and demanding husband didn't feature.

It felt so good to take care of herself, to hang out with friends, to be looked at, admired by a man whose feelings had transformed her.

However, it's quite late already and she's not done a lot so far today, so she gets cracking with the day.

First the morning ritual: shower and shopping. She wonders why her days have this monotonous rhythm. One chore follows another; there are no surprises.

Where has her happy lookalike gone with her great initiatives? Where is this sweet person that everyone found pleasant, friendly and sociable? Where's this sleeping woman?

Abigail wants to go back to that world where she's the princess, the heroine of her own story.

As Abigail drives home from the shop, she sees a car just like Pat's on the road. She remembers they're from the same city. She crosses her fingers, but meeting him is practically impossible, L.A. is such a big city. So what's happening? Could destiny have something in store for her? She tries to make sense of it all. Could the man of her dream really exist in flesh and bones? She can still smell the arousing scent of his skin and perfume. He exists, that's for sure.

Back home, Abigail puts the shopping away, all sorts of ideas buzzing away in her head. As soon as she's done with the shopping, she heads to the elementary school.

Her girls are already out, sitting on a bench in the schoolyard. Mummy's late, for the second time today. The girls can feel their mother is miles away. Her body is here but her mind has flown far away. In the car, no one says a word. Abigail is so deep in thought she doesn't even ask them how their day was.

Abigail stops to buy some bread on their way home. In the distance, she can see on the opposite sidewalk the man of her dreams. Is that her Pat? Without a moment of hesitation, she shouts his name but the man keeps on walking. "He probably didn't hear me", she tells herself. Afterwards she dares think that perhaps, actually, it wasn't him. In the car, the girls are surprised. They look back at the street and try to guess why Abigail called out to a stranger.

Cayla asks her mother: "Do you know him?". Abigail's only answer is a sigh.

They continue the drive in the same silence.

Back home, Abigail asks the girls whether their maths and reading are difficult, and if they need help for their homework. They answer they'll be fine. Abigail goes to the kitchen and doesn't know what to cook. She's thinking of Pat, of the menu at the restaurant, avocado and shrimps as a starter and then a fish in champagne sauce with vegetables.

She decides to cook trout in white sauce and potatoes for the dinner.

Tonight, Joe and Cayla have dinner before their parents. It's never happened since they were born.

Daddy will be late tonight. He must do extra hours to compensate for this morning's delay. The girls finish their dinner and dash off to the bathroom to wash their face and put their pyjamas on.

In the meantime, Rowan arrives. He's exhausted after his busy day. He leaves his briefcase in the lobby, takes off his jacket, washes his hands and sits down at table.

The girls brush their teeth and Abigail lays the table for two. It's practically a candlelit dinner. The girls kiss their mother and father and go to bed.