The Ten Year First Date

Prologue

Divorce. Ugly word isn't it? But unfortunately, it is a word that's being bandied about my house more and more these days. Jeannie seemed to be able to work it into every single sentence that left her mouth, which as much as I loved her, made me, want to stick her head in the washing machine and put it on the spin cycle!

It hadn't always been like this. Last year we were a normal married couple. But then blue eyed, blonde bombshell decided that she wanted to go back to work. My friends had told me that it had probably been a knee jerk reaction to being told that we would never be able to have children naturally. I had tried talking to her about adoption and stuff but she didn't want to listen. She got straight on the phone to her old contact at the magazine she used to work for, and boom! Back behind the desk within a week. That's what changed her. Suddenly it was all late night parties, lunches with the girls and no room for little old me.

And there was that word. Divorce. One innocent, Sunday afternoon in December when I was just about recovering from the announcement that my fantasy woman Elizabeth Rose was marrying that greasy rock star, Jeannie just came out with something I never thought I would hear.

'I think we should get a divorce.' she said, causing me to almost choke on my roast beef. I placed my knife and fork down and tried to process the single word that had left my wife's mouth a microsecond ago. Jeannie carried on eating as though nothing had been said.

'Umm...' I dared to say after a long silence. 'What's brought this on?' Oh Harry Taylor you are thick! That was probably one of the stupidest things you had ever said in your life!

'Do I have to explain why I want a divorce now?' Jeannie asked, taking another mouthful.

'Well it would be nice to have a reason.' I said, still trying to process everything. What the Hell was she playing at anyway? Was this just another one of her weird phases or was she actually serious? But she carried on eating once again. I watched as she finished her dinner and then cleared her plate away before placing it, and the cutlery, in the dishwasher. She quickly washed her hands before drying them on the nearby tea-towel. Her figure-hugging jeans accentuated my favourite feature of hers, especially when she leaned over and placed her head on her arms and breathed out slowly. Jeannie mumbled something inaudible but I was too pre-occupied with her backside to make out what she actually said. It was only when she straightened up and turned to face me, unfortunately ruining my view, I started paying attention.

'We just don't fit together anymore.' she finally said to me. 'We've grown apart. I've moved on and you've moved on. It's something that happens.'

'Is it?' I asked, more surprised than shocked. 'I don't think that's happened to us has it?'

'Yes it has Harry.' Jeannie said using my name for the first time... that week actually! 'I've already organised to see my solicitor tomorrow. Now eat up. I want to get this dishwasher on before Eastenders comes on.' And with that, Jeannie, wiped her hands one more time, threw the tea towel onto the draining board and walked into our living room without a single word leaving me dumbfounded.