they talked all the time, they spent companionable evenings together and he was a hands-on father. He wanted to know how she was feeling, how her day was going, what her plans were. She seemed to have his undivided attention: the business section was set aside, the television switched off, phone calls terminated and stock reports carelessly tossed away whenever she walked into a room. 'Good morning,' he smiled up at her and put his newspaper aside as she got herself some cereal and sat down opposite him. She didn't understand herself, on the surface it looked like she had everything she'd ever wanted but she still didn't quite believe it was real.

She often cynically caught herself wondering if he meant the words or merely said them because he thought they were what she wanted. He told her he loved her every day but she still couldn't quite bring herself to believe him. She knew she was being silly but she seemed unable to overcome her emotional barriers. While Sandro was a lot more affectionate these days, she still felt a certain reserve around him, not sure if she could touch and kiss him as freely as he did her. She dropped a kiss on the baby's cheek and then, after the briefest of hesitations, one on her husband's lean cheek.

'Good morning,' she greeted cheerily, as she headed over to the breakfast nook. She smiled at the sight of them, her heart overflowing with love for both of them. It was Phumsile's usual day off, so he'd fixed himself a bowl of cereal, toast and some coffee. Lily was asleep and Sandro was so absorbed in his paper that he didn't notice her at first. He'd already dressed Lily and had her little baby carrier placed on the table in front of him. Theresa headed down to the kitchen for breakfast three weeks later and found her husband already seated at the table, newspaper in hand.

The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders