‘Tis the Season to be Single: A feel-good festive romantic comedy for 2018 that will make you laugh-out-loud!. Laura Ziepe
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and I just can’t believe it. They’re gutted for me, tip toeing around and constantly asking if I want cups of tea and I’ve only been there one night. The fact they’re being so nice to me just makes me feel worse; I feel like even more of a let-down.’
Grace frowned. ‘You are not a let-down, so stop saying that,’ she told her gently. ‘You were with the wrong man, that’s all. He’s shown his true colours. Thank goodness you’ve found out now rather than in a few years after marriage and a baby or something. You will be happy again, I promise. This pain is only temporary and I really do believe there’s someone a million times better out there for you.’
Rachel nodded. ‘I know I’ll get through this. I have no choice, but it’s so difficult. I really believed I’d be with him forever.’
Grace looked into the distance thoughtfully. ‘Can I be really honest with you?’ she ventured gingerly.
Rachel looked up at her and sniffed, ‘Of course you can.’
Grace hesitated, wondering how truthful she really should be. ‘It’s just, I know you say you loved Mark and I’m sure you do, but I could never really see you two together. I always felt like you hit a certain age, met Mark and just settled. He’s a nice guy, well maybe not so much now he’s cheated with your best friend—’ she snorted ‘—but I find him a bit … well … boring.’ There, she’d said it.
Rachel gave a light laugh, ‘Yes I suppose he is really, but he’s what I want. What I thought I wanted anyway.’
‘Exactly. He’s what you thought you wanted. But I don’t think he was ever the one at all. You’ve never really seemed that happy or excited with him. I remember what you were like with that guy Justin before you met Mark…’
‘Great, so now you’re reminding me of Justin who completely pied me after our date. Another rejection,’ she replied in mock annoyance with a glimmer of a smile.
‘Come on, you know what I’m saying. You’ve always talked about Mark like he was an old friend rather than your boyfriend and deep down, I think you know you weren’t really all that happy with him. Being happy with someone is what life is all about,’ Grace told her boldly. ‘Life is too short to be anything but.’ As Grace said the words, she thought of her own marriage. Was she happy with Simon? She hated to think it, but she wasn’t sure she really was anymore. He didn’t make her feel special. He completely shut her out when she tried to talk about it as though she was an annoying wasp buzzing round his head. How could she be giving this advice to Rachel, but living unhappily with her own husband? She was a hypocrite and she hated herself for it. A complete fraud.
Rachel looked down at the floor. ‘Perhaps you’re right.’
‘I am right. Let Mark and Bianca have each other! What a wonderful relationship they’re going to have, already built on deceit and lies. She’s actually done you a favour. Now come on, let me put some make-up on you. It’ll take time to feel better, of course it will, but I’m going to make sure you don’t scare off any of the customers in the meantime,’ Grace said, deadpan.
‘Cheeky cow!’ Rachel laughed loudly, softly punching Grace’s arm. ‘Thanks Grace. I didn’t have the energy to get ready today. I was scared I would cry all my make-up off. Talking to you has cheered me up though. Maybe I was just desperate to settle down? It’s all so confusing at the moment.’
‘Just no more crying,’ Grace reprimanded her like a school teacher. ‘I swear to you, you’re going to be fine.’
The day went by quickly, and Grace was pleased to see Rachel chatting enthusiastically to customers by the end of the afternoon and applying their make-up. She still had a sadness about her, her watery eyes gave it away, but the customers were completely oblivious which was the main thing. They were unaware she’d just had life turned upside down, and Grace admired her for it.
Grace’s own situation had been playing on her mind all day. She definitely still loved Simon, but she didn’t love their relationship. He’d changed towards her and no longer made her feel special and loved. He simply couldn’t be bothered with her, and Grace had finally decided that enough was enough; she wasn’t going to accept it anymore. As much as it killed her and broke her heart, they needed to separate. Grace feared their relationship would only get worse if she didn’t do something about it. The thought of being alone seemed much more pleasant than being constantly taken for granted. There was a lot to think about still. Where would she stay? Or would he move out? But Grace had made her mind up. Everything she’d said to Rachel had been a wakeup call to herself.
Simon was already home from work when Grace walked through the door. She loved their house and felt sick at the thought of not living there should she be the one to go. She remembered when they’d seen it online and Simon had turned his nose up.
‘Needs loads of work done. Can you imagine how long it would take to get that place looking nice?’
But Grace could imagine, and there was something inside her telling her that the two-bedroom cottage was for them. It was such a reasonable price too, and Grace knew how much she’d love decorating and renovating it. Simon had thought she was crazy at first when she told him she wanted to go for it. She’d told him they could knock the wall down between the kitchen and dining room so it was open plan, and change the back door into bifold doors opening out into the garden (which was a complete mess, but they could fix it!). She could just imagine them hosting barbeques in the garden with their friends and family in the summer whilst pouring jugs of ice-cold Pimm’s.
When Simon had listened to her ideas about what to change, he’d turned to her and said, ‘How can I say no to that little happy face?’ and kissed her on the nose. Grace could remember it like yesterday, but the idea of Simon looking at her in that way again seemed like a lifetime ago. It just never happened anymore. Now, it was easy for him to say no.
Grace walked into the lounge where Simon was sitting watching the television.
‘Oh, there you are,’ he said, quickly glancing up and then looking straight back at the television, ‘I was going to call you earlier, but I must have been distracted at work. Look, I know we’re supposed to be going to your sister’s for Christmas, but I was talking to Mum today and she said she can’t see us Boxing Day as they’re going out with June and Charlie. God knows where, some restaurant I think she said. So I said we’ll go there instead.’
Grace sighed. She was angry that he thought it was acceptable to change Christmas Day plans without consulting her, especially when it was her family’s turn to spend Christmas Day with them and he knew how much she’d been looking forward to it. Not that any of it mattered now with what she was about to do, but still. This was so Simon. Years ago, he’d never have said something like this. Years ago, Grace had been the most important person to him. Her feelings had come first. Now he just seemed to do what he liked without a second thought for her.
‘Simon, I really need to talk to you. Can you please turn off the television?’
He glanced up again. ‘Is it urgent? I’m listening to this.’ He nodded towards the news showing on the screen. ‘What do we have for dinner by the way? I’m starving.’
Grace calmly picked up the remote control next to him and switched it off.
‘Alright, there’s no need to do that,’ he huffed loudly.
‘I need to talk and yes, it’s urgent,’ Grace stated authoritatively, her heart beating ridiculously fast.
Simon sat up, looking at her in confusion as she sat opposite him on the sofa with her head in her hands. This didn’t feel real. Grace felt silly being so serious, as though she was pretending to be the kind of woman to break up from her husband. Grace was the type of woman to say she loved an awful haircut to the hairdresser, she drank her cold coffee in Costa and she got nervous returning items back to the store, even though they were poor quality and had fallen apart after one wear. It just wasn’t like Grace to do something this drastic, but it was about time she stood up for herself. She had no choice. She