A Force To Be Reckoned With

Tessa thought she’d known what she was letting herself in for, but could she handle it?

- Rachel Ogden

At the top right of her laptop screen, the time changed from 16.59 to 17.00, signifying that it was time to shut down for the day. Tessa remembered when this would bring her joy – a free evening ahead. It had been a chance to meet friends, pop round and see her mum, or pour a glass of wine and unwind while chatting to her daughter, Sophie.

Yet now, it signified time on her own, the hours that stretched ahead while she waited for a phone call or, should the call not come, until her eyes grew bleary and she climbed into bed.

Only a few months ago, things had been so different. She’d never thought she’d get married again, but there she was, engaged to David.

After her first marriage, he was an unexpected surprise. The years that had passed had produced a combination of everything she’d loved about him as her childhood sweetheart – his adventurous spirit and happy-go-lucky charm – coupled with a reliability and loyalty that had been forged by maturity. Reconnecting with him had seemed like the best decision she’d ever made.

She could never have guessed how serious things would become, and when he proposed, saying no never entered her mind. Not even when her friends pointed out that David’s job in the Army would take her far away from home. Their happiness cushioned her from the practicalities of packing up all she’d gathered from a 20-year marriage, selling her house and moving across the country to be with him.