“Love, I’m off for the trip!” Alex called, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Wait! Did you pack snacks? Water? Extra socks?” Emma fussed, adjusting his coat collar.
“Relax, I’ve got it all. You think I’d risk starving?” he chuckled.
“Call me when you get there, okay?”
“Promise.” He kissed her cheek and headed out to the car.
Emma and Alex had been married for twelve years. This was only the third time he’d traveled for work—but it was the longest: a whole month. Of course she didn’t want him to go. She hated the quiet, the stillness. But what choice was there? Work was work.
When Alex called to say he’d arrived safely, the silence in the house felt heavier. The chores were done, the rooms too neat. And friends? She’d long stopped keeping up with them. Somewhere along the way, she’d decided a married woman didn’t need a social life—her world had narrowed to home and husband.
She sat for a while, unsure what to do. Visit someone? But who? Everyone had their own lives now. Then the thought hit her: the old country house in the village. It had been sitting empty for weeks. With summer just starting, maybe it was the perfect escape.
“Mum,” she said over the phone, “I’m thinking of heading to the country house tomorrow.”
“Alone? Aren’t you scared, being there by yourself?” her mum asked, concerned.
“Scared of what? It’s our place. I’m the lady of the house!”
“But what if someone breaks in? Or there are drifters?”
Emma just laughed. “Mum, it’s peaceful as a fairy tale. I’ll be fine.”
“How long will you stay?”
“A week, maybe.”
“A week? Promise me you’ll call every day!”
“I will, I will.”
She packed her bags, checked the car, and made the drive. The country house had always been her little oasis. Why go abroad when you had a beautiful place like this just a few hours away? The garden needed some love, but that was half the charm.
Some relatives were openly jealous.
“Lucky you, having a place like this,” cousin James had once said wistfully.
“Lucky?” Emma had snorted. “Alex worked hard for this. You want something, work for it.”
James had just shrugged. “Easy for you to say. Not everyone gets the same breaks.”
Excuses, Emma thought. People who want something make it happen. The rest blame bad luck.
As she neared the house, her heart skipped a beat—the front gate was open. Her mum’s warnings echoed in her ears. Had someone broken in? Her hand hovered over her phone, ready to call the police, when a familiar figure appeared on the porch.
She marched forward, pulse racing.
“Emma! What a surprise!” Sarah—James’ wife—came rushing out with a big grin.
Emma didn’t return the hug. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, funny story…” Sarah hesitated. James stepped out of the doorway.
“Hey, Em,” he said sheepishly. “We’re just staying for a bit.”
“Staying?!”
“Didn’t Alex tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“He said we could come stay. We just needed a break from the city.”
Emma stood frozen. Had Alex really invited them without telling her?
“I don’t care what Alex said,” she snapped. “I didn’t agree to this.”
Sarah jumped in, all smiles. “Come on, don’t be mad. We’re family! I even made burgers. Join us!”
“No thanks,” Emma muttered, retreating inside.
Later, James tried to smooth things over. “Look, Em… We’re only here for the week. Alex invited us, and I took time off work. Sarah was so excited…”
Emma sighed. She didn’t want to burn bridges, not entirely.
“Fine,” she said. “But you take the big room. I’ll stay near the kitchen.”
At first, things were civil. They even laughed over dinner. But it didn’t last.
James and Sarah were a nightmare houseguests. Dishes piled up. Crumbs everywhere. The inflatable pool turned into a murky swamp.
When Emma brought it up, they shrugged.
“Relax, it’s just a plate,” Sarah would say.
“Just a plate? You want rats?” Emma snapped.
Sometimes they helped. Mostly, Emma did the cleaning herself—it was faster.
Then, one morning, she had an idea.
She banged on their door at sunrise.
“Up! Both of you!”
“Emma,” James groaned. “It’s barely light out.”
“Exactly. We’re gardening before the sun gets too hot. Sarah, up!”
“Why me?” Sarah whined.
“You’re here, aren’t you? Time to contribute.”
Grumbling, they followed her outside.
“What do we even do?” James asked.
“Oh, plenty. Weed the beds, replant flowers, water everything…”
By lunchtime, they were drenched in sweat. Emma? She was glowing.
“Do you actually like this?” Sarah huffed.
Emma just smiled. “Every minute.”