Better on our own - English

Surprising Visitor

Another uneventful week had passed and Cody had been with his father since yesterday. The mayor had said an almost heartbreaking farewell to Penny at the station as he left for London on Monday morning to attend on some political debate, held once a year with all the representatives of urban communities across the country. Penny had been talking to him on the phone all week in the evenings when Cody was in bed. Even though she always told him that she missed him too, she didn't really show it.

She had been busy doing housework all day and was bustling around the house. Every now and then we briefly talked about trivial things in the hallway when we met or when I gave her a hand with something. She disappeared for 2 hours in the afternoon before returning in the evening. The house became quieter as she disappeared upstairs and I assumed she was getting ready for her date with Ellie, which they had arranged a while ago that day in the heights up in the mountains.

I was playing a round of Mario Kart, but it wasn't any fun without Cody when there was a knock on my window. I looked up confused to see Sarah waving at me with a sad smile and I jumped up. What was she doing here at this time and why was she coming through the back of the garden? I didn't even understand why she was even here. I had never had visitors here.

I motioned for her to come to the back door and went there to open it for her. Normally she was unlocked most of the day, but Penny had already locked it up for today. I opened it again and invited Sarah in, only to lock the door behind her again.

"What are you doing here, Sarah?" I asked her quietly, pointing to my living area. She went in and sat on the couch, I sat next to her and looked at her questioningly. She seemed somewhat thoughtful and was clearly hesitant.

"I didn't know where to go. Norman and I had a huge fight. I broke up," she said and that shocked me a bit.

"Why?" I could only ask and she groaned in annoyance and fell back against the backrest.

"Because he just can't get his jealousy under control. It's so annoying."

"Don't you think breaking up was a bit hasty? A little distance would have done you some good too for sure," I replied hesitantly and she gave me a skeptical look. She was right. I would never make a good couples therapist.

"We've been fighting over this for weeks, but it's never been as bad as it has been in the last week. Ever since we both had...you know, those two accidents on my Dad's boat...he's been horrible and of course Dilys had nothing better to do than tell her little darling straight away that Trevor had seen us. I told him before that we were meeting. So why is he making such a fuss about it?" she asked frustrated and looked at me as if she expected an answer from me, but I didn't have one.

"Should I talk to him?" I offered, even though I didn't feel like talking to Norman at all. Right from the start he didn't make me want to get to know him better, but the fact that he made Sarah's life so difficult - and not just because he was jealous, but also and above all because he himself couldn't take his eyes off someone else - what made me want to strangle him more than actually have a conversation with him.

"I appreciate your efforts, but he won't want talk to you," Sarah replied with a smile, before becoming serious again and looking at my television, where the replays of the last race were being played. "Besides, I know I haven't been so confident with Norman in a long time. He's probably noticed that too. We've been together for over 2 years now, but sometimes I wish I could go back to the time when we were just friends. He's matured a lot and doesn't act like he was before anymore where he did a lot of nonsense, but he's so clingy and complains about everything and everyone. That annoys me too," she said in frustration, expressing her grief, which surprisingly made me happy, the more she remembered what she didn't like about Norman .