The Younger Days

As a young adult in her early twenties, Camilla led a quiet life. Growing up in Cheshire was something she loved. On the street where she lived, they all knew each other.

Camilla fell in love with a man who was twenty-three, but after two years, they parted ways.

At the age of twenty-five, she met her, to be, husband Steven Middleton. They started courting and what a whirlwind of a courtship it was.

Six months after dating, Steven asked her, "Camilla?"

"Hmmm," she replied while sitting in the living room by the fireplace, gazing at how the fire was blazing in front of her. It was so mesmerizing.

"Camilla, will you marry me?" he asked

Camilla was elated and immediately jumped up and said, "Yes, yes, I will marry you."

⁶Camilla threw her arms around his lean, masculine, well-trained torso. He drew her in for a slow, long, lingering kiss.

Camilla wasn't a very attractive young lady, but her qualities were something to behold. She was an ordinary country girl with a slightly bigger bodice, beautifully contoured chest, and the most beautifully curved legs you have ever seen.

She had jet-black hair that hung below her waist line in voluminous curls, hugging her. Her sea-green eyes sparkled as she looked up at Steven and said, "I love you."

"I know you do," he said in a deep, husky voice.

Steven was a very attractive man, and women left, right, and center wanted his attention. He was 6 ft 2 while Camilla was only 5 ft 7, not too short for a female, but compared to Steven, she was. His hair was chestnut brown and dead straight. He was also a bit younger than Camilla. He was only twenty-three years of age.

In August of that year, Camilla Jones and Steven Middleton tied the knot. Camilla had found out she was three months pregnant with their first child.

Their celebration wasn't grandiose or lavish. It was simple, just family and friends all around.

Camilla's uncle, Toby, had given her away at her wedding as her parents had died tragically in a car accident when she was only fourteen years old.

Her aunt on her father's side had taken over, raising and caring for Camilla until she got married. Her mom didn't have any sisters, so it was left to her dad's family. Thankfully, her aunt and uncle had always loved her as their own.

As the ceremony and reception ended, the newly-wed couple went to their marital home. A quiet little cottage in the country. Camilla had always dreamed of a honeymoon, but unfortunately, their circumstances didn't allow for this, and she settled for just going to her marital home for her honeymoon.

Camilla was never the one to complain. She had never questioned her husband about why they couldn't have a honeymoon like everyone else. She just accepted that circumstances didn't allow.

As their "honeymoon" came to it's end, Steven and Camilla had to get back to the mundane things of life, such as working and daily chores.

Camilla worked for a realtor in the city, which was ten minutes from home by bus, Steven worked at an accounting firm, twenty minutes from home by car.

Because of his late hours during certain times of the month, he used to take their Camry to work, and she would catch the bus. Though she would often ask if he could drop her off at work, he always had an excuse.

As the winter started to set in, Camilla, now five months pregnant, asked Steven, "babe, is it possible, now that the weather is getting colder, can you start dropping me off at work, so I don't get sick. The further along in my pregnancy, the harder it will be to take the bus?"

Steven sighed. "This would mean that I would have to leave work earlier to pick her up," he mumbled to himself.

"Fine," he retorted, not very happy.

The first three months of marriage weren't too bad. They did things together, they enjoyed being a married couple.

But then, things started changing.

Steven started going out to bars and drinking, coming home at all hours, not worrying about Camilla.

Some days, he would come home, clean up, shower, take out the trash, and go to the bar.

He would come home all hours of the night drunk and smelling of cigarette smoke.

Many nights, she would lie awake crying because of her uncertainty, and when she questioned him, his response was always, "I work hard, I just need a place to relax!"

Camilla was constantly tired during the first three months of her pregnancy, and as her pregnancy progressed, she had different changes in her hormones.

When the seventh month came, Camilla decided to keep working as this was peak season for selling homes, while Steven took leave in December, as this was when their company had their annual shutdown.

Even though Steven was home, Camilla still had to cook and clean after work. During his leave, he didn't even bother taking her to, or picking her up, from work.

She often tried taking the car, but he would always stop her. "You can't take the car!" he exclaimed.

"But you home!" she retorted.

"Yes, but I need the car."

"Fine, then can you at least drop me off at work and pick me up?" She asked.

"It's too early!" was his response.

"What is happening?" Camilla wondered, "why was this man being like this? He's on leave and can't be bothered to think of me."

Camilla didn't see it then, but this was going to be the start to a very turbulent marriage, one filled with sorrow, grief, insecurity, and anger. A marriage that would put her in a very different mindset as she gets a lot older.

During that December, Camilla would come home every day, no food cooked, the place left untidy by Steven leaving dishes to be washed. She was angry and upset and even hurt.

Camilla wasn't used to this kind of thing.

Reflecting on her younger days: Camilla remembered those earlier years - or fragments of them really - her mother busy kitchen, her father humming a happy tone, stealing kisses while helping her. Camilla suspected her father always ended up in the kitchen just to spend more time with her mother than because of the food.

If only she had that with Steven.

Seven months into their marriage and he wasn't the man she thought he was.

They were happy weren't they? They had good days. What changed?

The crunch of gravel drew her attention to the window.

"Here he comes," she thought to herself, "another late night at the bar."

Camilla was exhausted. Some nights, she would only get home at 8 or 9 p.m. after house viewings and trying to seal a deal or two. Some nights, she would get home, and the house would be in darkness and cold.

Steven, who couldn't be bothered to cook for his wife or even be home when she got home from a long day at the office, would come in drunk.

"Where is my food? I'm hungry!" He would demand.

Camilla would reheat the food, put it in front of him, and walk to the bedroom exhausted and angry.

"Is this what married life was meant to be like?" she pondered, "am I destined to live forever like this?"