**The Return of Alice**
Emma was chopping vegetables for stew when the doorbell rang. She wiped her hands on her apron, smoothed her dress, and hurried to the hall. When she opened the door, she froze—there stood her daughter, Alice, with two suitcases. The girl’s face was pale, her eyes red from crying. “What’s happened?” Emma fretted, her heart tightening. “Tom and I split up,” Alice sobbed, sinking onto the hallway bench. “Did he cheat?” Emma guessed. “No,” Alice shook her head. “Did he hurt you?” Emma pressed. “No,” Alice repeated. “Then what?” Emma was baffled. Alice sighed heavily, set down her bags, and began to explain. As she spoke, Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Alice and Tom had married two years ago. Emma had questioned her daughter’s choice from the start. Tom was a simple man—a mechanic with rough hands and clothes that smelled of engine oil. Polite, quiet, clearly from a modest background. When he first visited, nervously handing Emma a bunch of daisies, she’d smiled. “How did you know I loved these?” Tom had blushed, not admitting it was all he could afford. He supported his mother, grandmother, and younger siblings—every penny went to his family.
Alice, on the other hand, had grown up comfortably. An only child, she was used to pretty dresses, expensive toys, and a posh private school. For her eighteenth birthday, her parents gave her a car and were saving for a flat. Her suitors came from wealthy families, so Emma couldn’t fathom why her refined daughter had fallen for a working-class man like Tom. “Mum, he’s kind, he’s real,” Alice insisted, and Emma, though doubtful, gave her blessing. She warned, “Love, life with him won’t be easy. Are you ready to give up luxury?” Alice nodded—but, as it turned out, she hadn’t truly understood.
The wedding had been lavish—Alice’s doing, with Emma and her husband footing the bill despite Tom’s protests. The first few months, the newlyweds were happy, renting a flat and making plans. Then the fights started. Alice wanted a holiday in Spain; Tom suggested Brighton to save for a mortgage and help his mum. She dreamed of designer dresses and fancy dinners, but his modest wages barely covered essentials. “I’m exhausted, Mum,” Alice confessed, sitting in the hall. “I’m tired of making his lunches, washing his work clothes, living in that tiny flat. My friends are jet-setting, and what am I doing? I want a beautiful life, and with Tom, it’s never going to happen!”
Emma listened, torn between pity and frustration. She poured Alice tea, sat across from her, and began. “Alice, you knew who you were marrying. Tom’s honest, hardworking, he loves you. And you’re comparing him to your friends’ husbands. Do you know Sarah’s husband strays, and she swallows it for trips to Ibiza? Or that Lucy’s in the same boat, only with handbags? Hannah endures insults because she’s scared of being alone. And Emily’s husband runs her business while she funds his laziness. Is that the life you want?”
Alice stayed silent, staring into her cup. Emma pressed on. “Do you think your father and I had it easy? When his company went under, we sold our house to pay debts. I cleaned offices; he worked nights as a warehouse hand. But we stuck together—look at us now. If I’d walked away, where would we be?” Alice looked up. “Mum, but I’m tired of waiting for Tom to make something of himself.” Emma sighed. “And what are *you* doing for your marriage? Waiting for him to fix everything? A real family means both trying—not running at the first hurdle.”
Alice sat quietly, turning her mother’s words over in her mind. Emma watched doubt flicker in her eyes. “Go on, love,” she said gently. “Think it through. Tom isn’t perfect, but he’s your husband. And if you leave, ask yourself what you’re giving up.” Alice nodded, took her bags, and left. When Emma’s husband came home, he frowned. “What was that about?” Emma smiled. “Our girl’s learning how life works.”
A week later, Alice returned to Tom. They made up, and she never mentioned splitting again. Emma knew her daughter had realised happiness isn’t in price tags—it’s in who stands by you. Alice started job-hunting to help Tom, and bit by bit, their life improved. “That’s my girl,” Emma thought, stirring the stew. “Life teaches us all in the end.”