9. The Affair Next Door

THE AFFAIR NEXT DOOR

R osie hummed to herself as she watered the geraniums on her windowsill, a spring in her step that hadn't been there a few weeks ago. The memory of her date with Mike still brought a smile to her face, and she found herself looking forward to their next outing with a mixture of excitement and nervous anticipation.

The doorbell's chime interrupted her reverie. Wiping her hands on her apron, Rosie hurried to answer it, finding Emma on her doorstep, practically bouncing with enthusiasm.

"Get your walking shoes on, Red," Emma announced without preamble. "We're going for a stroll in the park, and I've got a surprise for you."

Rosie raised an eyebrow. "A surprise? Should I be worried?"

Emma's grin widened. "Only if you're allergic to making new friends. Come on, the others are waiting!"

Curiosity piqued, Rosie quickly changed into more suitable attire and followed Emma out the door. As they approached the park entrance, she spotted Lisa, Julie, and Catherine waiting for them. But there were two unfamiliar faces as well – both women who looked to be around their age.

"Rosie!" Lisa called out, waving them over. "Come meet our new recruits!"

As they drew closer, Rosie took in the appearance of the newcomers. One was a petite brunette with a warm smile and perfectly coiffed hair. She wore an immaculate white blouse and tailored trousers, looking as though she'd stepped out of a home and garden magazine. The other was a tall, statuesque woman with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a stylish bob. Her outfit was more casual but unmistakably expensive.

"Rosie, meet Maria and Trisha," Julie said, gesturing to each woman in turn. "They're our neighbours from down the street, and they've decided to join our merry band of mischief-makers."

Maria, the petite brunette, stepped forward with a slightly nervous smile. "Hello, Rosie. I hope you don't mind us crashing your group. Julie's been telling us all about your adventures, and well... it sounded like fun."

Trisha, the taller woman, grinned and added, "What Maria means is, we're desperately in need of some excitement in our lives, and you lot seem to attract it like magnets."

Rosie laughed, immediately warming to the new additions. "Well, you've certainly come to the right place. Though I can't promise all our adventures will be entirely dignified."

"Dignity is overrated," Emma declared, linking arms with Maria and Trisha. "Now, let's get this walk started. I've got gossip to share, and my tongue is practically itching with the effort of keeping it to myself."

As they set off down the park's winding paths, Rosie found herself falling into step beside Maria. The other woman seemed a bit reserved, but there was a kindness in her eyes that Rosie found instantly likeable.

"So, Maria," Rosie began, hoping to draw her out, "Julie mentioned you live down the street. Have you been in the neighbourhood long?"

Maria nodded, her perfectly styled hair barely moving. "Oh yes, David – that's my husband – and I have been here for nearly twenty years now. It's a lovely area, isn't it?"

"It is," Rosie agreed. "Though I must admit, I've only recently started to appreciate it again. Funny how a change in perspective can make familiar surroundings seem new."

A shadow passed over Maria's face, so quickly Rosie almost missed it. "Yes, I suppose that's true," she said softly. "David always says I'm too..." she trailed off, that shadow passing over her face again.

Trisha, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly spoke up. "Too what, Maria? Too fun? Too happy? Because if that's what David thinks, then David can go take a long walk off a short pier."

The vehemence in Trisha's tone took Rosie by surprise. There was clearly some history here that she wasn't privy to.

Maria flushed, looking uncomfortable. "It's not like that, Trish. David just... he likes things to be a certain way. Orderly, you know?"

"And by 'orderly,' you mean 'boring as watching paint dry,'" Trisha muttered, but subsided when Lisa shot her a warning look.

Eager to dispel the sudden tension, Catherine suggested they continue their walk. As they strolled along, Rosie found herself chatting with Trisha, who turned out to have a wicked sense of humour and a wealth of stories from her days running a successful event planning business with her husband, John.

"It's all about the details," Trisha was saying, gesturing expansively. "You wouldn't believe the things people want at their weddings these days. Last month, we had a couple who insisted on having live butterflies released during their vows. Can you imagine? The poor vicar nearly had a heart attack when one landed on his nose mid-sermon!"

Rosie was laughing at Trisha's impression of the flustered vicar when she heard a sharp intake of breath from beside her. She turned to see Maria frozen in place, her face drained of colour.

"Maria? What's wrong?" Rosie asked, concerned.

But Maria didn't seem to hear her. Her gaze was fixed on something across the park. Rosie followed her line of sight.

On a bench partially hidden by a large oak tree, sat a man with a young woman– easily half his age – perched beside him, laughing at something he'd said.

‘Do you know her?' asked Rosie.

‘No, but I know him,' said Maria. ‘He's an absolute scumbag.'

As they watched, the man reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind the woman's ear, his hand lingering on her cheek in a gesture that was unmistakably intimate.

"Oh, shit," Emma muttered, having noticed the scene as well.

For a moment, no one moved. Then, without a word, Maria turned on her heel and began walking rapidly in the opposite direction.

"Maria, wait!" Lisa called, but Maria didn't slow down.

The group exchanged helpless glances before Trisha took charge. "Right," she said briskly. "Julie, Catherine – you go after Maria. Make sure she's okay. The rest of us need to have a little chat."

As Julie and Catherine hurried after Maria, Trisha turned to the remaining women, her expression grim. "Well, ladies, it seems we have a situation on our hands."

"What's going on?" asked Rosie. "I'm confused."

"That two-timing, snake-in-the-grass, sorry excuse for a man is Maria's husband," Emma fumed, her hands clenched into fists.

"Oh no," said Rosie, genuinely shocked.

"I ought to go over there and give him a piece of my mind," said Emma.

"As satisfying as that might be," Lisa interjected, ever the voice of reason, "I don't think that's what Maria needs right now."

"Do you think... is it possible there's an innocent explanation? Maybe that woman is a relative, or a colleague..." said Rosie.

Trisha shook her head, her expression sad. "I wish I could say yes, but... this isn't the first time I've had suspicions about David. He's always been a bit too friendly with his young female 'assistants,' if you know what I mean. Also – he's no fun and he treats Maria terribly. I've never liked him."

"Poor Maria," Rosie murmured. "She must be devastated."

As the debate raged on, Rosie felt the vibration of her phone in her pocket. Fishing it out, her eyes widened as she saw the caller ID: Derek. Her ex-husband who had an affair, prompting the collapse of their marriage.

What great timing.

For a moment, she considered ignoring the call. But something – curiosity, perhaps, or a lingering sense of obligation – made her answer.

"Hello?" she said, stepping away from the group for privacy.

"Rosie?" Derek's voice came through, sounding hesitant and... was that a hint of vulnerability she detected? "I... I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, it's fine," Rosie replied, her mind racing. "Is everything alright? Is it Mary?"

"No, no, nothing like that," Derek hastened to assure her. "Everyone's fine. I just... well, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About us."

"Oh?"

"I've been thinking about it for weeks, and I just... I had to call. We were good together once, weren't we? Maybe we could be again."

Rosie's thoughts were a whirlwind. Images flashed through her mind – years of shared history with Derek, the pain of their separation, the newfound joy she'd discovered with her friends, the spark of possibility with Mike. How could she possibly make sense of it all?

"What are you suggesting?"

"I want us to get back together."

"Derek, you had an affair with a friend of mine."

"And I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, and how much I regret that. I adore you. I miss you. Please, Rosie. I really want us to get back together."

"I... I need some time to think about this, Derek," she said finally.

"Of course," Derek replied, sounding relieved that she hadn't outright rejected the idea. "Take all the time you need. I'll be here."

As Rosie ended the call, she turned back to her friends, feeling as though the ground had shifted beneath her feet.

"Everything OK?"

"Yes," said Rosie. She didn't want to burden them with the conversation she'd just had.

"You look worried. What is it."

"It's nothing, really. Let's go and find Maria and check she's OK."

"They're in The Albion on Bridge Road. We'll meet them there."

They began to walk towards the pub.

‘You look miles away," said Emma.

"That was my ex-husband," said Rosie.

All eyes turned to her, concern evident on every face.

"What did he want?" Trisha asked, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

Taking a deep breath, Rosie blurted out, " He wants to get back together."

The resulting chorus of exclamations was so loud that a nearby flock of pigeons took flight in alarm.

"After everything he put you through?"

"Oh, Rosie," Lisa said softly. "How do you feel about that?"

Rosie shook her head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know."

Across town, Derek sat in his sterile apartment, phone still in hand, heart racing after his call to Rosie. He gazed at the generic art on the walls, so different from the warm, lived-in feel of the home he'd shared with Rosie. What had he been thinking?

He remembered the day he'd left, convinced he was suffocating in the routines of married life. Pauline had been a spark, a chance to feel young again. But now, surrounded by the trappings of his "new life," he felt older and more lost than ever.

"You bloody fool," he muttered to himself, running a hand through his thinning hair. The excitement of his fling with Pauline had faded quickly, leaving him with nothing but regret and a deep longing for the life he'd thrown away.

He thought of Rosie, of the little things he missed – her laugh, the way she'd absentmindedly hum while reading, the comfort of simply sitting together in companionable silence. He'd mistaken that comfort for boredom, but now he recognized it for what it was – the deep, abiding love of a shared life.

Derek moved towards to the window. "I have to make this right," he said to his reflection. "Somehow, I have to show Rosie that I understand now. That I want to come home."

In the park, Rosie's friends clustered around her, offering support and conflicting advice. She felt as though she were standing on the edge of a precipice. Behind her lay the familiar comfort of her life with Derek, flawed as it had been. Ahead stretched an unknown future, filled with both excitement and uncertainty.

The choice, she realised, was hers to make.

"We'd all be OK if it weren't for men," said Emma, shaking her head. "Look at how much fun we all have when there are no men around to ruin things."

Mike sat at a corner table in the cafeteria, surrounded by his colleagues from the GP practice. The conversation flowed easily, as it always did, but Mike found his thoughts drifting to Rosie.

"Earth to Mike," chuckled Sarah, a fellow GP. "You've been staring at that coffee like it holds the secrets of the universe. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Mike looked up, a slightly sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, just thinking about someone."

"Someone?" Tom, the youngest doctor in their group, leaned in with interest. "Don't tell me our confirmed bachelor has finally met his match?"

Mike felt a warmth creep into his cheeks. "Well, there is this woman I've been seeing. Rosie. She's... different from anyone I've ever met."

"Do tell," Sarah encouraged, her eyes twinkling.

Mike found himself talking about Rosie with an enthusiasm that surprised even him. He told them about her wit, her adventurous spirit, and the way she was embracing life in her sixties with such vigour.

"She sounds wonderful," Sarah said warmly. "But I sense there's a 'but' coming."

Mike sighed. "Her ex-husband is trying to get back into the picture. I know I shouldn't feel threatened, but..."

"But you do," Tom finished for him. "It's natural, Mike. You're invested in this relationship."

"Exactly," Mike nodded. "I really like her. And I want to be patient, give her the space to figure things out. But I can't help worrying I might lose her before we really have a chance to begin."

Sarah reached out, patting his hand. "From what you've told us about Rosie, she sounds like a woman who knows her own mind. Trust in that. And in the connection you two have."

Mike smiled, feeling some of his anxiety ease. "You're right. Thanks for listening, all of you. Now, who's for another coffee? My treat."