Then he decided to retire early.

He came home and too over her life completely again. She hardly got to see the new friends she had made. She’d been maneuvered into quitting the course she was taking at the technical college. And, worst of all. She’d been made to listen to James’ endless plans for their future.

He’d decided that now the children were grown and he was retired they could sell the house and buy a yacht with which to sail around the world for the next few years. He was so excited about this new idea that he’d not seen the cloak of despair descend upon Ruth. Since that point, Ruth’s days had been full of listening to James ¡ plans what they would need, where they would go, how far they would travel. He spoke of nothing else. And Ruth thought of nothing else.

And now Ruth stood at the kitchen sink her hand in the washing-up water she’d been stood there so long the water was cold, her hands white and wrinkled. She lifted her head to look at her reflection in the window above the sink. The face staring back at her was sad. The corners of her mouth turned downwards. She examined the wrinkles on her face ‘l’ m 52-years-old’ she told the face in the window ‘don’t want to sail around the world in a small yacht. For the first 20 years of my life my parent decided everything for me, and for the next 32 years James has done the same’

For a moment Ruth continued to stare at herself then a light entered her eyes and she began to smile. She’d made a decision, one that she was going to follow through she felt the strength entering her body. For the first time in her life she knows exactly what she was going to do.

She dried her hands on the tea towel. Then walked into the living room towards the reclining chair.

‘Ah there you are. Come and look at this. This is the one we’ll buy. And this is the plan of our journey. First we’re off to…’

Before he could say any more Ruth broke in ‘James, there’s something I need to talk to you about. I want a divorcie’.