When I stepped outside on Wednesday morning, feeling the weight of the ongoing week on my shoulders, the last thing I expected was a proposal of marriage. I got one though.

Albert had come and stepped right in front of me effectively blocking the path and demanding my full attention. There was clear hope in those eyes and it didn’t seem like he was joking. “So…will you?”

I just stared.  “I…what?”

He cleared his throat trying to look more proper, which was difficult, considering his out-of-place uniform.

“Will you be my wife?” He awkwardly went down on one knee almost falling over. I bit my lip.

“I’m afraid I can’t.”

He blinked, looking genuinely taken aback. “But…why?” He scrambled to his feet. “We love each other.” 

I gave him a supportive smile resting a hand on his shoulder. “I know but I’m already married.” I held up my ring and wiggled my fingers.

“I can get you a ring. A better ring.”

“I don’t even think I could take this one off,” I said a little wistfully. I had gained significant weight in the years since my marriage and never been able to fully bounce back no matter how many magazine diets I followed. “But that’s not really the problem. The problem is I have a husband.” 

“But he’s not here.”

Now that was true. He was off doing ‘important’ work in Japan. There is no winning when your husband is high up in the charity sector. If you argue against anything you come out looking like the bad guy. 

“You can be married to two people.”

I laughed. He wasn’t technically wrong, there were places you could go to marry multiple people but none of them were within driving distance of Devon.

“I can handle one husband but not two. I’m sorry,” I said in a gentle yet firm tone. “But I cannot marry you.”

Seeing that this was indeed my final answer his face crumpled and tears filled those big blue eyes. He looked for all the world like he was going to start crying in the middle of the driveway.

My heart ached and I made a snap decision. “Alright, alright, I’ll marry you.”

“You will?”

I pulled him into my arms smacking a kiss against his rosy cheeks and wiping away his tears. “Yes, of course.”      

He gave a smile that made me feel as if the sun had just come out. “Thank you, mummy.”