Natalie

Natalie is on the sofa of her mountainside villa. Rain hits the window, carried by the wind from the sea. Her shoulders are relaxed; the children’s rooms are quiet.

Her face looks back from the dark glass. Beautiful. She makes herself widen her eyes, part her lips. She knows this, and the weariness that lies underneath. She frowns.

The phone lies on the table in front of her. Her schedule for tomorrow. She rehearses faces, phrases and jokes. They pay after all. It’s only fair.

She hears the spin cycle of the washing machine finishing. Her shoulders stiffen. The phone pings and she picks it up. It’s a message from her husband. There’s music in the background and the sound of people laughing.

“Sorry I forgot to call you. It is going fantastically! Everyone here loves me! It’s going to be huge! I am going to take you and the kids to Hawaii this summer.”

“Jakob, come here!” a voice calls out.

“Gotta go now. Don’t forget the kids’ dentist appointment and the football match this week. Ahh, and my mum wants you to call her. Love ya’. Bye.”

As the message is playing, a forced smile flickers across her face.

The washing machine finishes and plays its little jingle. She tenses her legs to stand up but sinks back down onto the sofa.

She sees the photograph. Old. Yellow edges. A girl dancing on a table, men watching, mouths open. She puts a hand to her mouth and smiles. Her eyes are wet.

The rain is falling hard now. Natalie removes her socks and shivers as her feet touch the floor. She stands, moves to the window and opens it. The sound of the rain and the scent of pine trees fills the room.

– AND –

She walks into the rain and into the night toward the sea.

– OR –

She gets out in the rain. He is there. She takes his hand and brings him inside. They walk to the sofa leaving wet tracks on the floor.

– OR –

She looks into the night and sees the man waiting for her. She steps forward and the water wets her bare feet. She sighs, steps backward and closes the window.