If I Never Met You

by Mhairi McFarlane

Laurie was property and Michael was an honest broker, who had been sexually gazumped. It was revolting, discovering the antediluvian attitudes and values that lurked just beneath the surface.

The Carters appeared delighted she had plenty of opinions and insights. Dan’s parents were nice people, but they were principally interested in things immediately around them, the neighbor’s intrusive extension, the weather, their own children. Jamie’s parents wanted Laurie’s take on world affairs, they wanted to know where she was from (but in a “you sound northern . . . ?” kind of way), what motivated her.

“Daniel was able to flourish in your partnership, because you gave him the confidence, and because of that, he used you as base camp for his adventures. Your father used to do the same to me.”

What would success feel like to you? She could finally answer that: self-respect. It felt like not caring anymore.

She hoped Dan made Megan happy, and she hoped he would be a good father. She meant that from the bottom of her bruised and battered heart.

Laurie’s mum had once said to her, keep a close eye on the worst things that happened to you, they could turn out to be a doorway, a route to someplace else entirely, a map you couldn’t yet read.

“Oh, you dear sweet fool, she will now verbally decapitate you.”