A Recipe for Starting Over

“The beginning of the end,” Lily whispered under her breath. “Okay… goodnight,” she said, turning to leave. “Lily, wait.” Alex stepped forward, panic in his voice. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying… maybe what’s best for us is to go our separate ways. Divorce might be the only option.” “You don’t have to explain yourself,” Lily replied quietly. “I understand.” But her voice shook. She sank onto the nearest chair, her hands trembling. “Mark and I have been together for five years, Alex. Five years. Why would he suddenly want a divorce?” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “There were no signs. Nothing. I’ve been a good wife to him.” She wiped her face, but more tears followed. “And I haven’t even told him yet…” Her voice broke. “I’m pregnant.” “What do I do now?” Lily whispered, voice shaking. “I’ve loved him my entire life. I don’t know what it’s like to not be in love with him. Or am I the problem? Was I doing too much? Why doesn’t he want the marriage again? Why doesn’t he love me anymore?” Alex spoke softly. “Lily, you’re perfect. He’s the problem. It’s his loss for not wanting someone as amazing as you.” He placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. “You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to get past this together and forget about that asshole.” Then he asked gently, “Do you want to keep the baby or not?” “Of course I want to,” Lily said, wiping her tears. “It’s the only thing I have left of him. And why would I even want to get rid of it?” She inhaled shakily. “What do I tell my family? That I’m now going to be a divorced single mother? The shame will be too much for me to bear. I don’t think I can do this, Alex.” She looked around the room helplessly. “Where do I stay? I’ve been a stay-at-home wife for years. The only person I have left is you and this unborn child. I can’t go back to my mum’s. I can’t stay with her.” Alex nodded. “You can crash here for now, till you figure things out. For now, let’s focus on the baby… and start looking for job applications.” Lily sighed, then suddenly remembered something. She had always had a thing for cooking. Instead of looking for job applications, why couldn’t she just open her own restaurant? She told Alex. Alex laughed. “Lily, a restaurant? Do you think it’s that easy to open one? And what do you even know about cooking?” Lily straightened up. “I’ve been a housewife for five years. What do you think kept me sane all that time?” she asked. “I was always in the kitchen, cooking. Even though Mark never really valued or appreciated any of my efforts, it made me happy. I felt at peace whenever I cooked.” Alex stared at her, surprised. “Wow… and I’ve known you forever. How come I never knew this side of you?” He shook his head slightly. “Have you been gatekeeping this from me all this time? Cooking for someone who didn’t even appreciate anything you did?” Lily replied, “Oh yeah, that’s right. I haven’t even done my research yet. I just said opening a restaurant would be the best decision to make. I didn’t really think about the stress and work it’s going to take.” Alex nodded thoughtfully. “Hmm… well then, let’s start from the basics. First, you’ll need a certificate. And for that, you have to go to a cooking school to learn the required skills and also get certified. How about that?” Lily’s face brightened. “That’s a great idea, but where do I get one?” “Oh, don’t worry. I know someone,” Alex said with a wink. “And it’s not even far from your house. It’ll just take a few months—maybe around ten months. While that’s going on, you can start thinking of ways to set up the restaurant.” The next morning, Lily heard loud banging on her bedroom door. “Oh my God, Alex, it’s 6:00 a.m. This better be an emergency,” she groaned. “You just ruined my beauty sleep.” “Oh yeah, it’s not an emergency,” Alex replied cheerfully. “I just couldn’t contain the good news.” Lily groaned again. “What good news could possibly wake someone up this early?” “So, I found a cooking school for you,” Alex said excitedly. “And the reviews are spectacular. I’m actually so excited.” “What cooking school?” Lily asked, now fully awake. “You know my boss’s older brother,” Alex said. Lily paused. “Wait… which one? The tall one?” Alex squealed. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Him!” “The one with the moustache and goatee combo?” Lily asked. “Yes, that one!” “Oh my God,” Lily said, concern flashing across her face. “What happened to him?” “Nothing,” Alex replied quickly. “It’s just that he owns and runs the cooking school.” “Oh my God, you have to be kidding me!” Lily squealed, clearly excited. Alex laughed. “Look at you. Someone who said it would be hard to get over her exhusband.” “You clearly look way over him.” “Wait, girl,” Alex continued, shaking his head. “How did you even cope with him for that long? Were you blind?” “What do you mean?” Lily asked. “You know I’ve had a crush on him forever,” Alex said. “I practically begged him for a relationship.” Lily sighed dramatically. “Oh my God… what was I even doing with my life at that point?” She paused, then added, “Well, thank God that’s over, because that man never really loved me.”