Loveday Writing

The brief of the AWC Furious Fiction—May 2020 short story competition was as follows:

• Your story’s first word must be FIVE.
• Your story must include something being replaced.
• Your story must include the phrase A SILVER LINING.

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Renovation

Five years.

Five years was how long I was married to a man who was handsome, charming and nice to me at the start of our courtship, only to become a lazy husband because he was making an effort to woo a mistress.

Five months.

Is how long the affair went on for before I found out and filed for divorce.

Five weeks ago.

Is the amount of time that has passed since our divorce was finalised. He left to be with the mistress and was such a lazy husband that he didn’t fight for anything. I got to keep the house, all he wanted was his stuff so he could move in with the mistress.

Five days ago.

Was when my bathroom renovation finally finished. I chose this room as the first room to be renovated as I knew it would be the most difficult. I got rid of the blue tiled walls for a more neutral but shiny modern bathroom. Grey walls, light beige tiled floors, a bigger glass shower, a spa instead of an old boxy bathtub, white window frames, a black vanity with white sinks and countertops, small windows and a skylight. But there is one final element that I’ve been waiting to arrive, which is finally here.

A silver framed, shiny, new mirror.

I’ve never liked looking at myself in the mirror until now. I used to see a meek, insecure woman looking back at me. Now I see a mentally war-torn but strong divorced woman ready to take on the world solo. It took a long time for me to get here, but I got here. I couldn’t help but smile at my reflection and run my finger along the edge of the silver frame – every dark cloud does have a silver lining.