The title of the story says it all, really. Elderly Wilfred is in an unbearably sad kind of stasis since his wife, Dorothy, is confined to bed due to illness. As he makes her a fresh cup of tea, he considers their long and happy life together, but also the various ways in which he feels he has failed her. Though both are powerless to transcend the awful situation, is there anything Wilfred can do or say that would make a difference?
First published online as a Manchester Writing Competition finalist here. Collected in The Pre-War House and Other Stories, Salt Publishing, 2013
A Personal Anthology 