“Yes, I just dropped off the kids… I know what day today is, Tim… OK, bye,” Kristin hung up her mobile, a little guilty. This day always made her edgy. It wasn’t her husband’s fault.

She drove her Land Rover down to the church on Five Ways. Pushing aside flyers and pamphlets, Kristin huffed and strutted into a black narrow booth, where a desk awaited her. She gazed longingly at the candidates’ sheet, before scrawling numbers.

Maybe next year, she thought to herself. Or when the kids are older…

Her mind raced back to a time years ago, when she had spent days working out slogans and mountains of ideas on paper.

But she knew, for now, that she had to keep her job at the company.

“I’m sorry about today,” Tim told her at dinner, after the children were tucked into bed.

“Me too,” Kristen agreed with a grin. “You know, Amy got full marks in her test today.”

“I wonder where she got that from,” he chuckled.

“We’re so lucky,” Kristen sighed, holding her husband’s hand. And she knew it was true.