Ella:

The following morning, I got up earlier than usual, feeling so elated I scream out loud after it further dawns on me that nobody’s home . Mary won’t barge in shouting orders at me. This was my house again and today was the 31st, my first anniversary with my first boyfriend! Joe had hinted he had a huge surprise for me in store.

I imagined how the whole night was going to pan out. He would pop a ring into our glass of champagne and when I would find it in my last gulp, he would get up and go down on one knee in front of everybody and...