# Chapter 21: The Sunday Roast Showdown
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing today? I hope you're sitting comfortably, because today we are walking straight into one of the most emotionally charged chapters yet of *Married at First Swipe*. Get ready for burnt toast, simmering resentment, a Sunday roast that nobody will forget, and a car ride home that ends in explosive tempers. This is Chapter 21, and trust me—the calm before this storm was dangerously quiet.
We begin on a gentle, hopeful note. Hannah's weekend has been everything she needed it to be. She potters around her flat, actually makes it to the gym—that's a victory in itself, let's be honest—and enjoys a wonderful FaceTime call with her best friend Dee, who's living her best life in Australia. Dee is housesitting in Sydney over Christmas, and she tempts Hannah with the most glorious invitation imaginable: beaches, barbies, sun and escape from the freezing Manchester drizzle. Hannah is so swept up in the fantasy that she says yes on the spot, already dreaming of booking flights. Honestly, who could resist? It's the perfect dream—until she remembers she'll be spending Sunday lunch with Toby's parents the very next day. And the thought isn't exactly filling her with joy.
Now, we need to talk about Hannah and Toby's marriage, because behind closed doors, things are not as rosy as they pretend. Toby has texted her every day, but there's a growing wall between them. Ever since that awkward night at his flat—the one they absolutely refuse to discuss—their relationship has felt like it's moving in reverse. A chaste goodbye kiss is the most intimacy they manage these days. Hannah knows they need to talk about the elephant in the room, but every time she tries to muster the courage, she chickens out. And Toby, bless him, is about as emotionally open as a locked vault.
Sunday arrives, and Hannah dresses with care. She digs out the flowy floral dress she bought for her South America trip in a moment of optimism—the one that promised she'd be an "English rose" but ended up crushed at the bottom of her backpack for three months. It's a little creased, a little boho, but it'll do. Toby arrives looking rather formal in a pale-pink shirt that honestly does nothing for his complexion—you can tell it wasn't one of Melissa's fashion recommendations. He compliments Hannah sweetly, but there's an awkwardness lingering between them as they climb into the car. The drive to Knutsford is quiet. Classic FM provides dramatic orchestral backing while Hannah silently rehearses conversations she's too scared to start. Toby, oblivious, hums along happily. And before she knows it, they've arrived at a large detached house, and the opportunity to talk has slipped away again.
Toby's mum, Elaine, opens the door and immediately fawns over her son, declaring his new shirt dapper. Toby proudly introduces Hannah as his wife, which triggers an avalanche of cooing, kissing and handshaking. Then there's Phil, Toby's dad, a boisterous man who booms from the kitchen that he's made enough food to feed an entire army. And you know what? The roast is genuinely delicious. Hannah busies herself with roast potatoes, trying not to look too greedy while also avoiding the spotlight. For a little while, conversation is safe: Toby's sleep, his zinc supplements, his workload. But then, like a storm cloud rolling over a sunny picnic, the topic shifts to marriage and babies.
Elaine's eyes gleam as she asks Hannah how she's finding married life. Hannah gives a careful, diplomatic answer, but Elaine pounces. She mentions that Melissa and Michaela, bless their hearts, have made it abundantly clear that dogs are the only babies they'll ever have. The implication hangs in the air like smoke: it's up to Toby and Hannah to provide the grandchildren now. Hannah is stunned. Is Toby's mum really pressuring them for grandchildren at their *first* Sunday lunch together? Even Joan would balk at that. But before Hannah can recover, Elaine barrels ahead, asking about their plans to move in together, where they'll live, Toby's commute—it's a relentless interrogation disguised as motherly concern. Toby, predictably, responds with vague platitudes about being busy, and Hannah watches him do absolutely nothing to redirect the conversation.
Then comes the real bombshell. Elaine invites them to spend Christmas at the family home, insisting nobody expects them to host just because they're married. And Toby—without even glancing at Hannah, without a single moment of consultation—immediately accepts. "We would love to come here for Christmas, wouldn't we, Hannah?" He even adds that his dad does the best turkey and trimmings. Hannah's blood runs cold. Elaine giggles about giving Hannah her own stocking to hang next to Toby's childhood one, and then, with alarming cheerfulness, adds: *"And who knows, in a year's time, we might even need another wee stocking!"*
Hannah manages a strained smile, excuses herself and locks herself in the bathroom. She stares at her flushed face in the mirror, fighting back tears of pure frustration. How dare he sit there and let his parents map out their entire future—grandchildren, Christmas, moving plans—when they've never even had sex, let alone discussed children? And more importantly, what about her beautiful Aussie Christmas plans with Dee? Toby has no idea he's just railroaded her dreams into the ground. She grits her teeth, takes a deep breath and forces herself back downstairs.
On her way back to the dining room, Phil intercepts her with a warm, booming welcome. He quietly tells her how wonderful it is to see Toby happy after the last few difficult years—a not-so-subtle reference to the fiancée Toby lost, the wound that still lingers between them. Phil calls her family, hugs her, and welcomes her in. It's sweet. It's genuine. And it makes Hannah feel even more trapped. She endures two more hours of stories about Toby's childhood, his guitar-playing days, his lost potential as a musician—and she does it all with a pasted-on smile. Finally, after much eyebrow signalling and gentle prompting, she manages to extract Toby from his parents' warm embraces, with promises to return for dinner in a couple of weeks.
And then the car journey home happens. And oh, my friends, this is where everything falls apart.
Toby is positively glowing. He grins that his parents loved Hannah, and Hannah admits they're nice—because they genuinely are. They're just far too full-on. She brings up the Christmas invitation, and Toby seems so pleased about it that she has to remind him she was never consulted. "Dee has asked me to go to Australia for Christmas," she says, her voice tight. "It's going to be amazing." Toby brushes it off, suggesting they can go next year. He'd rather be near family, put down roots, do what Mum and Dad expect. And that word—*expect*—ignites something in Hannah.
"I see my parents all the time," she says, her frustration climbing. "I haven't seen Dee in years. Christmas in the sunshine will be exactly what I need after these stressful months." But Toby just doesn't get it. He tells her they're expected. He asks why the honeymoon doesn't count as travelling. He claims he's just trying to understand. And Hannah, now officially past her breaking point, lets every pent-up frustration spill out.
"Why do you let your parents sit there and talk about having grandchildren," she demands, "when we've never even had sex, let alone discussed kids?" Toby looks genuinely confused. He mentions how much Hannah adores Leo, wondering if that isn't a sign she'd want children one day. But Hannah points out the glaring truth: they've never talked about it. And all the while, Toby completely ignores the part about their unconsummated marriage. "They're just excited," he says. "Just calm down." And if you've ever been told to calm down while you're already furious, you know exactly how Hannah feels now.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" she explodes. "You're the one who won't talk about anything! We haven't even discussed what happened at your flat, never mind talked about how we're both feeling!" Toby says it's hard for him. Hannah hears that as an excuse, and her next words fly out like daggers: *"You don't get to do the poor bereaved fiancé act for ever, Toby."*
The silence is instant and crushing. Toby visibly recoils, shrinking into his seat. Hannah immediately regrets her cruelty, but the red mist has descended and she can't seem to stop herself. She keeps going, accusing him of living in make-believe land where everything is shiny and rosy, when the reality is anything but. And then she says the words that change everything: *"I'm starting to think I might have made the biggest mistake of my life saying 'I do'."*
Toby whips his head toward her, stunned, then returns his eyes to the road without speaking a single word. The sentence hangs in the air like poisonous gas. They pull up outside Hannah's flat, and suddenly the spell breaks. Hannah reaches for her bag, desperate to take it back. "Look, Toby, I—" But he cuts her off with those devastating three words: *"Save it, Hannah."* She sees the set of his jaw, the coldness in his expression, and she knows there's no reaching him right now. She gets out of the car, fumbles for her keys, and half-expects him to come after her. Instead, Toby performs a perfect three-point turn and drives away—away from her flat, away from her, and into a future that suddenly feels terrifyingly uncertain.
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## Reader's Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter hit me like a truck, and I mean that in the best way possible. It's honest, raw, and painfully realistic. On one hand, my heart broke for Hannah—being ambushed by well-meaning in-laws, having your Christmas dreams swept aside without consultation, and feeling so unseen in your own marriage is genuinely awful. But on the other hand, I also felt for Toby. He was never given the chance to explain his feelings, and Hannah's cruel reference to his deceased fiancée was a low blow, even if she did regret it immediately. Neither of them is the villain here; they're just two wounded people who stopped talking at the exact moment they needed to start. The scene in the bathroom, the suffocating politeness of Sunday lunch, the explosive car ride—every moment was written with such vivid emotion that I felt like I was trapped in that car with them. This chapter doesn't offer easy answers, and sometimes that's exactly what makes a story so compelling. I'm desperate to know what happens next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
After that devastating three-point turn, I predict Chapter 22 will bring a painful silence between Hannah and Toby. But silence can't last forever with a family Christmas looming, especially when there are promises to keep and grandparents waiting to hang tiny stockings. I think Toby will retreat into his shell, burying himself in work and avoiding Hannah's calls, until something—or someone—forces him to confront the grief he's been carrying. Meanwhile, Hannah might just book those flights to Australia out of spite, only to realize halfway to the airport that she's not sure she wants to leave at all. And somewhere in the middle of it all, Mel or Melissa will likely march in with some brutally honest advice that shakes them both awake. The question is: will that wake-up call save their marriage, or be the final nail in its coffin? Stay tuned, because I have a feeling the next chapter is going to be even more emotional!
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