Llandudno 3 pm ish

 I was walking back to my car when I heard a sing song Welsh voice say “ Hello John!” behind me.

A woman pushing an expensive looking baby buggy had just crossed the road .

She looked familiar but I didn’t know who it was at first.

Initially, I thought she was a relative of a hospice patient, but I wasn’t sure

She was, in fact,  my divorce solicitor .

I hadn’t seen her for over two years.

She asked me how I was and I confirmed that I was fine, working full time and doing ok

“ How are your dogs ?” She asked “ The Scottie who was so poorly? “ 

I thought it strange that she had remembered George so well and I updated her briefly whilst keeping things light

“ Do you know that you worried me more than any other of my clients have ever done ” she admitted, suddenly serious. 

I laughed nervously and asked her why that was

“You were so crushed when I first met you “ she said.  “all you were worried about was keeping all those dogs safe at home” 

And she squeezed my arm when I told her I had a “new” rescue bulldog 

“I’m not surprised…..” she said, before we parted, “You do look so different now….so much lighter”

She didn’t resemble the “cut throat “ solicitor described by my mediator either.

This meeting caught me on the hop,so to speak…….to see yourself through someone else’s eyes, especially by someone who doesn’t really know you is always a tad emotional .

I shook her hand and said thank you.

And remembered that I had not managed to thank her before

My favourite photo of George, the year he died