It was walking past a bathroom tile shop in Muswell Hill that cemented the idea. Since my appointments with Simon, I kept thinking about the mosaics I’d seen internally in the second session. I had it in mind to create something similar as an art project – not of my own life as I’d seen it under hypnosis, but of my friends, using the colours that they’d vibrated when I’d seen them in my subconscious. I wanted to use a mixture of mediums – photographs, which would be easy enough to fragment; Perspex; the gems and bits of old jewellery that I had stored away – but I wasn’t sure how to create the luminosity that I’d seen. On looking in the shop window, I’d spied a display of tiny mosaic tiles in shiny gold, silver, green, black and red. They would be perfect. They had just the right shimmer of radiance to work. They would be too expensive to buy from there, but I could find out the supplier, decide on my colours then order them at trade price. It was the first time in years that I’d been fired up about working on something new, and I wanted to start with a multifaceted portrait of Heather, in all the glorious greens that I’d seen her in on the internal mosaic of my life.

Inside, the assistant was kind enough to give me some samples. As I looked around, I saw that there were also sheets of tiny coloured-glass tiles. They would also work; they reminded me of the wonderful glass walls and mosaics I’d seen in the City Palace in Udaipur. Maybe, as Heather had said, my visit there had sparked off the idea of mosaics in my subconscious mind. Whatever the explanation, I couldn’t wait to get started.

As I came out of the shop, I went over to the deli over the road to pick up some supper. Outside, I noticed Stuart and Monty on the opposite side of the road. Stuart was standing at the board where people advertised local events and tradesmen and appeared to be pinning a leaflet up on there.

‘Hey you,’ I said, ‘what you up to?’

Stuart turned, smiled and gave me a hug. ‘You first. Is the sale of your house going through OK?’

‘I couldn’t have asked for better buyers. I’ll be moving in with Marcia and Pete soon.’

‘What about the shop?’

‘All good, we’ve managed to sell off a lot more of the stock since you came in last.’

‘And any more thoughts about what you might do next?’

‘Yes. I’m going to take some time off, stand and stare for a while.’

‘Good for you. “What is this life if, full of care …”’

‘… “We have no time to stand and stare.” I love that poem. William Henry Davies.

Stuart smiled. ‘Exactly.’

I looked at the board. ‘Did I see you posting something?’