There’s that saying that life is what happens to you when you are busy making other plans. How true. I had it all worked out for this year. Bea Brooks. A new start for both of us. But this might be a hiccup on the way. Waiting for results is always the worst part and the imagination can have a field day – mine, anyway. Like Tom Sawyer sobbing as he watched his own funeral, some dark part of my mind was envisaging mine – who’d be there, what hymns and readings to have. Get a grip man, I told myself. Everything may well be fine.

In the meantime, my furry friend was waiting for me in the passenger seat of my car. A long walk with him should blow away a few anxieties.

18

On Friday afternoon, I gave Heather a lift to our local pharmacy to pick up a stash of cold and flu remedies to keep at the shop as everyone that came in was coughing or sneezing. As we headed across the car park, I noticed a familiar figure in front of us coming out of the surgery. I nudged Heather. ‘Oh no, I think that’s Joe Wilding.’

Heather looked over to see a dark-haired man of medium height in front of us. ‘Oh no. How long is it since you’ve seen him?’

‘Must be twenty years, yes, we lived together for five so—’

‘Do you want to avoid him?’

‘Yes. I …’

Too late, Joe had seen us. His face registered surprise and I sensed a reluctance to engage, but there was no avoiding the situation. ‘Bea, I …’

I was shocked to see how he’d aged, but then he was probably thinking the same about me. ‘Joe, I thought that was you. How are you?’

He shifted about on his feet and laughed. ‘Older, not much wiser. You?’

‘I’m fine.’

Heather waved a hand. ‘Hi Joe.’

Joe looked over. ‘Oh, hi Heather. All right?’

She nodded.

Joe looked over at the line of cars behind us. ‘Er … better dash, sorry.’ He glanced at his watch then back at me. ‘Bea, lovely to see you, I’ll get in touch, I … I’ve been meaning to get in touch for a while.’

‘Sure,’ I said. He probably didn’t mean it. It had been a clean break when we parted and I’d hardly seen him since, although I was aware that he still lived in the area.

Heather and I watched him walk away.

‘That was weird,’ she said, once Joe was out of hearing distance.

‘I know. And why would he get in touch?’

‘Is he on your list of men to look up?’

I shook my head. ‘No. I heard on the grapevine that he’d got married and had kids.’

‘Probably divorced by now, knowing him,’ said Heather. ‘You never know, it’s been a long time, and he was good company when he wasn’t drunk.’