It all felt like such a mess once again though, as if she and Ward were right back at square one. To say nothing of the fact that the New York office was busier than she could have imagined, with more client demands piling up by the day.

So to say she welcomed any opportunity for distraction from work pressure was an understatement.

As you can probably tell, I’ve been on my own for a while. Not alone per se but … well, you know. Nothing lasts forever. Life had other plans. Always does, regardless of what we want or hope. And after the last time, I pretty much figured that stuff – relationship stuff – wouldn’t happen again for me.

Hannah read the paragraph again and put a hand over her heart, touched by his candour. Was he divorced? A widower, maybe? she pondered, suddenly imagining Ed in his wheelchair in the cemetery reverently laying flowers on a grave.

Life had other plans . . .

Her thoughts again drifted to her grandfather. He had outlived Hannah’s grandmother by years. They had been together since they were teenagers and had married after he returned from a military stint during the Second World War. Married for almost seventy years with five children and a slew of great-grandchildren including herself, and with family around them at all times. Neither had been lonely at the end – not by a stretch. And they had been the love of each other’s lives; Granddad certainly hadn’t been looking for a second shot at romance when he was in his nineties.

So clearly Ed wasn’t of similar age to her grandfather, nor as old and frail as she’d assumed.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is that I met someone special, and thought I was reading the signals right, but it’s a mess

Who was this woman? she wondered then, enjoying the mystery. Someone he met at the doctor’s office or the hospital? Maybe a widow or divorcee who lived in the building? Or maybe even his nurse? Hannah’s mind swam with possibilities.

The note continued, We haven’t known each other that long. Truthfully, we come from completely different worlds …

Again, he’d written a few more words before crossing them out and scribbling over them. Evidently, he had a lot on his mind and wasn’t sure how to articulate those thoughts as they came.

Me being me, of course, I started things off on the wrong foot.

‘Of course, you did …’ She smiled, reminded of their own bumpy start.

That being said, I really don’t know what to do at this point. I care a lot about her and want to tell her how I feel. But I would hate to show my interest in someone like her and not have it reciprocated, which is the most likely outcome. She’s pretty incredible and I’m afraid of looking stupid.