‘He seems a lovely chap,’ saidAnnabel.
‘Oh he is. He runs me about a lot these days. Honestly, anyone would think he was my own personal chauffeur. And he isn’t one of those drivers who sits up front, all po-faced, refusing to say a single word. He tells me about his wife and his family, about what they’reupto.’
The woman picked up the glass and began sipping on her water. Much to Annabel’s relief, some semblance of colour finally began returning to hercheeks.
‘Do you have children?’ sheasked.
Annabel felt thrown. After the last couple of months it was a subject she preferred not to discuss. ‘I’m afraid not,’ she said. She automatically placed a hand on her belly. ‘I was hoping to, but, wellyouknow.’
‘It just hasn’t happened yet?’ said the woman. She nodded to Annabel’s necklace. ‘I noticed theweddingring.’
Annabel put a hand up to the chain around her neck. ‘No, it’s not that,’ she replied. ‘My husband,hedied.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ said thewoman.
Annabel recognised the sympathy in her eyes as she carried on drinking herwater.
‘My husband died young too,’ she said. ‘And although you’ve probably heard this a hundred times before, I can assure you, life doesgoon.’
Annabel smiled; she was trying to disguise the fact that, for her, it most certainly didn’t. ‘I take it you re-married,’ she asked. She might not be able to move on herself, but that didn’t stop her feeling pleased for those thatcould.
‘Me?’ replied the woman. ‘No, I was too busy single-handedly raising a child to even think about meeting someone else. Of course, that’s not to say I didn’t have the odd admirer or two, I just kept them at arm’s length. Nobody matched up to my husband,yousee.’
‘There’s still time,’ suggested Annabel. ‘None of us know what, or who, is around thecorner.’
The woman laughed. ‘I think it’s a bit late for me to start thinking like that. But you’ve got plentyoftime.’
Annabel took in the woman before her. It felt good to meet someone who knew first-hand what she’d been through; what she was still going through. Family and friends meant well in their advice, but they had a tendency to come over as a tad judgemental when she didn’t follow their guidance. This woman, well sheunderstood.
‘I thought I’d met someone,’ she said. ‘His name’s Dan. But things didn’tworkout.’
‘Oh,’ said the woman. Her eyes widened, as if encouraging Annabel tocontinue.
‘You’d like him. He’s funny, smart, and in the short time we knew each other he helped me to start enjoying life again. And you know how hardthatcan be when it comes to uswidows.’
The woman laughed. ‘Tell me about it,’shesaid.
‘It’s not that I compared him to Tom. Tom’s my husband, by the way. I just gotscared.’
‘Ofwhat?’
‘I don’t know. Lots of things Isuppose.’
‘And did you tell this Dan how you felt?’ asked thewoman.
‘No, I hardly dared admit it to myself and I haven’t a clue how he feels about me. Anyway, falling for Dan seemed too much like a betrayal.’ Annabel paused; she wondered if she was sharing too much information. ‘You’ll probably think I’m mad,’ she said. ‘But when my husband was alive I promised I’d stay faithful forever. Childish I know, but I gavemyword.’
‘Some promises are meant to be broken,’ said the woman. ‘Thanks to circumstance, sometimes we’re left with no choice.’ She too seemed to pause for a second, as if thinking about her own life. ‘What would your husband want youtodo?’
Annabel began wrapping the customer’s flowers. ‘He’d want me to behappy.’
‘Even if that means starting over with someone else?’ asked thewoman.
Annabelnodded. ‘Yep.’
‘Well there yougothen.’
Annabel sighed. ‘It’s not that easy though, is it?’ sheasked.
