She meant every word

November 2002

In the end, it wasn't as difficult as I'd expected.

On the Saturday morning after my return, I had to pop out for an hour to drop someone off somewhere. So on the way back, I stopped to call Maggie. We didn't speak for as long as had become our habit, and it was earlier in the day than I'd have chosen, but nevertheless, I did manage to call her.

And so it went on, I just kept finding new reasons to disappear for an hour at weekends to speak to Maggie. Sometimes I took the car to the car wash, another time to the supermarket for an ingredient I'd forgotten, and since Christmas was only a few weeks away, I found Christmas shopping a great excuse.

On week days, I would find a meeting room that was unoccupied, and use that for an hour. I don't know if anyone ever noticed, but if they did, it was never mentioned. Initially, I never called her from my office, as I didn't want the call being easily linked back to me.

In this way our relationship continued to grow. Maggie would often say 'I love to hear your sweet, honest voice, always makes me feel so secure'.

We continued to use text and email as well. And after about a week I got an email from Maggie saying:

'Even though I only know you for such a short time, I know you are the one for me, never did I have this feeling before, and never will I have it again. It is hard for us to be parting, but I know that when we meet up again, it will be forever'

We'd spent no more than three hours in each others company. And yet, as I later found out, she meant every word.