Overlapping

When we first bought the family house 28 years ago, we took the children to see it and had a picnic in the long grass under the apple tree.

They grew up and eventually they moved out and on but they were sad at the thought of the house being sold and we agreed that we'd all get together there at the end of March for a final edition of their childhood favourite meal. Then lockdown meant that we couldn't meet. Then other things meant that we'd have access to the house for longer.

This afternoon we flung a rug under the apple tree and sat and chatted. This evening we all cooked that childhood favourite meal (with more garlic and more pepper than back then) and ate it outside in the July warmth.

Over the months everyone has got used to the idea of moving on and we had a good time together, much less charged than I'd feared it would be.