[Sundae]

My Uncle, Aunt & cousin are too old for the beach now, but they used to do it when they were younger. Well I mean Jimmy and Glenys can't be arsed and Hannah is too cool to be making a big deal of Chrimbo with the 'rents.

Jim always phones Christmas Day, speaks to all of us. It used to be an even longer call. It's our second Christmas without Grandad but somehow, with him gone, it makes losing Auntie Alice, and even Nanny seem so much more significant. We are all there is.

Sadness.

It's vain to wish I had settled and carried on my own traditions (we had started them after all) because I was unhappy and I was making him unhappy. And I have almost no regrets about leaving him. But the times we shared were precious and our four Christmases, surrounded by friends, were wonderful. I worked hard to make sure it was so and I was rewarded. But then that's why I agreed to marry him - the lifestyle. It wasn't money - I earned more than him. It was security, community and safety.

Shit.