From Hull via Italy to Ukraine

I could easily have gone straight home from work last night and spent a typical night on the sofa in a state of torpor. I was tired, my hair was greasy and I badly needed a shower. It was just as easy to jump straight onto the M62 and head for my pre-arranged meeting with Lol, Ali & Jill. It took little over an hour. They had everything I needed: ferocious shower, fluffy towels, ample cosmetics, a chilled vase of wine and a bonus of Pat & Ron ( Lol & Al's parents who have not yet signed the papers but who I secretly hope will adopt me one day).

Bibi's Criterion was our destination of choice, last visited en masse 2 years ago for Mrs Soon-To-Be-Roger's Hen Night. She was absent this time due to work commitments in Glasgow. She wasn't forgotten in the chat which covered the usual stuff when 4 x 30/40-something long-term friends with varying numbers of step/children and upcoming weddings( in Florence - ahem!)successfully coincide their diaries. 4 hours of perfect pick-me-up.

It was only as I was driving back, familiarly navigating my way around the underpasses and traffic lights ( all of which were so ostentatiously on Green that I began to wonder if I was in some weird kind of Michael Douglas film) that I really started to think about Eva ( her pre-Roger name). The roads were familiar from our many days and nights out when she lived there. It was usually me that drove, mainly because I'm a better driver than passenger and she's a shit driver, sorry, has spatial-awareness issues. They were great times.

I was going to call her tonight, in her hotel room in Glasgow. She rang me first. She'd never made it to Glasgow. Her Nana died last night. She'd been in the hospital just a few miles from my home. She was so close but impossible to reach by road.